# Practical guidance (short and actionable)

* **Start with Interledger/Web Monetization** for streaming payments between your agent and your own tools (fastest to prototype). ([webmonetization.org][2])
* **Add Lightning** if you need *global*, *instant* micro-settlement or want to experiment with machine-to-machine use cases. ([trustmachines.co][5])
* **Implement metering + receipts now** (regardless of rail): log every call, attach a receipt/quote, and tally in a simple **cross-agent ledger**—this mirrors where the research says we’re headed. &#x20;

If you want, I can sketch a reference architecture for **per-invocation streaming payments** (Open Payments for the API, Web Monetization in the agent adapter, and a billing trace that rolls up to user-visible cost previews) and a second variant using **Lightning** channels.

[1]: https://interledger.org/web-monetization?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Web Monetization"
[2]: https://webmonetization.org/specification/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Web Monetization Specification"
[3]: https://interledger.org/news/ad-filtering-dev-summit-23-web-monetization-100-ad-filter?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Ad Filtering Dev Summit '23 | Web Monetization - The 100 ..."
[4]: https://community.interledger.org/interledger/web-monetization-updates-for-june-2025-d6o?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Web Monetization updates for June 2025"
[5]: https://trustmachines.co/learn/what-is-lightning-network/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Lightning Network and Bitcoin: What and How | ..."
[6]: https://yellow.com/news/bitcoin-lightning-network-advances-5-real-world-applications-gaining-traction?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Bitcoin Lightning Network Advances: 5 Real-World ..."
[7]: https://aurpay.net/aurspace/lightning-network-enterprise-adoption-2025/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Lightning Network 2025: Enterprise Adoption Cuts Fees 50%"
[8]: https://www.lightspark.com/blog/bitcoin/what-does-the-lightning-network-do?utm_source=chatgpt.com "What the Lightning Network Does for Bitcoin"
[9]: https://simpleswap.io/blog/what-is-bitcoin-lightning-network?utm_source=chatgpt.com "What It Is Bitcoin Lightning Network and How It Works"