Where Bounded fits
x402 is how an agent pays. Bounded decides whether it's allowed to. They work together.
- Layer 1Agent
Any AI. Untrusted. Can only propose.
- Layer 2Bounded
Who may spend, and how much. Enforced by the contract.
- Layer 3Wallet
The vault holds the funds you own.
- Layer 4Rails
x402, transfers, DeFi. How money actually moves.
Comparison
The combination is the point.
On-chain enforcement alone is not unique: smart accounts have it. The difference is the combination: enforcement the agent can't skip, tiers with human approval, receipts for blocked attempts, an automatic breaker, and a public contract not tied to one vendor.
| Bounded | x402 (rail) | Off-chain policy layers (e.g. PolicyLayer) | Custodial AI trading (e.g. Bitget AI) | Smart-account modules | Agent holds full key | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-custody | Yes: Funds sit in a vault contract you own. | Varies: Depends on the wallet paying over x402. | Varies: Depends on the wallet behind the policy service. | No: Funds sit on the exchange. | Yes: Your smart account. | Yes: But with no ceiling. |
| Rules enforced on-chain | Yes: In the contract that holds the funds. | No: x402 is a payment protocol, not a policy layer. | No: Enforced by an off-chain service. | No: Enforced in the exchange's systems. | Yes: Enforced by on-chain modules. | No: No rules. |
| Hijacked agent can't skip the check | Yes: The agent key can only call propose. | No: No policy check of its own. | Partial: Only if every spend routes through the service. | Yes: The exchange enforces sub-account limits. | Yes: If the module is configured on every path. | No: The agent can sign anything. |
| Human approval tier | Yes: Over-limit spends wait for you. | No | Varies: Product-dependent. | Varies: Product-dependent. | Varies: Possible with multisig setups. | No |
| Blocked attempts recorded | Yes: Every block emits an event with a reason. | No | Partial: Off-chain logs. | Varies: Exchange-internal. | Partial: Reverted transactions leave little trace. | No |
| Handles DeFi calls such as swaps | No: Transfers only today. A DEX router needs selector and calldata rules (roadmap). | No: Payments only. | Partial: Focused on x402 payments. | Partial: Trading on that exchange only. | Yes: Anything the account signs. | No: No coverage at all. |
| Easy for non-experts | Partial: Prototype; sliders and plain-language receipts. | Varies | Varies | Yes: Fully hosted. | No: Usually developer tooling. | No |
- Bounded
- Self-custody
- Yes: Funds sit in a vault contract you own.
- Rules enforced on-chain
- Yes: In the contract that holds the funds.
- Hijacked agent can't skip the check
- Yes: The agent key can only call propose.
- Human approval tier
- Yes: Over-limit spends wait for you.
- Blocked attempts recorded
- Yes: Every block emits an event with a reason.
- Handles DeFi calls such as swaps
- No: Transfers only today. A DEX router needs selector and calldata rules (roadmap).
- Easy for non-experts
- Partial: Prototype; sliders and plain-language receipts.
- x402 (rail)
- Self-custody
- Varies: Depends on the wallet paying over x402.
- Rules enforced on-chain
- No: x402 is a payment protocol, not a policy layer.
- Hijacked agent can't skip the check
- No: No policy check of its own.
- Human approval tier
- No
- Blocked attempts recorded
- No
- Handles DeFi calls such as swaps
- No: Payments only.
- Easy for non-experts
- Varies
- Off-chain policy layers (e.g. PolicyLayer)
- Self-custody
- Varies: Depends on the wallet behind the policy service.
- Rules enforced on-chain
- No: Enforced by an off-chain service.
- Hijacked agent can't skip the check
- Partial: Only if every spend routes through the service.
- Human approval tier
- Varies: Product-dependent.
- Blocked attempts recorded
- Partial: Off-chain logs.
- Handles DeFi calls such as swaps
- Partial: Focused on x402 payments.
- Easy for non-experts
- Varies
- Custodial AI trading (e.g. Bitget AI)
- Self-custody
- No: Funds sit on the exchange.
- Rules enforced on-chain
- No: Enforced in the exchange's systems.
- Hijacked agent can't skip the check
- Yes: The exchange enforces sub-account limits.
- Human approval tier
- Varies: Product-dependent.
- Blocked attempts recorded
- Varies: Exchange-internal.
- Handles DeFi calls such as swaps
- Partial: Trading on that exchange only.
- Easy for non-experts
- Yes: Fully hosted.
- Smart-account modules
- Self-custody
- Yes: Your smart account.
- Rules enforced on-chain
- Yes: Enforced by on-chain modules.
- Hijacked agent can't skip the check
- Yes: If the module is configured on every path.
- Human approval tier
- Varies: Possible with multisig setups.
- Blocked attempts recorded
- Partial: Reverted transactions leave little trace.
- Handles DeFi calls such as swaps
- Yes: Anything the account signs.
- Easy for non-experts
- No: Usually developer tooling.
- Agent holds full key
- Self-custody
- Yes: But with no ceiling.
- Rules enforced on-chain
- No: No rules.
- Hijacked agent can't skip the check
- No: The agent can sign anything.
- Human approval tier
- No
- Blocked attempts recorded
- No
- Handles DeFi calls such as swaps
- No: No coverage at all.
- Easy for non-experts
- No
Hover or focus a value for the reasoning (screen readers read it inline).
Our assessment from public docs, not independent testing.
Custodial AI trading
Same architecture, different custody.
Bitget launched GetAgent Playbook in June 2026, running AI strategies through isolated sub-accounts with risk parameters and auditable workflows[1], after its AI tools passed 1M users and $1.2B cumulative volume (company-reported)[2]. Same architecture, but the funds sit on the exchange. Bounded puts it in a contract you own.
Our assessment from public docs, not independent testing.