Agent Protocols
How do AI agents coordinate without human intermediaries?
Agent protocols define how autonomous systems communicate, transact, and collaborate. As AI agents become economic actors, they need shared standards — the same way humans needed HTTP for the web and TCP/IP for the internet.
The Protocol Stack
| Protocol | Function | What It Enables |
|---|---|---|
| MCP | Model Context Protocol | AI tool use — how agents access external capabilities |
| A2A | Agent to Agent | Inter-agent communication and task delegation |
| ACP | Agent Commerce Protocol | Autonomous transactions, payments, agreements |
| PCP | Proof of Creativity | IP attribution and value flow for generated content |
The Three Flows in Agent Coordination
Same pattern as telecom and robotics:
INTENT → ROUTE → INFRASTRUCTURE → SETTLE → FEEDBACK
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
Task Protocol Agent/LLM Blockchain Learning
spec selection execution payment signal
| Flow Stage | Agent Implementation | Who Provides |
|---|---|---|
| Intent | Task specification, goal definition | User or orchestrating agent |
| Route | Protocol selection, agent discovery | MCP, A2A |
| Infrastructure | LLM inference, tool execution | AI providers, compute networks |
| Settle | Payment, proof of work | ACP, blockchain |
| Feedback | Quality signal, reputation | PCP, evaluation agents |
Why This Matters
The 2027 thesis: AI agents will handle most knowledge work. But agents need rails to transact — protocols that let them:
- Discover each other's capabilities
- Negotiate terms and prices
- Execute transactions trustlessly
- Attribute value and build reputation
Without protocols: Agents are siloed, can't coordinate, can't transact. With protocols: Autonomous economies emerge — agents as economic actors.
Context
- AI Platform — The intelligence layer
- Protocols — What protocols are and why they matter
- Phygital Beings — Agents as the new economic actors
- Robotics Industry — Physical agents using these protocols
- DePIN — Physical infrastructure layer
The Meta Question
"When agents can negotiate, transact, and evaluate each other — who writes the rules of engagement?"