Tributary¶
Money should move itself.
The rule-based money-moving primitive on Solana. You delegate spending authority once — set the riverbed once — and money then flows within rules you defined: a trigger condition (WHEN), a value to pull (PULL), a destination to route to (ROUTE). One signature, not a thousand. Pull, don't push.
Why this exists¶
Every payment rail before Tributary is push-based: you hold a balance, you sign a transfer, the balance drops. Every move needs your hand on the keypad. The signature is the tax; the wallet is a wheelbarrow. Crypto spent fifteen years winning the balance and silently inherited the push worldview — money that sits until a human shoves it.
Tributary is, architecturally, a pull-payment primitive: you delegate a puller once, the puller draws on rules. The antagonist (push) and the architecture (pull) are the same word. Recurring payments is the smallest thing this primitive does — the minimal live configuration, already running (4,000+ pulls on mainnet). Turn the other knobs and the same primitive composes into autonomous capital.
Stop pushing your bags. Let them flow.
How it works¶
Solana-native token delegation. You grant a puller permission for specific amounts on a specific schedule; the protocol pulls exactly what you approved, when you approved it — nothing more. Your wallet is the aquifer: untouched until a rule fires.
- No deposits. Tokens stay in your wallet until a pull is due.
- No middleman. Funds route directly from your wallet to the recipient.
- No surprises. Pause, resume, or revoke anytime.
- No borders. Anyone, anywhere can pay or accept.
Payments settle in under a second with fees measured in fractions of a cent — that's Solana, not magic.
| Tributary | Traditional | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Seconds | Days (KYC, bank verification) |
| Fees | starting at 1% | 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction |
| Settlement | Instant (400ms) | 2–7 business days |
| Chargebacks | No | Yes |
| Custody | Your wallet, always | Held by a third party |
| Geography | No restrictions | Country-limited |
What you get¶
Five claim shapes. One primitive. If This Then Money — pick the configuration that fits your flow.
Subscriptions¶
The familiar model. Fixed amount, regular interval.
- Pay the same every week, month, or year
- Auto-renew or cap the number of renewals
- Cancel or pause with one click
Great for: SaaS tools, memberships, streaming, recurring donations
Milestone Payments¶
Pay for deliverables, not time. Split a project into up to 4 milestones.
- Different amounts per milestone
- Release on schedule, on approval, or automatically
- Funds committed upfront but released only as work completes
Great for: Freelance projects, consulting, software development, content series
Pay-as-you-go¶
Use first, pay later. Providers claim what you owe within limits you set.
- Set a spending cap per billing period
- Providers claim incrementally as you consume
- Periods reset automatically — hard limits enforced on-chain
Great for: AI APIs, cloud computing, utility services, anything metered
Who is it for?¶
End users¶
One signature, total transparency, full control. Every pull is on-chain. Your tokens never leave your wallet until a rule fires. Pause or revoke anytime.
Developers¶
Drop in a React component or hook and you're done. Need more control? Use the TypeScript SDK. Going no-code? Generate checkout links in seconds. Everything is open-source.
Businesses¶
Accept recurring payments globally without the KYC bottleneck. Pay ~1% instead of 3%+. Settle instantly. Give your customers a familiar experience on pull-based rails.
Payment providers¶
Build your own payment service on top of the primitive. Earn fees by running a Payment Gateway — keep the watershed. Focus on UX; the protocol handles the complexity.
What Can You Build?¶
| Idea | Payment Type | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming service | Subscription | $10/month, auto-renew |
| Freelance platform | Milestones | Pay per deliverable phase |
| AI API gateway | Pay-as-you-go | Bill per token, capped daily |
| Newsletter | Subscription | $5/month, cancel anytime |
| Consulting engagement | Milestones | 3-phase project with approval gates |
| Cloud compute | Pay-as-you-go | Metered usage with weekly caps |
More ideas in Use Cases.
Get Started¶
- Pick your integration — React SDK, TypeScript SDK, or Checkout Links
- Choose a payment type — Subscription, Milestone, Pay-as-you-go, OneTime, or UpTo
- Go live — deploy on Solana mainnet in minutes
Questions?
Check the FAQ or read the Protocol Overview.
Developer Tools¶
- TypeScript SDK - Complete protocol interaction
- React SDK - Pre-built payment components and React hooks
- Payments SDK - Simple Payments API with hosted checkout page (zero API keys)
- x402 SDK - HTTP 402 middleware for API monetization
- CLI - Protocol management tools
- REST API - Query subscriptions, events, manage webhooks
Tributary is one primitive. If This Then Money. You route the rest.