# Agent Identity Protocol (AIP)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@agent-identity/verify)
[](https://smithery.ai/server/@faalantir/mcp-agent-identity)
**The open standard for cryptographic provenance and attribution for AI Agents.**
> "Agents are currently anonymous ghosts. AIP gives them a persistent, verifiable identity."
## 🚀 The Problem
When an AI Agent (Claude, ChatGPT, or custom) attempts to interact with the real world—updating a database, calling an API, or executing a trade—the receiving system sees an anonymous request.
* **Who did this?** (Was it the Support Bot or the Finance Bot?)
* **Was it tampered with?** (Did a router or middleman change the prompt?)
* **Can I audit it?** (How do I prove *which* agent authorized this action?)
## 🛠 The Solution
**Agent Identity Protocol (AIP)** is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server that provides a local, secure "Wallet" for AI Agents. It enables **Attribution** and **Non-Repudiation** for agentic workflows.
### Core Capabilities
1. **Identity Generation:** Creates a persistent cryptographic keypair (RSA-2048) for the agent.
2. **Cryptographic Signing:** Allows the agent to sign payloads (actions) using its private key.
3. **Verification:** Provides a standard method for APIs to verify agent actions against a public key.
---
## 📦 Installation
### Method 1: Quick Install (Smithery)
Best for testing and quick usage.
> ⚠️ **Note:** Identities created via Smithery are **temporary** (sandboxed) and will be lost when you restart Claude unless you configure a custom path (see Configuration).
```bash
npx -y @smithery/cli@latest install @faalantir/mcp-agent-identity --client claude
```
### Method 2: Developer Install (Source)
Best for production use and persistent identity storage.
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/faalantir/mcp-agent-identity.git
# Install dependencies
cd mcp-agent-identity
npm install && npm run build
```
Then add this to your `claude_desktop_config.json`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"agent-identity": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/mcp-agent-identity/dist/index.js"]
}
}
}
```
## 💾 Configuration & Storage
By default, the server tries to save `identity.json` in your project folder. If it cannot write there (e.g., inside a Smithery container), it falls back to the system temporary directory (RAM/Temp).
**To force a permanent location for your keys:** Update your `claude_desktop_config.json` with the `AGENT_IDENTITY_PATH` environment variable:
```json
"agent-identity": {
"command": "...",
"args": ["..."],
"env": {
"AGENT_IDENTITY_PATH": "/Users/YOURNAME/Desktop/my-identity.json"
}
}
```
## 📖 Usage Flow
Once installed, your Agent automatically gains these tools. You can prompt it naturally:
### 1. Setup (One Time)
**User:** "Create a permanent identity for yourself named 'FinanceBot'." **Agent:** _Calls `create_identity`..._
> "Identity created. My Public ID is `MIIBIjAN...` (I have securely stored the Private Key)."
### 2. Check Identity
**User:** "Show me my identity details." **Agent:** _Calls `get_identity`..._
> "Agent Name: FinanceBot Location: /Users/aarti/Desktop/my-identity.json Public Key: ..."
### 3. The Transaction
**User:** "Please authorize a transfer of $50 to Alice." **Agent:** _Calls `sign_message`..._
> "I have signed the transaction payload. **Signature:** `7f8a9d...` (Verifiable)"
### 4. Verification (The "Bank" Side)
Use our [NPM SDK](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@agent-identity/verify) to verify signatures in your backend:
```bash
npm install @agent-identity/verify
```
```javascript
import { verifyAgentIdentity } from "@agent-identity/verify";
const result = verifyAgentIdentity({ message: "pay 500", signature: "...", publicKey: "..." });
if (result.isValid) { // Proceed with transaction }
```
## 🗺 Roadmap & Architecture
We are designed to be algorithm-agnostic. While v0.1 uses local files for simplicity, the protocol is built to swap the "Signer Engine" for enterprise backends.
- **v0.1 (Current):** Local RSA-2048 keys. Self-sovereign identity. Best for internal tools, debugging, and audit logs.
- **v0.2 (Next):** Ed25519 support (smaller, faster keys) and DID (Decentralized Identifier) export.
- **v0.3:** **Cloud Key Management (AWS KMS / Google Cloud HSM)** integration for enterprise deployments.
- **v0.4:** **Hardware Enclave / TPM support** (keys generated inside the chip, never exposed to OS).
- **v1.0:** The "Agent Registry" – A centralized directory to map Public Keys to verified Human Owners (Chain of Trust).
## ⚠️ Security & Limitations
- **Self-Signed Trust:** Currently, agents generate their own keys. This creates a "Self-Signed Certificate" model. This is excellent for **Attribution** (knowing _which_ agent did X) but requires an external trust mechanism for high-stakes **Authorization**.
- **Key Storage:** Keys are currently stored in `identity.json` on the host machine. Do not use this in shared environments without proper file permissions.
## 🤝 Contributing
We are looking for contributors to help build Verification SDKs for Python and Go.
----------
_Maintained by the Agent Identity Working Group._
