Chutes AI Proxy (x402)#

Build a pay-per-inference proxy for Bittensor Chutes (Subnet 64). Accept USDC payments on Base and forward requests to Chutes' decentralized AI network.

When to Use This Skill#

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• Build an AI inference API that accepts crypto payments
• Wrap Chutes/Bittensor with their own pricing
• Create a pay-per-request AI service without subscriptions
• Monetize AI access using stablecoins
• Set up a Bittensor-powered AI endpoint

How to Respond#

User Says/AsksWhat to Do"Create a Chutes proxy"Run x402 create chutes-proxy my-proxy"I want to sell AI inference"Scaffold the proxy, explain the business model"How do I accept payments for AI?"Explain x402 + Chutes, offer to scaffold"Set up Bittensor integration"Run the create command"What models does Chutes support?"List models (DeepSeek, Llama, Qwen, etc.)

Quick Start#

Node.js / TypeScript#

bash

npx @primersystems/x402 create chutes-proxy my-ai-proxy
cd my-ai-proxy
npm install
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your Chutes API key and wallet address
npm run dev

Python#

bash

pip install primer-x402
x402 create chutes-proxy my-ai-proxy
cd my-ai-proxy
pip install -r requirements.txt
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your Chutes API key and wallet address
uvicorn main:app --reload

How It Works#

text

User Request
     |
     v
[Your Proxy] -- No payment? --> Return 402 + price
     |
     v
User signs USDC payment (gasless)
     |
     v
[Your Proxy] -- Verify payment --> [Primer Facilitator]
     |
     v
[Chutes API] -- Forward request --> Bittensor Subnet 64
     |
     v
AI Response returned to user

You pre-pay Chutes with your API credits. Users pay YOU in USDC. You keep the margin.

Configuration#

After scaffolding, edit .env:

VariableDescriptionRequiredCHUTES_API_KEYYour Chutes API key from chutes.aiYesWALLET_ADDRESSYour wallet to receive USDCYesPRICE_PER_1K_TOKENSYour price in USD (default: 0.001)NoFACILITATOR_URLx402 facilitator (default: Primer's)No

Getting a Chutes API Key#

1. Go to chutes.ai
2. Sign up / connect wallet
3. Subscribe to a tier ($3/month base)
4. Generate API key (starts with cpk_)

Deployment#

Cloudflare Workers (TypeScript - Free)#

bash

wrangler login
wrangler secret put CHUTES_API_KEY
wrangler secret put WALLET_ADDRESS
npm run deploy

Docker (Python)#

bash

docker build -t chutes-proxy .
docker run -p 8000:8000 --env-file .env chutes-proxy

Other Platforms#

• fly.io: fly launch && fly secrets set CHUTES_API_KEY=xxx
• Railway/Render: Connect repo, set env vars in dashboard
• Vercel Edge: Build and deploy TypeScript version

API Endpoints#

Your proxy exposes:

EndpointDescriptionPaymentGET /Health checkFreePOST /v1/chat/completionsChat completions (OpenAI-compatible)RequiredGET /v1/modelsList available modelsFree

Supported Models#

Any model on Chutes, including:

• deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3
• Qwen/Qwen3-235B-A22B
• meta-llama/Llama-3.1-70B-Instruct
• meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct

See chutes.ai for the full list.

Pricing Strategy#

The proxy estimates tokens and charges upfront:

text

Price = (estimated_tokens / 1000) * PRICE_PER_1K_TOKENS

Set PRICE_PER_1K_TOKENS higher than Chutes' cost to make margin. Example:

• Chutes costs you ~$0.0005/1K tokens
• You charge $0.001/1K tokens
• You keep 50% margin

Limitations#

• Streaming not supported - Template doesn't handle stream: true
• Token estimation is approximate - Uses ~4 chars/token heuristic
• Pre-payment only - No post-inference reconciliation

Use Cases#

WhoWhyAI agent operatorsGive agents paid AI access without API keysAPI resellersWrap Chutes with your branding/pricingPrivacy servicesAI without accounts or KYCBittensor minersAdd stablecoin revenue stream

Testing Your Proxy#

bash

# Should return 402 Payment Required
curl http://localhost:8787/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}]}'

# Pay and get response (using x402 CLI)
npx @primersystems/x402 pay http://localhost:8787/v1/chat/completions \
  --max-amount 0.01 \
  --method POST \
  --body '{"messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}]}'

Links#

• Chutes AI: https://chutes.ai
• Bittensor: https://bittensor.com
• x402 Protocol: https://x402.org
• Primer Systems: https://primer.systems
• SDK Documentation: https://x402.org/docs/bittensor.html
• GitHub: https://github.com/primer-systems/x402