# MolCloud Trending News API

> MolCloud Trending News API is a paid API for AI agents from api.molcloud.net, paid per call via x402, $0.005/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-17).

Fetches a ranked list of trending news stories, optionally filtered by topic keyword, paying per request in USDC via x402.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://api.molcloud.net/api/news/trending?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.005/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-17
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/molcloud-trending-news-api-4e65b42c
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_QN1wkeUySkefqIydDX0eh

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability molcloud-trending-news-api-4e65b42c
```

Example prompt: What are the top 8 trending news stories about AI right now? Pull them from MolCloud's news feed.

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when an autonomous agent needs a lightweight, pay-per-request trending news feed without committing to a subscription, especially when USDC micropayments via x402 on Base are already part of the agent's payment stack. Ideal for agents that need occasional or event-driven news lookups rather than continuous polling.

## Known failure modes

- Payment failure if USDC balance is insufficient or x402 handshake fails
- Empty stories array if no stories match the topic keyword filter
- Invalid limit parameter returns default of 8 stories
- Network timeout at the edge returns no data
- Malformed queryParams result in 400-level error

## How this service works

40 pay-per-request AI, search, headless browser, crypto alpha & memory APIs for autonomous agents settling in USDC on Base via x402 v2.

## Output

A JSON object containing a list of trending news stories (up to the requested limit), a count of returned stories, a success status, and the endpoint path. Each story object includes relevant headline and metadata fields.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type",
    "method",
    "queryParams"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "http"
    },
    "method": {
     "enum": [
      "GET",
      "HEAD",
      "DELETE"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "properties": {
      "limit": {
       "type": "integer",
       "default": 8,
       "description": "Number of stories to return"
      },
      "topic": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Optional keyword filter"
      }
     }
    }
   }
  },
  "output": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "json"
    },
    "example": {
     "type": "object",
     "required": [
      "status",
      "endpoint"
     ],
     "properties": {
      "data": {
       "type": "object"
      },
      "payer": {
       "type": "string"
      },
      "status": {
       "enum": [
        "success"
       ],
       "type": "string"
      },
      "endpoint": {
       "type": "string"
      }
     }
    }
   }
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "news": {
   "count": 8,
   "stories": []
  },
  "status": "success",
  "endpoint": "/api/news/trending"
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/molcloud-trending-news-api-4e65b42c/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from api.molcloud.net](https://www.zero.xyz/host/api.molcloud.net/llms.txt)