# SatGate™ — Economic Firewall for AI Agent Requests
> SatGate is the economic control plane for AI agents.
> Observe, Control, and Charge agent/API activity before upstream access.
> Request-path budget enforcement, MCP governance, scoped capabilities, Evidence Packs, and paid-rail context.

## What is SatGate?
SatGate is an economic firewall for AI agents and APIs. It sits in the request path between autonomous agents and upstream APIs, tools, MCP servers, model providers, or protected resources.

SatGate answers the question every autonomous agent request creates:

**Should this agent be allowed to access, spend, route, or pay right now?**

## Core Modes

### Observe
Measure agent/API traffic without blocking production workloads. Attribute spend by tenant, agent, workflow, delegated sub-agent, token, route, model, and tool.

### Control
Enforce budgets, spend caps, route policy, revocation, expiry, per-request ceilings, and kill switches before expensive API or MCP tool calls execute.

### Charge
Let paid agents pay for protected APIs at request time. SatGate paid-rail governance uses paid-rail context. Fiat402 is separate and should not be conflated with Charge.

## Category Definition
An economic firewall is a request-path control layer that governs AI agent access, spend, budgets, routing, audit, and payment before upstream API calls execute.

Traditional API gateways route traffic. Dashboards report spend after the fact. Economic firewalls enforce economic policy before autonomous agents spend money.

## Key Concepts
- **Economic control plane for AI agents**: The layer that observes, controls, and charges agent/API activity.
- **AI agent spend control**: Per-agent, per-tool, per-route, per-model, per-session, and per-day budget enforcement.
- **MCP governance**: Budget, access, revocation, risk, and audit controls around Model Context Protocol tool calls.
- **Agent API governance**: Scoped, expiring, revocable, budget-aware capabilities instead of broad static API keys.
- **Capability tokens**: Macaroon-style credentials with caveats for route, expiry, budget, calls, delegation, and revocation.
- **paid-rail context**: HTTP 402 + Lightning invoice + proof + access credential for machine-native API monetization.
- **Paid agents**: Autonomous agents that discover, evaluate, call, and pay for APIs programmatically.

## L402 Flow
1. Agent requests a protected endpoint.
2. SatGate returns `402 Payment Required` with an L402 challenge.
3. Agent pays the Lightning invoice and receives proof.
4. Agent retries with `Authorization: L402 <macaroon>:<preimage>`.
5. SatGate verifies proof and policy before forwarding access.

## Capability Caveats
Macaroons and capability tokens can constrain agent authority:
- `scope=/api/premium/*` — limit access to specific routes
- `exp<=1735689600` — expire credentials automatically
- `budget<=1000` — cap spend
- `calls<=10` — cap usage count
- `tool=repo_search` — constrain MCP tool access
- `delegate=false` — prevent sub-agent delegation

## Free Tools and Calculators
- AI Agent Cost Control Tools Hub: https://satgate.io/tools
- AI Agent ROI Calculator: https://satgate.io/roi-calculator
- Runaway Agent Cost Calculator: https://satgate.io/runaway-agent-cost-calculator
- AI Agent Runaway Spend Benchmark: https://satgate.io/ai-agent-runaway-spend-benchmark
- AI Agent Runaway Spend Index: https://satgate.io/ai-agent-runaway-spend-index
- Runaway Spend Index JSON Data: https://satgate.io/data/ai-agent-runaway-spend-index-2026-04.json
- Runaway Spend Index CSV Data: https://satgate.io/data/ai-agent-runaway-spend-index-2026-04.csv
- Benchmark JSON Data: https://satgate.io/data/ai-agent-runaway-spend-benchmark.json
- Benchmark CSV Data: https://satgate.io/data/ai-agent-runaway-spend-benchmark.csv
- OpenAI API Budget Limit Generator: https://satgate.io/openai-budget-policy-generator
- MCP Tool Cost Policy Generator: https://satgate.io/mcp-tool-cost-policy-generator
- MCP Governance Policy Bundle: https://satgate.io/policy-templates/mcp-governance/mcp-governance-policy-bundle.v1.json
- MCP Evidence Pack Sample: https://satgate.io/policy-templates/mcp-governance/mcp-evidence-pack.sample.v1.json
- MCP Spend Caps Template: https://satgate.io/policy-templates/mcp-governance/spend-caps.v1.yaml
- MCP Tool Allowlist Template: https://satgate.io/policy-templates/mcp-governance/tool-allowlist.v1.yaml
- MCP Tenant Isolation Template: https://satgate.io/policy-templates/mcp-governance/tenant-isolation.v1.yaml
- MCP Delegation Depth Template: https://satgate.io/policy-templates/mcp-governance/delegation-depth.v1.yaml
- MCP Proxy Config Generator: https://satgate.io/mcp-proxy-config-generator
- Economic Firewall Readiness Grader: https://satgate.io/economic-firewall-readiness-grader
- Agent API Key Risk Assessment: https://satgate.io/agent-api-key-risk-assessment
- Agent Spend Policy Template: https://satgate.io/agent-spend-policy-template
- Revocable Capability Token Policy Template: https://satgate.io/revocable-capability-token-policy-template
- SEO Distribution Kit: https://satgate.io/seo-distribution-kit
- Distribution Markdown Kit: https://satgate.io/distribution/satgate-seo-machine-launch-kit.md
- L402 API Pricing Calculator: https://satgate.io/l402-api-pricing-calculator

## Category Pages
- Economic Firewall: https://satgate.io/economic-firewall
- Stripe Link for Agents vs SatGate: https://satgate.io/stripe-link-agents-vs-satgate
- Agent Payment Controls: https://satgate.io/agent-payment-controls
- HTTP 402 for AI Agents: https://satgate.io/http-402-for-ai-agents
- AI Agent Cost Control: https://satgate.io/ai-agent-cost-control
- LLM Cost Dashboard: https://satgate.io/llm-cost-dashboard
- LLM Cost Monitoring: https://satgate.io/llm-cost-monitoring
- AI API Budget Enforcement: https://satgate.io/ai-api-budget-enforcement
- Agent Spending Limits: https://satgate.io/agent-spending-limits
- MCP Governance Hub: https://satgate.io/mcp
- MCP Gateway: https://satgate.io/mcp-gateway
- MCP Governance: https://satgate.io/mcp-governance
- MCP Budget Enforcement: https://satgate.io/mcp-budget-enforcement
- MCP Cost Control: https://satgate.io/mcp-cost-control
- Agent API Governance: https://satgate.io/agent-api-governance
- Agent Control Plane: https://satgate.io/agent-control-plane
- Evidence Pack Demo: https://satgate.io/evidence-pack-demo
- Evidence Pack JSON v1: https://satgate.io/evidence-packs/sample-evidence-pack.v1.json
- Evidence Pack Schema v1: https://satgate.io/evidence-packs/evidence-pack.schema.v1.json
- Revocable Agent Credentials: https://satgate.io/revocable-agent-credentials
- Capability Auth: https://satgate.io/capability-auth
- Agent Capability Tokens: https://satgate.io/agent-capability-tokens
- Capability Lifecycle Demo: https://satgate.io/capability-lifecycle-demo
- L402 Agent Payments: https://satgate.io/l402-agent-payments
- Paid Agent Payments: https://satgate.io/paid-agent-payments

## Integration Pages
- SatGate Integrations Hub: https://satgate.io/integrations
- SatGate for Cursor: https://satgate.io/satgate-for-cursor
- SatGate for Claude Code: https://satgate.io/satgate-for-claude-code
- SatGate for Claude Desktop MCP: https://satgate.io/satgate-for-claude-desktop
- SatGate for OpenClaw Agents: https://satgate.io/satgate-for-openclaw
- SatGate for Hermes Agent: https://satgate.io/satgate-for-hermes-agent

## Comparison Pages
- SatGate vs LiteLLM: https://satgate.io/compare/litellm
- SatGate vs Portkey: https://satgate.io/compare/portkey
- SatGate vs Helicone: https://satgate.io/compare/helicone
- SatGate vs Cloudflare AI Gateway: https://satgate.io/compare/cloudflare-ai-gateway
- SatGate vs Kong AI Gateway: https://satgate.io/compare/kong-ai-gateway
- SatGate vs Apigee: https://satgate.io/compare/apigee
- SatGate vs Tyk: https://satgate.io/compare/tyk
- SatGate vs Langfuse: https://satgate.io/compare/langfuse
- SatGate vs Bifrost: https://satgate.io/compare/bifrost
- SatGate vs Zuplo: https://satgate.io/compare/zuplo
- SatGate vs Cloud-Native API Gateways: https://satgate.io/compare/cloud-native

## High-Intent Guides
- What Is an Economic Firewall?: https://satgate.io/blog/what-is-an-economic-firewall
- AI Agent API Cost Control: https://satgate.io/blog/ai-agent-api-cost-control
- OpenAI API Budget Limits: https://satgate.io/blog/how-to-add-budget-limits-to-openai-api-calls
- MCP Budget Enforcement Guide: https://satgate.io/blog/mcp-budget-enforcement-guide
- Hard-Cap MCP Tool Spend: https://satgate.io/blog/hard-capping-mcp-tool-spend
- API Gateway for AI Agents: https://satgate.io/blog/api-gateway-for-ai-agents
- API Monetization for AI Agents: https://satgate.io/blog/api-monetization-ai
- LLM Cost Management: https://satgate.io/blog/llm-cost-management
- LLM cost dashboard checklist: https://satgate.io/llm-cost-dashboard
- LLM cost monitoring vs enforcement: https://satgate.io/llm-cost-monitoring
- Macaroon Tokens vs API Keys: https://satgate.io/blog/macaroon-tokens-vs-api-keys
- Zero Trust for AI Agents: https://satgate.io/blog/zero-trust-for-ai-agents
- Intelligent AI Delegation and Capability Tokens: https://satgate.io/blog/deepmind-intelligent-delegation-satgate
- Agent Swarm Cost Control: https://satgate.io/blog/agent-swarms-cost-governance
- L402 Protocol Explained: https://satgate.io/blog/l402-protocol-explained
- HTTP 402 Use Cases: https://satgate.io/blog/http-402-payment-required-use-cases
- Why Routing Is Not Governance: https://satgate.io/blog/why-routing-isnt-governance
- Why Economic Firewalls Enable Autonomous Agents: https://satgate.io/blog/why-economic-firewalls-are-the-prerequisite-for-autonomous-ai-agents
- AI Agent Spending Limits: https://satgate.io/blog/ai-agent-spending-limits
- MCP Gateway Guide: https://satgate.io/blog/mcp-gateway-guide
- Beyond Connection: Economic Governance in MCP: https://satgate.io/blog/beyond-connection-economic-governance-mcp

## Architecture
```
Agent / App / MCP Client → CDN/WAF → SatGate Economic Firewall → API / MCP Server / Model Provider
```

SatGate can be deployed as a gateway, sidecar, or MCP proxy. It is designed to add economic governance around existing APIs and agent workflows without forcing every tool implementation to be rewritten.

## Quick Start

### Python Agents
```python
pip install satgate

from satgate.langchain import SatGateTool
from langchain.agents import initialize_agent

tools = [SatGateTool(wallet=my_lnd_node)]
agent = initialize_agent(tools, llm, agent="openai-functions")
agent.run("Buy the latest stock report")
```

### Node.js
```javascript
npm install @satgate/sdk

import { SatGate } from '@satgate/sdk';
const satgate = new SatGate({ apiKey: process.env.SATGATE_API_KEY });
const capability = await satgate.issue({
  task: 'fetch premium report',
  agent: 'research-agent',
  allow: ['GET /premium'],
  budgetUsd: 1.00,
});
const receipt = await satgate.pay({
  upstream: 'https://api.example.com/premium',
  capability,
  maxUsd: 0.25,
});
await satgate.verify(receipt);
```

### cURL
```bash
curl -i https://api.example.com/api/premium
curl -H "Authorization: L402 <macaroon>:<preimage>" \
  https://api.example.com/api/premium
```

## Product and Demo Pages
- Enterprise AI Agent Governance: https://satgate.io/govern
- AI Agent Management: https://satgate.io/agents
- SatGate Governance Dashboard: https://satgate.io/dashboard
- SatGate Control Demo: https://satgate.io/protect
- SatGate Protect / Scoped Agent Credential Demo: https://satgate.io/crawl
- SatGate paid-rail governance / L402 Payment Demo: https://satgate.io/pay
- SatGate Monetize / L402 API Demo: https://satgate.io/monetize
- SatGate Mint / Capability Token Demo: https://satgate.io/mint-demo
- SatGate Sandbox: https://satgate.io/sandbox
- SatGate Design Partners: https://satgate.io/design-partners
- Pricing: https://satgate.io/pricing
- Security: https://satgate.io/security

## Links
- Website: https://satgate.io
- Blog: https://satgate.io/blog
- Tools: https://satgate.io/tools
- Integrations: https://satgate.io/integrations
- Pricing: https://satgate.io/pricing
- Security: https://satgate.io/security
- Documentation: https://cloud.satgate.io/docs
- Cloud: https://cloud.satgate.io/cloud/login
- GitHub: https://github.com/SatGate-io/satgate
- Python SDK: https://pypi.org/project/satgate/
- Node.js SDK: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@satgate/sdk

## Contact
- Email: contact@satgate.io
