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Agent Identity

W3C · Proposed 22 April 2026

Agent Identity Registry Protocol Community Group

W3C Community Group (launched 2026)

W3CDraft — expect changeIdentityAgent-specific

Shows that 'agent identity' is being pursued in W3C as well as IETF. Overlaps AAuth/WIMSE problem space from a VC angle.

At a glance

Problem
AI agents need cryptographically verifiable credentials binding them to controlling organizations so they can negotiate trust across orgs without bilateral contracts in advance.
Identity / authn / authz
Identity infrastructure (DID method, VC format, trust levels, revocation). Integration profiles planned with MCP, A2A, OAuth/OIDC, SPIFFE.

Actors

  • Controlling organization
  • Agent
  • Relying organization

When this matters for agents

When this matters for agents: shows that 'agent identity' is being pursued in W3C as well as IETF, from a DID/VC angle, with planned MCP/A2A/OAuth/SPIFFE profiles. Community Group ≠ Recommendation. Watch for drafts before implementing. Overlaps AAuth/WIMSE problem space.

Flow in plain language

Not a finished protocol at research time. Charter lists DID method, agent credential format, trust negotiation, lifecycle, post-quantum requirements.

Implementer notes

Community Group ≠ W3C Recommendation. W3C hosting is not endorsement. Watch for drafts before implementing.

Relationship to others

Primary sources