{
  "id": "understand-agent-economy",
  "slug": "understand-agent-economy",
  "title": "Understand the agent economy",
  "audience": [
    "human",
    "agent"
  ],
  "level": "beginner",
  "estimated_minutes": 45,
  "summary": "What agent commerce is, why micropayments matter, how free evaluation differs from sealed capability, and how honest markets prove sales.",
  "outcomes": [
    "Explain x402 unlock vs subscription SaaS in plain language",
    "Distinguish free knowledge from paid sealed packs",
    "Read a proof ledger without inventing volume",
    "Find machine entry points agents actually use"
  ],
  "lesson_ids": [
    "path-ae-01-what-is-agent-commerce",
    "path-ae-02-free-knowledge-vs-paid-capability",
    "path-ae-03-x402-in-five-steps",
    "path-ae-04-proof-and-honest-metrics",
    "path-ae-05-machine-entry-points"
  ],
  "related_skills_optional": [
    {
      "skill_id": "agent-x402-first-buy",
      "name": "Agent x402 First Buy",
      "price_usd": 0.05,
      "price_label": "$0.05 / unlock",
      "summary": "$0.05 start-here: prove your agent can complete HTTP 402 → Base USDC → sealed pack unlock on lvlltd.com.",
      "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/agent-x402-first-buy/outline.json",
      "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=agent-x402-first-buy",
      "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/agent-x402-first-buy/",
      "available": true,
      "optional": true,
      "label": "optional_implementation"
    },
    {
      "skill_id": "agent-readable-seo-kit",
      "name": "Agent-Readable SEO Kit",
      "price_usd": 4.99,
      "price_label": "$4.99 / unlock",
      "summary": "Structure catalog.json and agent.json so shopping agents can rank listings.",
      "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/agent-readable-seo-kit/outline.json",
      "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=agent-readable-seo-kit",
      "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/agent-readable-seo-kit/",
      "available": true,
      "optional": true,
      "label": "optional_implementation"
    },
    {
      "skill_id": "revenue-truth-ledger",
      "name": "Revenue Truth Ledger",
      "price_usd": 8.99,
      "price_label": "$8.99 / pack",
      "summary": "Evidence-backed revenue ledger across DOGE, x402, card, and manual paid events.",
      "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/revenue-truth-ledger/outline.json",
      "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=revenue-truth-ledger",
      "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/revenue-truth-ledger/",
      "available": true,
      "optional": true,
      "label": "optional_implementation"
    }
  ],
  "related_bundles_optional": [
    {
      "bundle_id": "bundle-x402-buyer-ops",
      "name": "x402 Buyer Ops Stack",
      "price_usd": 4.49,
      "savings_usd": 1.03,
      "execution_order": [
        "agent-x402-first-buy",
        "gas-fee-forecaster-base",
        "x402-retry-idempotency-kit",
        "sealed-payload-integrity-checker"
      ],
      "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=bundle-x402-buyer-ops",
      "optional": true,
      "label": "optional_stack"
    }
  ],
  "featured": true,
  "sort_order": 10,
  "schema_version": "lvl-knowledge-path-v1",
  "lessons": [
    {
      "id": "path-ae-01-what-is-agent-commerce",
      "order": 1,
      "title": "What is agent commerce?",
      "summary": "Agents buying capability the way humans buy apps — but with machine-readable prices, free evaluation, and on-chain micropayments.",
      "estimated_minutes": 8,
      "concepts": [
        "agent-commerce",
        "micropayments",
        "evaluation-before-pay"
      ],
      "last_updated": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
      "freshness": {
        "last_updated_at": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
        "days_since_update": 0,
        "band": "fresh",
        "score_0_100": 95,
        "label": "Fresh",
        "display": "Fresh · updated 2026-07-22 (0d ago)"
      },
      "url": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/lessons/path-ae-01-what-is-agent-commerce/",
      "related_skills_optional": [
        {
          "skill_id": "agent-x402-first-buy",
          "name": "Agent x402 First Buy",
          "price_usd": 0.05,
          "price_label": "$0.05 / unlock",
          "summary": "$0.05 start-here: prove your agent can complete HTTP 402 → Base USDC → sealed pack unlock on lvlltd.com.",
          "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/agent-x402-first-buy/outline.json",
          "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=agent-x402-first-buy",
          "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/agent-x402-first-buy/",
          "available": true,
          "optional": true,
          "label": "optional_implementation"
        }
      ],
      "related_bundles_optional": []
    },
    {
      "id": "path-ae-02-free-knowledge-vs-paid-capability",
      "order": 2,
      "title": "Free knowledge vs paid capability",
      "summary": "The integrity line that makes a marketplace trustworthy: concepts stay open; ready-to-run sealed implementations can be paid.",
      "estimated_minutes": 7,
      "concepts": [
        "integrity-split",
        "free-evaluation",
        "sealed-packs"
      ],
      "last_updated": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
      "freshness": {
        "last_updated_at": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
        "days_since_update": 0,
        "band": "fresh",
        "score_0_100": 95,
        "label": "Fresh",
        "display": "Fresh · updated 2026-07-22 (0d ago)"
      },
      "url": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/lessons/path-ae-02-free-knowledge-vs-paid-capability/",
      "related_skills_optional": [],
      "related_bundles_optional": []
    },
    {
      "id": "path-ae-03-x402-in-five-steps",
      "order": 3,
      "title": "x402 in five steps (conceptually)",
      "summary": "HTTP 402 Payment Required as a commercial protocol: challenge, settle, unlock — without monthly seats.",
      "estimated_minutes": 10,
      "concepts": [
        "x402",
        "402-challenge",
        "base-usdc",
        "idempotent-redeem"
      ],
      "last_updated": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
      "freshness": {
        "last_updated_at": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
        "days_since_update": 0,
        "band": "fresh",
        "score_0_100": 95,
        "label": "Fresh",
        "display": "Fresh · updated 2026-07-22 (0d ago)"
      },
      "url": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/lessons/path-ae-03-x402-in-five-steps/",
      "related_skills_optional": [
        {
          "skill_id": "agent-x402-first-buy",
          "name": "Agent x402 First Buy",
          "price_usd": 0.05,
          "price_label": "$0.05 / unlock",
          "summary": "$0.05 start-here: prove your agent can complete HTTP 402 → Base USDC → sealed pack unlock on lvlltd.com.",
          "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/agent-x402-first-buy/outline.json",
          "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=agent-x402-first-buy",
          "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/agent-x402-first-buy/",
          "available": true,
          "optional": true,
          "label": "optional_implementation"
        }
      ],
      "related_bundles_optional": []
    },
    {
      "id": "path-ae-04-proof-and-honest-metrics",
      "order": 4,
      "title": "Proof ledgers and honest metrics",
      "summary": "How markets prove real unlocks — and why inventing volume destroys trust faster than empty shelves.",
      "estimated_minutes": 8,
      "concepts": [
        "proof-ledger",
        "confirmed-volume",
        "vanity-metrics"
      ],
      "last_updated": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
      "freshness": {
        "last_updated_at": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
        "days_since_update": 0,
        "band": "fresh",
        "score_0_100": 95,
        "label": "Fresh",
        "display": "Fresh · updated 2026-07-22 (0d ago)"
      },
      "url": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/lessons/path-ae-04-proof-and-honest-metrics/",
      "related_skills_optional": [
        {
          "skill_id": "revenue-truth-ledger",
          "name": "Revenue Truth Ledger",
          "price_usd": 8.99,
          "price_label": "$8.99 / pack",
          "summary": "Evidence-backed revenue ledger across DOGE, x402, card, and manual paid events.",
          "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/revenue-truth-ledger/outline.json",
          "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=revenue-truth-ledger",
          "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/revenue-truth-ledger/",
          "available": true,
          "optional": true,
          "label": "optional_implementation"
        },
        {
          "skill_id": "fake-review-demand-detector",
          "name": "Fake Review / Fake Demand Detector",
          "price_usd": 6.99,
          "price_label": "$6.99 / unlock",
          "summary": "Spot inflated engagement and wash-style demand on marketplace listings.",
          "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/fake-review-demand-detector/outline.json",
          "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=fake-review-demand-detector",
          "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/fake-review-demand-detector/",
          "available": true,
          "optional": true,
          "label": "optional_implementation"
        }
      ],
      "related_bundles_optional": []
    },
    {
      "id": "path-ae-05-machine-entry-points",
      "order": 5,
      "title": "Machine entry points agents actually use",
      "summary": "catalog.json, llms.txt, MCP, A2A agent cards, and shop — how agents discover a market without scraping SPAs.",
      "estimated_minutes": 9,
      "concepts": [
        "machine-discovery",
        "llms-txt",
        "mcp",
        "a2a",
        "catalog"
      ],
      "last_updated": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
      "freshness": {
        "last_updated_at": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
        "days_since_update": 0,
        "band": "fresh",
        "score_0_100": 95,
        "label": "Fresh",
        "display": "Fresh · updated 2026-07-22 (0d ago)"
      },
      "url": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/lessons/path-ae-05-machine-entry-points/",
      "related_skills_optional": [
        {
          "skill_id": "agent-readable-seo-kit",
          "name": "Agent-Readable SEO Kit",
          "price_usd": 4.99,
          "price_label": "$4.99 / unlock",
          "summary": "Structure catalog.json and agent.json so shopping agents can rank listings.",
          "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/agent-readable-seo-kit/outline.json",
          "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=agent-readable-seo-kit",
          "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/agent-readable-seo-kit/",
          "available": true,
          "optional": true,
          "label": "optional_implementation"
        }
      ],
      "related_bundles_optional": []
    }
  ],
  "lesson_count": 5,
  "last_updated": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
  "freshness": {
    "last_updated_at": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
    "days_since_update": 0,
    "band": "fresh",
    "score_0_100": 95,
    "label": "Fresh",
    "display": "Fresh · updated 2026-07-22 (0d ago)"
  },
  "urls": {
    "human": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/paths/understand-agent-economy/",
    "machine": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/paths/understand-agent-economy.json"
  },
  "integrity": {
    "knowledge": "free",
    "capability": "paid_x402_optional",
    "rule": "Every concept on a path is fully teachable without purchase. Skills are optional implementations, never required reading.",
    "display": "Learn free. Buy only if you want a ready-to-run sealed pack."
  },
  "updated_at": "2026-07-22T21:10:40.587Z"
}