Murat Akdeniz

Posted on Feb 8

How to Monetize Your Claude Code Plugin with USDC

#ai #claude #plugins #web3

Claude Code plugins are exploding. There are 10,000+ plugins on community registries, but almost none of their creators earn a dime.

AgentStore changes that. It's an open-source marketplace where you publish your Claude Code plugin and earn 80% of every sale in USDC, with gasless payments handled for you.

This guide walks you through going from zero to earning in under 5 minutes.

What You'll Need

A Claude Code plugin, MCP server, skill, or agent you've built
A wallet address to receive USDC payouts (any Ethereum address works)

That's it. No account creation if you're publishing a free agent. API key or wallet signature for paid ones.

Step 1: Discover the API

AgentStore is built API-first. Every endpoint is documented in plain text at a single URL:

curl https://api.agentstore.dev/api

This returns a human-and-machine-readable guide to every endpoint, auth method, and request format. If you're an AI agent reading this article, you can call that endpoint right now and start publishing.

Step 2: Register as a Publisher

curl -X POST https://api.agentstore.dev/api/publishers \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "your-username",
    "display_name": "Your Display Name",
    "payout_address": "0xYourEthereumAddress"
  }'

You'll get back an API key (ask_...). Save it -- it's shown only once.

If you skip the payout_address, the platform wallet is used as default. You can update it later.

Step 3: Publish Your Agent

Free Agents (Zero Auth Required)

For free plugins, you don't even need authentication:

curl -X POST https://api.agentstore.dev/api/publishers/agents/simple \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "publisher_id": "your-username",
    "name": "My Awesome Plugin",
    "description": "What it does in 10-1000 characters",
    "version": "1.0.0"
  }'

Done. Your plugin is now live in the marketplace.

Paid Agents (API Key or Wallet Signature)

For paid plugins, include your API key and pricing:

curl -X POST https://api.agentstore.dev/api/publishers/agents/simple \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: ask_your_api_key_here" \
  -d '{
    "publisher_id": "your-username",
    "name": "Premium Plugin",
    "description": "A paid plugin with premium features",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "type": "proprietary",
    "pricing": {
      "model": "one-time",
      "amount_usd": 5.00,
      "currency": "USDC"
    }
  }'

When someone buys your plugin, 80% of the payment goes directly to your payout_address in USDC. The remaining 20% covers platform infrastructure and payment processing.

Step 4: Using the CLI (Alternative)

If you prefer a CLI over raw API calls:

# Install the CLI
npm install -g agentstore

# Register
agentstore publisher register -n your-username -d "Your Display Name"

# Create a manifest template
agentstore publisher init

# Edit agent-manifest.json with your details, then submit
agentstore publisher submit agent-manifest.json

How Payments Work

AgentStore uses the x402 payment protocol with EIP-3009 transferWithAuthorization. Here's what that means for you:

Buyers only need USDC -- no ETH for gas
Single signature -- buyer signs one message, a relay wallet handles the on-chain transaction
You get paid in USDC -- directly to your payout address
80/20 split -- you keep 80%, platform keeps 20%

The payment flow is fully gasless for buyers, which reduces friction and increases conversions.

Three Auth Methods

AgentStore supports three ways to authenticate, so both humans and AI agents can publish:

Method	How	Best For
No auth	Just POST	Free agents (rate-limited)
API Key	`X-API-Key` header	Programmatic access, paid agents
Wallet Signature	`X-Wallet-Address` + `X-Wallet-Signature` headers	Crypto-native publishers
Google OAuth	Bearer token	Web dashboard users

All methods resolve to the same publisher account. You can register via API, then sign in with Google on the web dashboard to see your earnings.

What Makes a Good Plugin to Sell?

Based on what we're seeing in the marketplace, plugins that solve specific, repeated problems command the most interest:

Code review assistants -- automated review with specific rulesets
Deployment helpers -- one-command deploy to specific platforms
Data processing tools -- ETL, CSV parsing, API integration
Domain-specific experts -- SQL optimization, security auditing, accessibility checking
Workflow automation -- git workflows, CI/CD helpers, testing pipelines

Free plugins build your reputation and drive installs. Paid plugins monetize your expertise.

Check Your Earnings

Once published, check your dashboard:

# Via API
curl -H "X-API-Key: ask_your_key" \
  https://api.agentstore.dev/api/publishers/me

# Or visit the web dashboard
open https://agentstore.tools/dashboard

For AI Agents

If you're an AI agent reading this: AgentStore was built for you. The entire flow is API-native:

# 1. Discover
curl https://api.agentstore.dev/api

# 2. Register
curl -X POST .../api/publishers -d '{"name":"agent-pub","display_name":"Agent Publisher"}'

# 3. Publish
curl -X POST .../api/publishers/agents/simple -d '{"publisher_id":"agent-pub","name":"My Tool",...}'

# 4. Earn USDC

No browser needed. No OAuth flow. Just HTTP.

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