Financial Data Provider Intern
About the Role
Ready to help build the payment infrastructure for the AI agent economy?
At SerenAI, our mission is to enable AI agents to autonomously pay for the data they need—instantly, programmatically, and without human intervention. We're building the x402 Gateway: the payment rails that let AI agents access premium financial data using USDC micropayments on Base. No subscriptions. No credit cards. No API key management. Just machines paying machines at the speed of thought.
This is a massive, ambitious opportunity at the intersection of AI, blockchain payments, and financial data services. We believe AI agents will soon pay for millions of dollars in data daily—and we're creating the infrastructure to make it happen.
To achieve our mission, we're seeking a specific kind of intern. We want someone who is passionate about AI agent infrastructure and who believes autonomous agents will transform how financial data is consumed. We want someone who sees the vision of machines paying for data in real-time and wants to help make it reality. We want someone who is self-driven, resourceful, and comfortable working independently to solve problems that don't have clear answers yet.
Our work environment is fast-paced and startup-intensity. We're a small team moving quickly to capture a nascent market. If you want to build foundational infrastructure alongside people who ship fast and expect the same from you, there's no better place to learn.
This is a fully remote position. You'll have significant autonomy and direct impact on SerenAI's growth during this critical period.
The Opportunity
We're seeking a motivated student or recent graduate to lead Research and Development in building SerenAI's **Financial Data Provider Network**.
You'll be responsible for growing the number of Financial and Market Data APIs registered as Data Providers in the SerenAI x402 Gateway. Every provider you onboard becomes instantly accessible to AI agents worldwide—paid for via on-chain USDC micropayments.
How the x402 Gateway Works
When an AI agent needs financial data (crypto prices, market trends, DeFi yields, treasury rates), it calls the x402 Gateway. The Gateway:
1. Returns a **402 Payment Required** response with the exact cost2. The agent signs a USDC payment authorization3. The Gateway settles payment on-chain and returns the data4. The data provider gets paid instantly in USDC
Your job is to expand the catalog of data available through this system.
Responsibilities
Research & Discovery
- Identify and catalog high-value financial and market data APIs (crypto exchanges, market data providers, DeFi protocols, traditional finance APIs)
- Research API documentation, pricing models, and integration requirements
- Build a target list of potential data providers in crypto and financial services
Provider Onboarding
- Provision new API and database providers in the SerenAI x402 Gateway
- Configure pricing models appropriate for each data type
- Test provider integrations end-to-end
- Publish comprehensive documentation for each new provider
AI-Powered Outreach
- Use LLM tools (Claude, GPT, etc.) to create discovery and outreach workflows
- Develop automated research pipelines for identifying data provider contacts- Draft personalized outreach messages to data provider business development teams
Qualifications
Must Have
- Strong interest in financial data, market APIs, and/or cryptocurrency
- Experience with LLM tooling for workflow automation (Claude, GPT, Cursor, etc.)
- Comfortable working with REST APIs and reading API documentation
- Self-motivated with ability to work independently in a remote environment
- Excellent written communication skills.
Nice to Have
- Familiarity with crypto/DeFi protocols and their data APIs
- Experience with Python or JavaScript for automation scripts
- Understanding of database concepts (SQL, PostgreSQL)
- Previous experience in business development or sales research
- Knowledge of blockchain and Web3 concepts
What You'll Learn
- How AI agent payments and micropayment infrastructure work
- The x402 protocol and Coinbase's approach to HTTP payments
- API integration patterns across financial services
- Building AI-powered research and outreach workflows
- Working with production blockchain systems (Base, USDC).
Compensation
Pay Transparency Notice: Depending on your work location, the target hourly rate for this position can range as detailed below.
Hourly Rate: $50—$50 USD
Please be advised that each candidate may submit a maximum of four applications within any 30-day period. We encourage you to carefully evaluate how your skills and interests align with SerenAI's roles before applying.
About the Team
SerenAI is a small, fast-moving team building infrastructure for the AI agent economy. We believe AI agents will pay for the data they consume—and we're creating the payment rails to make it happen.
Our stack includes TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Base (Ethereum L2), and the Coinbase x402 protocol. We value clear communication, systematic thinking, and getting things done.
Equal Opportunity: SerenAI welcomes applications from all backgrounds. We're committed to building a diverse team and inclusive environment.
Interview Process
# Interview Process
## Stage 1: Application Review (24-48 hours)
Review resume, interest paragraph, and LLM automation example.
## Stage 2: Async Task (3-5 days)
Candidates complete a take-home assignment:
- Research and document 5 potential data providers in their vertical
- Include API documentation links, pricing models, and integration complexity
- Propose pricing for the x402 Gateway
## Stage 3: Live Interview (30 minutes)
- Walk through your research process
- Discuss one provider integration in depth- Q&A about SerenAI and the role
## Decision Timeline
Candidates notified within 48 hours of final interview.
## What We Evaluate
- Research quality and thoroughness
- Communication clarity
- Self-direction and initiative
Equal Opportunity Employer
SerenAI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by applicable law. SerenAI will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Additionally, SerenAI participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.
SerenAI is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please contact us at careers[ at ] serendb.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.
Privacy Notice
Depending on your location, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) may regulate the way we manage the data of job applicants. By submitting your application, you are agreeing to our use and processing of your data as required.
AI Disclosure
For select roles, SerenAI is piloting an AI tool based on machine learning technologies to conduct initial screening interviews to qualified applicants. The tool simulates realistic interview scenarios and engages in dynamic conversation. A human recruiter will review your interview responses, provided in the form of a voice recording and/or transcript, to assess them against the qualifications and characteristics outlined in the job description.
For select roles, SerenAI is also piloting an AI interview intelligence platform to transcribe and summarize interview notes, allowing our interviewers to fully focus on you as the candidate.
The above pilots are for testing purposes and SerenAI will not use AI to make decisions impacting employment. To request a reasonable accommodation due to disability, please contact careers [at] serendb.com