---
title: "LOCK: acquire a distributed lock/lease, scoped to YOUR wallet."
method: POST
path: "/api/lock/acquire"
tags: ["lock"]
---

# LOCK: acquire a distributed lock/lease, scoped to YOUR wallet.

`POST /api/lock/acquire`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://2s.io`
- URL: `https://2s.io/api/lock/acquire`
- Auth: API key in header `PAYMENT-SIGNATURE`

LOCK: acquire a distributed lock/lease, scoped to YOUR wallet. Returns { acquired:true, token } if you got it, or { acquired:false, retryInSeconds } if someone else holds it. The lock auto-expires after ttlSeconds (so a crashed holder can't wedge it). Keep the token — you need it to renew or release. Use it to make sure only one copy of your agent runs a critical section. No account or API key — pay per call with x402.

## Request body

- object
  - `key` string, required: Lock name, up to 256 chars of [A-Za-z0-9._:/-]. e.g. "nightly-report".
  - `ttlSeconds` integer, required: Auto-release after this many seconds (1-86400). Set it above your critical section's worst-case runtime.

## Other responses

- `200` (unresolved $ref)
- `400`: Invalid request — not charged. error.code: BAD_REQUEST or INVALID_PARAM (parameter validation; error.details.issues lists each problem), MALFORMED_JSON, or a request-specific code. Other client errors: 405 METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED (wrong verb; see the Allow header), 413 PAYLOAD_TOO_LARGE.
- `402`: Payment required. Body is the x402 PaymentRequirements envelope with a multi-network accepts array; the per-call price is in accepts[].amount (and on the operation as x-2s-price). Sign for whichever rail you hold USDC on (EIP-3009 for Base, partial SPL transfer for Solana) and retry with the PAYMENT-SIGNATURE header (X-PAYMENT also accepted for v1 clients). Also PAYMENT_SETTLE_FAILED (error envelope) when a verified payment failed to settle: error.details.chargeStatus is "not_charged" (retry with a fresh payment) or "unknown" (the authorization may still settle before its deadline — check it before retrying).
- `429`: Too many requests — RATE_LIMITED: our per-IP / per-payer limiter. Not charged; retry after Retry-After.
- `5XX`: Server-side failure. 500 INTERNAL: unexpected error; quote error.errorId (also the X-2s-Error-Id header). 502 UPSTREAM_UNAVAILABLE (or another UPSTREAM_* code): the data provider failed — composite endpoints refuse unbilled when every source fails. 503 SERVICE_PAUSED: endpoint paused by the operator kill switch, retry after Retry-After; 503 SPEND_CAP: daily upstream budget exhausted. 504 UPSTREAM_TIMEOUT. Not charged.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/2s-io/apis/2s-the-most-everything-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/2s-io/apis/2s-the-most-everything-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/2s-io/apis/2s-the-most-everything-api/revisions/da4c5caf686e?raw)