Abstract
Modula is a permissionless, on-chain registry for fine-tuned AI models. Creators register models directly on Base using ERC-7527; each registration mints a bonding-curve token and generates a Model Context Protocol (MCP) endpoint so any agent can call the model as a tool. Inference is paid at the edge in USDC via x402, with 100% of revenue flowing to the model's on-chain creator treasury. The bonding curve makes token price a live, unforgeable signal of model quality.
1. The distribution problem
The current AI distribution model was designed for humans clicking "Get API Key" on a dashboard. Agents do not click. They discover, negotiate, and settle programmatically — and the dominant centralized hubs are structurally unable to price specialized models fairly, approve every listing, or distribute revenue without a take rate. Modula replaces the hub with a protocol.
2. Registry primitives
The registry is a set of on-chain records, one per model. Every record carries an ERC-7527 token address, a creator treasury, a deterministic MCP endpoint URL, a content hash of the model artifact, a capability descriptor, and a lifetime inference counter. Records are public, indexable, and cannot be censored.
3. ERC-7527 bonding curves
Each registered model mints tokens on a deterministic bonding curve defined by ERC-7527. A portion of every inference payment is routed into the curve, raising the mint price. Over time, the curve's implied price becomes a running quality score: models that agents keep routing to appreciate; models that do not, do not.
4. MCP endpoints
Every model is exposed as an MCP tool. Any MCP-aware agent (Claude, Cursor, a custom agent) can add the model with a single URL and call it with structured input. Discovery, invocation, and schema negotiation are handled by the standard, so Modula does not ship a per-model SDK.
5. x402 payment rail
Inference requests carry payment by default. Using x402 — an HTTP-native payment header standard — the calling agent signs both the request body and a USDC transfer in one round trip. The Modula gateway gates the response on settlement, so inference and payment are atomically bound. No API keys, no subscriptions, no manual top-ups.
6. Token economics
There is no platform token. Each model has its own ERC-7527 token. Supply is pinned by the curve; there is no team unlock, no treasury that can drain the market, and no inflation. The protocol takes 0% of inference revenue. Creators earn through direct inference payments plus curve appreciation as demand grows.
7. Security model
Contracts are immutable after deployment. Endpoints are deterministic URLs derived from the registry record, so man-in-the-middle attacks on discovery are reducible to public-key verification against Base. All inference payments clear on-chain; there is no off-chain credit.
8. Roadmap
Mainnet launch in Q3 2026 on Base, the first 100 models indexed by Q4 2026, cross-rollup registry federation in 2027. See the home page roadmap for the current rolling list.