Payment Options

GhostSpeak offers three ways to pay for AI agent verifications. Each has different pricing, benefits, and ideal use cases.

USDC Pay-Per-Check

1 USDC per verification

GHOST Burn

75 GHOST per verification (25% discount)

GHOST Staking

Unlimited verifications (5K+ GHOST staked)

Quick Comparison

Payment Method	Cost per Verification	Upfront Cost	Best For	Revenue Share
USDC	1 USDC	$0	1-10 verifications	None
GHOST Burn	75 GHOST (~$0.0043)	$0	10-100 verifications	None
GHOST Staking	$0 (unlimited)	5K GHOST (~$0.28)	100+ verifications	10% B2C + 100% B2B overage

Verdict at current prices ($0.00005691/GHOST):

1-10 verifications: Use USDC (simplest)
10-100 verifications: Use GHOST burn (25% discount)
100+ verifications: Stake GHOST (unlimited + revenue share)

Option 1: USDC Pay-Per-Check

Pay 1 USDC per verification - the default, no-commitment option.

How It Works

User requests verification
        │
        ▼
GhostSpeak checks USDC balance
        │
        ▼
Deduct 1 USDC from wallet
        │
        ▼
Perform verification
        │
        ▼
Return results

Pricing

Quantity	Total Cost (USDC)	Cost per Verification
1	$1	$1.00
10	$10	$1.00
100	$100	$1.00
1,000	$1,000	$1.00

No volume discounts for USDC payment.

Code Example

import { GhostSpeakClient } from '@ghostspeak/sdk'

const client = new GhostSpeakClient({ cluster: 'mainnet' })

// Pay with USDC (default)
const verification = await client.verifications.create({
  agentId: agentAddress,
  paymentMethod: 'USDC', // Explicitly specify USDC
})

console.log('✅ Verified! Cost: 1 USDC')
console.log('Verification ID:', verification.id)
console.log('Ghost Score:', verification.ghostScore)

Pros & Cons

Pros

✅ No upfront cost - pay only when you verify ✅ Stable pricing - USDC is pegged to

1 USD ✅ **No token management** - don't need to buy/hold GHOST ✅ **Predictable budget** - 1 verification =

1, simple math

Cons

❌ No discounts - pay full price every time ❌ No revenue share - don’t earn from protocol growth ❌ Expensive at scale - 1000 verifications = $1000 ❌ Missed opportunity - don’t benefit from GHOST price appreciation

Best For

Casual users verifying <10 agents per month
New users testing GhostSpeak without commitment
USDC holders who don’t want token exposure
Price-sensitive users who value stable pricing

Option 2: GHOST Burn

Burn 75 GHOST per verification - get a 25% discount vs USDC.

How It Works

User requests verification
        │
        ▼
GhostSpeak checks GHOST balance
        │
        ▼
Burn 75 GHOST (send to burn address)
        │
        ▼
Perform verification
        │
        ▼
Return results

Burned GHOST is permanently removed from circulation - sent to Solana’s burn address (1nc1nerator11111111111111111111111111111111).

Pricing

Quantity	Total Cost (GHOST)	USDC Equivalent	Savings vs USDC
1	75 GHOST	$0.0043	$0.9957 (99.6%)
10	750 GHOST	$0.043	$9.957 (99.6%)
100	7,500 GHOST	$0.43	$99.57 (99.6%)
1,000	75,000 GHOST	$4.27	$995.73 (99.6%)

At current price ($0.00005691/GHOST):

GHOST burn = $0.0043 per verification
USDC payment = $1.00 per verification
Savings: 99.6% (due to extremely low GHOST price)

Price Volatility: GHOST burn cost fluctuates with token price. If GHOST appreciates 100x, burn cost becomes $0.43/verification (still 57% cheaper than USDC).At GHOST = $0.01333/token, burn cost equals USDC cost (1 USDC = 75 GHOST).

Code Example

import { GhostSpeakClient } from '@ghostspeak/sdk'

const client = new GhostSpeakClient({ cluster: 'mainnet' })

// Pay with GHOST burn
const verification = await client.verifications.create({
  agentId: agentAddress,
  paymentMethod: 'GHOST_BURN', // Burns 75 GHOST
})

console.log('✅ Verified! Burned 75 GHOST')
console.log('USDC equivalent saved:', 1 - (75 * 0.00005691))
console.log('Verification ID:', verification.id)

// Check burn transaction
console.log('Burn TX:', verification.burnSignature)
// Verify on Solscan: https://solscan.io/tx/{burnSignature}

Batch Burn (Recommended)

// Verify multiple agents with GHOST burn
const agents = [agent1, agent2, agent3, /* ... 100 agents */]

const results = await client.verifications.batchCreate({
  agentIds: agents.map(a => a.address),
  paymentMethod: 'GHOST_BURN',
})

console.log(`✅ Verified ${results.length} agents`)
console.log(`Burned ${results.length * 75} GHOST total`)
console.log(`USDC equivalent saved: $${results.length - (results.length * 75 * 0.00005691)}`)

Pros & Cons

Pros

✅ 25% discount - designed to be cheaper than USDC (at parity pricing) ✅ 99.6% savings at current GHOST price ($0.00005691) ✅ Deflationary - burns reduce supply, supporting price ✅ No commitment - pay-as-you-go like USDC ✅ Tax efficiency - burning may be tax-deductible (consult accountant)

Cons

❌ Volatile pricing - cost changes with GHOST price ❌ No revenue share - don’t earn from protocol growth ❌ Token management - need to buy and hold GHOST ❌ Irreversible - burned GHOST can’t be recovered

Best For

Medium-volume users verifying 10-100 agents per month
GHOST believers who want to support token price
Discount seekers maximizing savings vs USDC
Tax optimizers (burning may offset gains)

Option 3: GHOST Staking

Stake 5,000+ GHOST for unlimited verifications + USDC revenue share.

How It Works

User stakes GHOST tokens
        │
        ▼
Unlock unlimited verifications
        │
        ▼
Verify as many agents as needed ($0/verification)
        │
        ▼
Earn USDC revenue share daily
        │
        ▼
Claim rewards anytime
        │
        ▼
Unstake to exit (keep all rewards)

Staking Tiers

Tier	GHOST Required	Cost at $0.00005691	Benefits	Revenue Multiplier
Verified	5,000	$0.28	Unlimited verifications	1.5x
Pro	50,000	$2.85	+ 100K API calls/month	2.0x
Whale	500,000	$28.46	+ Unlimited API calls	3.0x

Pricing

Upfront Cost:

Verified: 5,000 GHOST × $0.00005691 = **$ 0.28**
Pro: 50,000 GHOST × $0.00005691 = **$ 2.85**
Whale: 500,000 GHOST × $0.00005691 = **$ 28.46**

Cost per Verification:

All tiers: $0 (unlimited)

Revenue Share (USDC): Assuming $10K monthly rewards pool, 10M effective stake total:

Tier	Your Effective Stake	Pool Share	Monthly Earnings	Annualized
Verified	7,500 (5K × 1.5x)	0.075%	$7.50	$90
Pro	100,000 (50K × 2.0x)	1.0%	$100	$1,200
Whale	1,500,000 (500K × 3.0x)	15.0%	$1,500	$18,000

Code Example

import { GhostSpeakClient } from '@ghostspeak/sdk'

const client = new GhostSpeakClient({ cluster: 'mainnet' })

// Stake 5K GHOST (Verified tier)
const stake = await client.staking.stake({
  amount: 5_000_000_000n, // 5K GHOST (6 decimals)
})

console.log('✅ Staked successfully!')
console.log('Tier:', stake.tier) // "Verified Staker"
console.log('Revenue Multiplier:', stake.multiplier) // 1.5x

// Verify agents (unlimited, $0 cost)
const verification1 = await client.verifications.create({ agentId: agent1 })
const verification2 = await client.verifications.create({ agentId: agent2 })
const verification3 = await client.verifications.create({ agentId: agent3 })
// ... verify 1000 more agents for $0 ...

// Check pending rewards
const rewards = await client.staking.getRewards()
console.log('Pending USDC:', rewards.pending)
console.log('Estimated monthly:', rewards.estimatedMonthly)
console.log('Estimated APY:', `${rewards.estimatedAPY}%`)

// Claim rewards
const claim = await client.staking.claimRewards()
console.log('✅ Claimed', claim.usdcAmount, 'USDC')

Pros & Cons

Pros

✅ Unlimited verifications - no per-check cost ✅ USDC revenue share - earn 10% B2C + 100% B2B overage fees ✅ High APY - 32,000%+ at current GHOST price (normalizes as price rises) ✅ No lockup - unstake anytime, keep rewards ✅ Price upside - benefit from GHOST appreciation ✅ Multiplier bonuses - higher tiers earn more per GHOST staked

Cons

❌ Upfront capital - need to buy 5K+ GHOST ❌ Price risk - GHOST may depreciate while staked ❌ Variable APY - earnings depend on protocol revenue ❌ Smart contract risk - staking contract may have bugs ❌ Opportunity cost - GHOST locked in staking can’t be traded

Best For

Power users verifying 100+ agents per month
Long-term holders bullish on GhostSpeak growth
Revenue seekers wanting USDC passive income
Early adopters maximizing APY while GHOST is cheap

Break-Even Analysis

At what verification count does each option become optimal?

Current Prices ($0.00005691/GHOST)

// Assumptions
const USDC_COST = 1.00                    // $1 per verification
const GHOST_BURN_COST = 75 * 0.00005691   // $0.0043 per verification
const VERIFIED_STAKE_COST = 5000 * 0.00005691  // $0.28 upfront

// Break-even calculations
const breakEvenBurnVsUSDC = VERIFIED_STAKE_COST / (USDC_COST - GHOST_BURN_COST)
// = $0.28 / ($1.00 - $0.0043) = 0.28 verifications

const breakEvenStakingVsUSDC = VERIFIED_STAKE_COST / USDC_COST
// = $0.28 / $1.00 = 0.28 verifications

const breakEvenStakingVsBurn = VERIFIED_STAKE_COST / GHOST_BURN_COST
// = $0.28 / $0.0043 = 65 verifications

Results:

USDC vs GHOST Burn: Burn is cheaper after just 1 verification (at current prices)
USDC vs Staking: Staking is cheaper after just 1 verification (at current prices)
GHOST Burn vs Staking: Staking is cheaper after 65 verifications

These break-even numbers assume current GHOST price. If GHOST appreciates 100x:

USDC = $1/verification (unchanged)
GHOST Burn = $0.43/verification (75 GHOST ×$ 0.005691)
Staking upfront = $28.46 (5K GHOST ×$ 0.005691)

New break-evens:

Staking vs USDC: 28 verifications
Staking vs Burn: 66 verifications (nearly identical)

Realistic Pricing Scenario ($0.01333/GHOST = Parity)

If GHOST reaches $0.01333 (234x from current):

USDC = $1/verification
GHOST Burn = $1/verification (75 ×$ 0.01333 = 25% discount no longer applies due to pricing)
Staking upfront = $66.65 (5K ×$ 0.01333)

Break-evens:

Staking vs USDC: 67 verifications
Staking vs Burn: 67 verifications

Conclusion: At parity pricing, staking breaks even around 60-70 verifications.

Total Cost Comparison

How much do you spend at different usage levels?

Verifications	USDC Cost	GHOST Burn Cost*	Staking Cost**	Best Option
1	$1	$0.0043	$0.28	GHOST Burn
10	$10	$0.043	$0.28	Staking
100	$100	$0.43	$0.28	Staking
1,000	$1,000	$4.27	$0.28	Staking
10,000	$10,000	$42.68	$0.28	Staking

*At $0.00005691/GHOST **Verified tier (5K GHOST), not including revenue share earnings With revenue share (assuming $7.50/month):

10 verifications: Staking cost = $0.28 -$ 7.50 = -$7.22 (you’re paid to verify!)
100 verifications: Staking cost = $0.28 -$ 7.50 = -$7.22 (still profitable)
1,000 verifications: Staking cost = $0.28 -$ 7.50 = -$7.22 (maximize earnings)

At current prices, staking is profitable after just 1 day due to revenue share exceeding upfront stake cost.

Pricing Examples

Example 1: Casual User (10 verifications/month)

USDC:

Monthly cost: 10 × $1 = **$ 10**
Annual cost: $120

GHOST Burn:

Monthly cost: 10 × 75 × $0.00005691 = **$ 0.043**
Annual cost: $0.52

Staking:

Upfront: 5K × $0.00005691 = **$ 0.28**
Monthly revenue share: $7.50
Annual profit: $90 -$ 0.28 = $89.72

Best Option: Staking (

89.72 profit vs

10 cost for USDC)

Example 2: Power User (1,000 verifications/month)

USDC:

Monthly cost: 1,000 × $1 = **$ 1,000**
Annual cost: $12,000

GHOST Burn:

Monthly cost: 1,000 × 75 × $0.00005691 = **$ 4.27**
Annual cost: $51.24

Staking:

Upfront: 5K × $0.00005691 = **$ 0.28**
Monthly revenue share: $7.50
Annual profit: $90 -$ 0.28 = $89.72

Best Option: Staking (

89.72 profit vs

1,000 cost for USDC) Even GHOST burn (

51.24/year) is 99.6% cheaper than USDC (

12,000/year).

Example 3: Enterprise (100K verifications/month)

USDC:

Monthly cost: 100,000 × $1 = **$ 100,000**
Annual cost: $1,200,000

GHOST Burn:

Monthly cost: 100,000 × 75 × $0.00005691 = **$ 427.35**
Annual cost: $5,128.20

Staking (Pro Tier):

Upfront: 50K × $0.00005691 = **$ 2.85**
Monthly revenue share: $100
Annual profit: $1,200 -$ 2.85 = $1,197.15

Best Option: Staking Pro Tier (

1,197 profit vs

100K cost for USDC) GHOST burn is also viable (

5,128/year vs

1.2M/year).

Decision Tree

Use this flowchart to pick the right payment option:

Start: How many verifications do you need?
    │
    ├─ 1-10 verifications
    │   └─> Are you bullish on GHOST price?
    │       ├─ Yes → GHOST Burn (99.6% savings + deflationary support)
    │       └─ No → USDC (simple, stable pricing)
    │
    ├─ 10-100 verifications
    │   └─> Do you want revenue share?
    │       ├─ Yes → Stake GHOST (unlimited + $7.50/month USDC)
    │       └─ No → GHOST Burn (still 99.6% savings)
    │
    └─ 100+ verifications
        └─> ALWAYS stake GHOST
            │
            ├─ 100+ verifications → Verified Tier (5K GHOST)
            ├─ Need API access → Pro Tier (50K GHOST)
            └─ Unlimited API → Whale Tier (500K GHOST)

Payment Method Migration

Can you switch payment methods later? Yes! You can change payment methods at any time:

// Switch from USDC to GHOST burn
const verification = await client.verifications.create({
  agentId: agentAddress,
  paymentMethod: 'GHOST_BURN', // Changed from default USDC
})

// Switch to staking (stake GHOST first)
await client.staking.stake({ amount: 5_000_000_000n })

// Now all verifications are free (unlimited)
const verification2 = await client.verifications.create({
  agentId: agentAddress,
  // No paymentMethod needed - staking automatically used
})

// Unstake anytime to revert to pay-per-check
await client.staking.unstake({ amount: 'all' })

No penalties for switching - choose the optimal method at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is GHOST burn cheaper than USDC?

By design, GHOST burn is 25% cheaper than USDC at parity pricing ($0.01333/GHOST).Formula: USDC_COST = GHOST_BURN_COST × 1.33At current prices ($0.00005691), GHOST is 99.6% cheaper due to severe undervaluation.As GHOST appreciates, the discount normalizes to the designed 25%.

What happens to burned GHOST?

Burned GHOST is sent to Solana’s official burn address: 1nc1nerator11111111111111111111111111111111This address has no private key - tokens sent there are permanently removed from circulation.You can verify burns on Solscan.

Can I unstake without penalty?

Yes! No lockup period for staking.You can unstake anytime and receive your GHOST back immediately. You keep all claimed rewards but stop earning new revenue share.Unstaking does NOT penalize you - you just lose future unlimited verifications.

Which payment method is best for taxes?

This is not tax advice (consult a tax professional), but general considerations:

USDC: Simple business expense deduction
GHOST Burn: May offset capital gains (burning = disposal event)
Staking: Revenue share is taxable income, unstaking may trigger capital gains

Most tax-efficient option depends on your jurisdiction and tax situation.

Can I combine payment methods?

Yes! You can use different methods for different verifications:

// Verify agent 1 with USDC
await client.verifications.create({
  agentId: agent1,
  paymentMethod: 'USDC'
})

// Verify agent 2 with GHOST burn
await client.verifications.create({
  agentId: agent2,
  paymentMethod: 'GHOST_BURN'
})

// Stake GHOST for unlimited verifications going forward
await client.staking.stake({ amount: 5_000_000_000n })

// All future verifications are free
await client.verifications.create({ agentId: agent3 })

Mix and match as needed!

Next Steps

Start Staking

Unlock unlimited verifications + revenue share

GHOST Token Overview

Learn about GHOST supply, utility, and tokenomics

Buy GHOST

Purchase GHOST on DEXScreener

SDK Reference

Implement payments programmatically

Current Recommendation: At

0.00005691/GHOST, staking is the clear winner for any usage level >1 verification. The upfront cost (

0.28) is recovered in revenue share within 1 day.If you verify even 1 agent per month, staking is more profitable than USDC payment.

Price Volatility: GHOST price can change dramatically. These comparisons assume current pricing and may not reflect future costs. Always verify current prices before committing.

Introduction

Core Concepts

SDK Documentation

ElizaOS Plugin

CLI Documentation

Web Dashboard

Guides & Tutorials

Reference

Resources

​Payment Options

USDC Pay-Per-Check

GHOST Burn

GHOST Staking

​Quick Comparison

​Option 1: USDC Pay-Per-Check

​How It Works

​Pricing

​Code Example

​Pros & Cons

​Best For

​Option 2: GHOST Burn

​How It Works

​Pricing

​Code Example

​Batch Burn (Recommended)

​Pros & Cons

​Best For

​Option 3: GHOST Staking

​How It Works

​Staking Tiers

​Pricing

​Code Example

​Pros & Cons

​Best For

​Break-Even Analysis

​Current Prices ($0.00005691/GHOST)

​Realistic Pricing Scenario ($0.01333/GHOST = Parity)

​Total Cost Comparison

​Pricing Examples

​Example 1: Casual User (10 verifications/month)

​Example 2: Power User (1,000 verifications/month)

​Example 3: Enterprise (100K verifications/month)

​Decision Tree

​Payment Method Migration

​Frequently Asked Questions

​Next Steps

Start Staking

GHOST Token Overview

Buy GHOST

SDK Reference

Payment Options

Quick Comparison

Option 1: USDC Pay-Per-Check

How It Works

Pricing

Code Example

Pros & Cons

Best For

Option 2: GHOST Burn

How It Works

Pricing

Code Example

Batch Burn (Recommended)

Pros & Cons

Best For

Option 3: GHOST Staking

How It Works

Staking Tiers

Pricing

Code Example

Pros & Cons

Best For

Break-Even Analysis

Current Prices ($0.00005691/GHOST)

Realistic Pricing Scenario ($0.01333/GHOST = Parity)

Total Cost Comparison

Pricing Examples

Example 1: Casual User (10 verifications/month)

Example 2: Power User (1,000 verifications/month)

Example 3: Enterprise (100K verifications/month)

Decision Tree

Payment Method Migration

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Steps