Show HN: NickelJoke – Pay a Nickel to Get a Joke Using X402 Micropayments

NickelJoke is a web application that generates personalized jokes on any topic using AI, powered by the x402 payment protocol. Pay small amounts of USDC to get custom jokes, demonstrating the future of micropayments for AI services.

Built with Next.js, x402, and Coinbase CDP, this app showcases how easy it is to monetize AI services with cryptocurrency payments in a fun, engaging way.

This project was built using the x402 AI Starter Kit - a Next.js template that demonstrates how to integrate x402 payments with AI services.

• 🎭 AI-Powered Jokes - Generate custom jokes on any topic using advanced AI
• 💰 Micropayments - Pay small amounts of USDC using the x402 protocol
• 🎲 Smart Suggestions - Get random topic ideas for instant inspiration
• 📱 Mobile-First - Beautiful, responsive design with smooth animations
• 🎨 Interactive Experience - Scratch-to-reveal joke cards with satisfying animations
• 📤 Social Sharing - Share your favorite jokes with unique, shareable links
• 🎉 Delightful UX - Confetti animations and engaging visual feedback
• 🔗 Easy Wallet Connection - Seamless Base network integration

• Next.js 15 - React framework with App Router
• x402 - Payment protocol for HTTP
• Coinbase CDP - Wallet and payment infrastructure
• Wagmi - React hooks for Ethereum
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first CSS framework
• Framer Motion - Animation library
• Radix UI - Accessible component primitives
• TypeScript - Type safety

1. Set up Coinbase CDP credentials

   Sign into the Coinbase CDP portal and create API keys.

2. Configure environment variables

   Copy .env.example to .env.local and set:

   • CDP_API_KEY_ID - Your CDP API key ID
   • CDP_API_KEY_SECRET - Your CDP API secret
   • CDP_WALLET_SECRET - Your wallet secret phrase

3. Start the development server

4. Open the app

   Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

1. Connect your wallet using the header button
2. Switch to Base Sepolia (testnet) if prompted
3. Enter a joke topic or click "Random Topic" for suggestions
4. Generate a joke - this will cost a small amount of USDC
5. Scratch to reveal your personalized joke
6. Share your joke with the share button

The app uses Base Sepolia (testnet) by default, so you can test with fake money. Get free testnet USDC from the Coinbase CDP faucet.

1. Push your code to GitHub
2. Connect to Vercel and deploy
3. Add environment variables in your Vercel project settings:
   • CDP_API_KEY_ID
   • CDP_API_KEY_SECRET
   • CDP_WALLET_SECRET

To use mainnet (real money):

1. Set NETWORK=base in your environment variables
2. Ensure your CDP wallet has sufficient USDC for joke generation costs
3. Monitor usage through the Coinbase CDP dashboard

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.