Get an API key

Most AI APIs make you sign up with an email, verify your identity, and add a credit card before your first request. Solrouter skips all of that. You authenticate with an API key sent as a bearer token. You get that key by connecting a Solana wallet. There is no email sign-up, no KYC (Know Your Customer identity check), and no card.

Fund a prepaid balance in USDC or $ROUTER, and you can make calls in minutes.

Getting your API key

Here is the full path from zero to your first authenticated request. It has four steps, all in the browser.

Using your API key

Once you have a key, you attach it to requests in one of two ways: through the SDK, which handles it for you, or directly over HTTP.

With the SDK

Pass your API key when you create the SolRouter client. From then on, the SDK attaches it to every request. You never touch the header yourself.

import { SolRouter } from '@solrouter/sdk';

const client = new SolRouter({
  apiKey: 'sk_solrouter_...',
  baseUrl: 'https://api.solrouter.com',
});

Direct HTTP (REST API)

If you are not using the SDK, send the key yourself as a bearer token in the Authorization header.

curl -X POST "https://api.solrouter.com/agent" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_solrouter_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt": "Hello", "model": "gpt-oss:20b"}'

Authentication tiers

External callers have two ways to authenticate. Pick the row that matches how your code runs.

x402 settles through a facilitator. The live manifest advertises Coinbase (api.cdp.coinbase.com/x402). Service discovery is at /.well-known/x402. The manifest shows X402_FACILITATOR_URL when it is set, or a built-in default when it is not. The manifest does not show which facilitator settles payments. Wire-level facilitator: not determined.

The x402 tier is worth a closer look if you build agents. Instead of storing a long-lived key, an agent pays for each call on the spot in USDC. x402 removes the API key, not the wallet key. The agent still holds a wallet private key to sign payments, so protect that key the same way.

Keeping your API key safe

Your key can spend real money, so treat it with the same care as a password. The practices below keep it out of the wrong hands.

• Never commit your API key to source control. Treat sk_solrouter_... like a password. Keep it out of Git history, checked-in .env files, and any public repository.

• Use environment variables. Store your key in SOLROUTER_API_KEY and read it at runtime, so the secret never lives in your code:

  const client = new SolRouter({
    apiKey: process.env.SOLROUTER_API_KEY,
    baseUrl: 'https://api.solrouter.com',
  });

• Rotate compromised keys at once. If a key is exposed, go to solrouter.com/sdk, delete the affected key, and generate a new one.