Key Takeaways:

• Ethereum’s proposed ERC-8004 adds trustless identity, reputation, and validation for AI agents.
• It uses Ethereum Name Service to make AI agents verifiable, discoverable, and portable across chains.
• Growing ecosystem support positions ERC-8004 as a base layer for open AI agent markets.

AI agents are no longer limited to chatting and answering questions. They can now execute transactions, interact with external services, and coordinate across different platforms. However, a critical challenge has emerged: how can these autonomous programs trust each other without relying on centralized authorities?

ERC-8004, a technical proposal introduced in August 2025, offers a solution. Developed through collaboration between the Ethereum Foundation, MetaMask, Google, and Coinbase, the standard creates infrastructure for agents to verify identities, build reputations, and validate their work across organizational boundaries.

The authors – Marco De Rossi from MetaMask, Davide Crapis from the Ethereum Foundation, Jordan Ellis from Google, and Erik Reppel from Coinbase – designed ERC-8004 to address what happens when agents from different companies or platforms need to interact. Current communication protocols handle message exchange under the assumption that trust already exists, preventing open agent markets from growing.

Infrastructure for agent identity and trust

The technical proposal establishes three interconnected registries on the blockchain: 

Identity Registry

This assigns each agent a unique identifier, similar to a digital passport, using ERC-721 token technology (the same tech that powers NFTs). It includes details such as the agent’s name, description, and communication endpoints, and creates portable identities that remain consistent whether an agent operates on Ethereum’s main network, layer-2 solutions like Base and Polygon, or non-EVM blockchains like Solana.

Reputation Registry

A Reputation Registry maintains permanent records of agent performance and allows users to submit feedback, with scores ranging from 0 to 100, helping build a track record over time. Agents can respond to feedback, with the system storing all authorization data on-chain while keeping detailed reviews off-chain, balancing transparency with cost efficiency. This design enables sophisticated reputation scoring without expensive blockchain storage.

Validation Registry

Finally, the Validation Registry allows independent verification through multiple methods. Options include validators who stake money while re-running tasks, zero-knowledge proofs that confirm work without revealing data, or secure hardware that provides proof of correct operations.

The security approach matches the risk level. Simple jobs like writing content rely on reputation scores, whereas financial transactions need stronger proof through cryptography or economic staking, where validators lose money if their verification is incorrect.

ENS enables agent discovery

Ethereum Name Service integration addresses a practical problem: making agent identities understandable to both humans and other automated systems. ENS Labs explained that when agents move between different contexts, identity stays constant.

Instead of complex hexadecimal addresses, agents can use readable names. General names like agent.eth serve as entry points, while specific names such as audit.agent.eth or data.agent.eth offers quick understanding to a specific agent’s capabilities and specializations.

These names connect to detailed profiles showing services offered, supported blockchains, pricing, and trust methods. The approach extends ENS’s established role in the Ethereum ecosystem to autonomous programs.

Payment integration and development progress

ERC-8004 works alongside x402, a payment protocol created by Coinbase that handles transaction approval and settlement. 

Separating identity and trust from payments allows each system to develop independently while staying compatible.

The proposal currently remains under review in Ethereum’s development process, with ongoing community discussions regarding potential inclusion in upcoming network upgrades. 

The Ethereum Foundation established a dedicated decentralized AI (dAI) team in September 2025, led by Davide Crapis, to support implementation and promote ecosystem adoption.