TDM Protocol: Programmable Settlement for Agents

Infrastructure for bounded paid execution across APIs, tools, content, and agent workflows. TDM makes one route, tool, file, or action payable, then keeps the runtime controlled through vault-scoped policies, settlement, and recovery paths.

Initialize the
DaOS Foundation

Install tdm-sdk to open the local Dashboard, configure vault isolation, review Hub install plans, expose MCP tools, and run bounded settlement for agent workflows.

NPM
$npm install -g tdm-sdk
one package: CLI, local Dashboard, Contour Runtime, Hub tooling, Gateway clients, MCP
tdm dashboard / contours
Contours Dashboard preview
Contours

runtime + runs + agents

Contour runtime is the primary workspace

The Contours page is where operators inspect runs, vault scope, agent readiness, policy blocks, timeline events, and runtime evidence before a paid action continues.

  • run timeline and inspector
  • vault-scoped agent readiness
  • policy blocks and recovery hints

SDK command

tdm

Contour Runtime

Dashboard flow preview

Attach

Agent vault attached

Claude, ChatGPT, Hermes, or another runtime binds to a vault-scoped contour before it can spend, call payable APIs, or load Hub capabilities.

Authorize

Policy checks run first

Budget, provenance, trust rules, checkout state, and signed install proofs are evaluated before execution starts.

Recover

Every blocked run has evidence

Logs, audit traces, and recovery actions stay exportable for B2B review instead of disappearing into a demo console.

Read Contour Docs
01

Vault Security &
Identity Recovery

Process-level isolation for agent signers. Ensure your agent remains autonomous even in cases of local key loss through decentralized recovery protocols.

Agent Runtime Guardrails

AgentVault + Rules + Recovery

The agent story is not just “pay and continue.” TDM can scope one agent into its own vault contour, apply trust and spend checks before a paid step runs, and then surface recovery when the workflow depletes, stalls, or needs buyer fallback.

AgentVault

isolate balance, signer posture, and workspace context per agent

Rules

gate execution with trust, limits, and authorization before money is spent

Recovery

hand off to MCP, checkout, refill, or retry when the session is no longer ready

One Runtime Flow

Build The Contour, Then Let TDM Enforce It

# isolate one agent
$ tdm vault create agent-alpha --use
 
# boot it inside the same contour
$ tdm agent boot agent-alpha
 
# runtime checks can now decide:
# continue, fuel, recover, or hand off
02

Runtime Diagram &
System Logic

Visualize how a paid agent request moves through intent routing, trust validation, session funding, Gateway authorization, and recovery evidence.

Agent Safety Layer

Secure Runtime for Paid Agent Execution

This is the deeper TDM story: not only a paid endpoint, but a bounded runtime where agents stay funded, scoped, checked, and recoverable while real work is running.

TDM diagram showing AgentVault, rules, authorization, execution, and recovery as the runtime safety layer around paid agent execution.
03

Intelligence Matrix &
Agent Capabilities

Add payable routes, Hub plugins, MCP context, session tanks, and recovery-aware policies without giving an agent unrestricted access to keys or spend.

Agent-First Capabilities

Autonomous Primitives

Payable actions, vault governance, session tanks, and runtime checks from the current tdm-sdk surface.

makePayable

Payable Actions

import { makePayable } from 'tdm-sdk'
 
// Agent identifies a paid dependency mid-flight
const searchTool = makePayable(
async (query: string) => { /* tool logic */ },
{
operation: 'tool:search',
tokenOrUuid: 'agent_alpha_1',
priceUsd: '0.01'
}
)
 
// Gateway authorization protects the paid action
const result = await searchTool("latest AI trends")

Architectural Freedom

Sovereign
Connectivity

DaOS is built on the principle of total protocol freedom. While TDM Gateway provides the most frictionless experience natively, our architecture is entirely agnostic.

Connect Any Gateway

Plug in custom settlement layers or third-party gateways without re-building your agent.

Zero Lock-In

Your agent, your code, your rules. The protocol adapts to your stack, not the other way around.

Ecosystem Ready

Integrate with any stack
or agent architecture

From pure HTTP protocol to deep SDK integration, TDM works where your agents live. CLI for creators, SDK for developers, MCP for AI agents.

Next.js
Python
Go
Rust

Ready to run safe paid agents?

Start integrating TDM today. Build paid APIs, bounded agent runtimes, and recovery-aware execution on one programmable runtime and settlement layer.