# Compute Finance

> The first public reference price for AI compute. The Compute Price Index (CPI) tracks the cost of one Standard Compute Unit (SCU) across 9 providers and 18 models, each weighted equally. Public methodology, free public API, on-chain publication on Base.

Compute Finance is public data infrastructure for AI compute pricing plus a paid inference exchange. Two documented products:
1. **Oracle** — free, unauthenticated read-only API for the CPI. OpenAPI: https://api.compute.finance/v1/openapi.yaml. Docs: https://docs.compute.finance.
2. **Inference** — paid OpenAPI- and Anthropic-compatible inference over pooled provider capacity, billed against `$COMPUTE` held in BuyerEscrow. Point an official OpenAI or Anthropic SDK at Compute Finance with a base-URL swap and a `ct_live_*` API key. OpenAPI: https://api.compute.finance/v1/openapi.inference.yaml. Docs: https://docs.compute.finance/#inference-api. Get a key: https://compute.finance/dashboard/api-keys.

Points have no monetary value. V1 does not ship a first-party typed SDK — the machine interfaces are the two OpenAPI specs above and the official Compute Finance MCP server (stdio, install: `{ "command": "npx", "args": ["@compute-finance/mcp"] }`). GitHub: https://github.com/compute-finance/mcp — NPM: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@compute-finance/mcp.

## Oracle API (free, unauthenticated)

The canonical read-only machine interface for the CPI. JSON responses, stable schemas. Base URL: `https://api.compute.finance`.

- [OpenAPI specification (YAML)](https://api.compute.finance/v1/openapi.yaml): Auto-generated from live NestJS controllers — always in sync with the running server.
- [OpenAPI specification (JSON)](https://api.compute.finance/v1/openapi.json): Same spec in JSON.
- [Interactive API explorer](https://api.compute.finance/v1/docs): Swagger UI for the Oracle spec.
- Scope: read-only Oracle endpoints. Auth-gated write surfaces (account, keys, treasury) are documented separately.

## Inference API (paid, `ct_live_*` auth)

Two drop-in wire formats: OpenAI Chat Completions and Anthropic Messages. Point an official SDK at Compute Finance with a base-URL swap; billing debits the buyer's `$COMPUTE` balance at the metered rate the Oracle publishes.

- [Inference OpenAPI (YAML)](https://api.compute.finance/v1/openapi.inference.yaml): Machine-readable contract for the paid inference surface (both wire formats, `/v1/models`, `/v1/usage`, `/v1/inference/estimate`).
- [Inference OpenAPI (JSON)](https://api.compute.finance/v1/openapi.inference.json): Same spec in JSON.
- [Interactive Inference explorer](https://api.compute.finance/v1/docs/inference): Swagger UI for the Inference spec.
- [Inference reference and quickstarts](https://docs.compute.finance/#inference-api): Human reference — endpoints, auth (`Authorization: Bearer` / `x-api-key`), request/response schemas, SSE streaming, models, errors, rate limits, billing, TS + Python quickstarts for both SDKs.
- [Get an API key](https://compute.finance/dashboard/api-keys): Issue a `ct_live_*` key against your funded `$COMPUTE` balance.

## Live oracle

- [Live SCU and basket](https://oracle.compute.finance): Current Standard Compute Unit value, full basket of all models with pricing by provider, SCU history.

## Documentation

- [Methodology and Oracle API](https://docs.compute.finance): SCU formula, basket composition rules, on-chain verification instructions, public REST API reference.
- [Inference API reference](https://docs.compute.finance/#inference-api): Paid OpenAI-/Anthropic-compatible endpoints, authentication, streaming SSE, error catalog, per-key and per-pool rate limits, billing, TS + Python quickstarts.
- [API: current SCU](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/scu): Returns the current SCU value as JSON. No authentication required.
- [API: model catalog](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/models): Returns basket models plus retired ex-members (`inBasket` flag, `retiredAtRevision`) with current pricing.
- [API: active methodology](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/methodology): Returns the active methodology version and the full changelog.
- [API: history](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/history): SCU index time series with `per-revision|daily|weekly` granularity; `Accept: text/csv` returns CSV.
- [API: per-model price history](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/models/{key}/price-history): Input/output USD price time series for any tracked model — attested manifest revisions for basket members, live catalog history otherwise; same granularity and CSV semantics as `/history`.
- [API: full model catalog](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/catalog): Every tracked model with current price and `indexMember` flag, including non-representative family members outside the active basket.
- [API: model price at timestamp](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/models/{key}/price-at): Per-model input/output USD price effective at a specific ISO-8601 timestamp; source `manifest` for basket members, source `catalog` for every other tracked model.
- [API: SCU at timestamp](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/scu-at?date=2026-06-21T00:00:00Z): SCU index value active at any past timestamp via step function — latest revision with `publishedAt ≤ date`, highest revisionVersion on ties; 204 before the genesis revision.
- [API: contract metadata](https://api.compute.finance/v1/oracle/contract-metadata): Live OracleRegistry identity — chainId, proxy address, on-chain `version()`, and `keccak256` of the deployed bytecode.
- API: revision detail — `GET /v1/oracle/revisions/{revision}` on `https://api.compute.finance`: Full OracleRevision record for a specific on-chain revision.

## Full content (markdown)

- [Oracle methodology and formulas](https://oracle.compute.finance/index.html.md): CPI, SCU formula, basket composition, basket rules, on-chain verification.
- [Complete documentation](https://docs.compute.finance/index.html.md): API reference with code examples, response schemas, CF ID, points, referral program.

## Public information

- [Disclaimer (canonical V1 scope)](https://compute.finance/disclaimer): What the CPI is, what it is not, how the data works, independence and operational stance, terms of use, liability and law.
- [Terms of Service](https://compute.finance/terms): Terms governing use of the website, the CPI Oracle, and the public API.
- [Privacy Policy](https://compute.finance/privacy): What data is collected when you use the site and the public API, and how it is handled.
- [Cookie Policy](https://compute.finance/cookies): How the site uses cookies and similar technologies, and how to manage consent.

## Optional

- [Landing page](https://compute.finance/): Brand-level overview of the project and the thesis behind a public reference price for AI compute.

## Extended reference

- [Full reference for LLM retrieval](https://compute.finance/llms-full.txt): Complete CPI methodology, response shapes, basket rules, on-chain verification, and citation guidance.