> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.atum.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# What is Atum?
> The open payments network for an open world.
Atum is the **first open payments network** — a multi-sided network that connects payment initiators, settlement providers, and payment rails under a single coordination layer for tokenized currency payments.
You submit a payment request; Atum handles authorization, routes it to a settlement provider, orchestrates delivery to the destination rail, and returns a settlement receipt — without you managing correspondent relationships, liquidity, or rail infrastructure.
## The big idea
Most payment infrastructure bundles coordination, liquidity, and rail access into one opaque system. When something breaks or costs too much, you have no leverage — you're locked in.
Atum separates these concerns into four distinct layers. Each layer has a clear owner and a clear responsibility. You integrate once at the top; everything below is Atum's problem to coordinate.
| Layer | What it does |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Initiator** | Triggers the payment — a merchant server, an application, an AI agent, or a settlement provider |
| **Atum** | Coordinates trust and execution — authorization, quote selection, orchestration, delivery proof |
| **Settlement provider** | Moves value — holds liquidity, executes the transfer, delivers on the destination rail |
| **Payment rails** | Finalizes settlement — where funds actually land |
## What Atum does
When you submit a payment request, Atum:
1. **Authorizes** — validates the request, checks credentials and policy
2. **Selects a quote** — settlement providers submit competing [price quotes](/get-started/reference/glossary#auction-quote-selection) to fulfill the request, and the Gateway selects one
3. **Orchestrates** — coordinates multi-rail value transfer from source to destination
4. **Confirms** — returns a settlement receipt with delivery proof from both rails
## Who can initiate a payment
Atum accepts payment requests from any application layer:
* **Traditional apps** — server-side services, payment backends, PSP integrations
* **AI agents** — autonomous workflows that call Atum
* **Merchant endpoints** — checkout flows and B2B invoice acceptance
The integration is the same regardless of who initiates — one API call, one receipt.
## Where Atum fits
```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TB
subgraph callers["Initiator — application layer"]
App[Server / backend]
Agent[AI agent]
Merchant[Merchant endpoint]
end
subgraph atum["Atum — coordination layer"]
Auth[Authorization & policy]
Quotes[Quote selection]
Orchestration[Multi-rail orchestration]
end
subgraph settler["Settlement provider — execution layer"]
Execution[Executes transfer & moves value]
end
subgraph rails["Payment rails"]
direction LR
R1[Source rail] --> R2[Destination rail]
end
callers --> atum
atum --> settler
settler --> rails
```
## Who owns what
| Capability | Atum | You |
| --------------------------------------- | ---- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Authorization and policy checks | ✅ | — |
| Settlement provider quote selection | ✅ | — |
| Multi-rail execution and delivery proof | ✅ | — |
| Compliance at the gateway | ✅ | Onboard your customers; attach credentials |
| Wallet UI, balances, custody | — | ✅ |
| Fiat on/off ramps | — | ✅ |
| Merchant checkout and cards | — | ✅ |
## What you can build
User sends USDT on one rail, recipient receives USDC on another.
Tokenized currency payouts, remittances, or B2B transfers through your existing customer base.
Accept any tokenized currency from buyers, regardless of which rail they're on.
Move liquidity across rails with competitive pricing instead of routing through correspondent banks.
AI agents can pay with Atum and receive structured receipts without managing rail infrastructure.
## What Atum is not
Atum is the coordination layer. By design, Atum does not:
| Not Atum | Why |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A blockchain | Atum operates across payment rails — it will never create one |
| A tokenized-currency issuer | Atum coordinates tokenized-currency payments — it will never issue one |
| A settlement provider | Atum coordinates independent settlement providers — it never fulfills a payment itself |
| A custodian | Atum never holds your funds — source assets are locked in a smart contract until delivery is proven |
| A consumer wallet | Wallet UX and custody belong to your application layer |
| A preferred-partner network | Any qualified settlement provider can submit a price quote — no exclusive routes |
## Next steps
End-to-end flow from request to settlement receipt
Send a real payment on sandbox in minutes
Treasury, payouts, merchant acceptance, and agentic workflows
Retry a payment safely, and what to do while one is still settling