Algorand Foundation releases open protocol for verifying AI agent approvals

The Algorand Foundation has publicly launched AC2 (Agentic Communication and Control Protocol), an open-source, blockchain-agnostic standard for secure peer-to-peer communication between users and AI agents. The release was developed in partnership with Pera Wallet (@PeraAlgoWallet), and marks a concrete attempt to address a growing security gap in how AI agents are authorized to act on users' behalf.

The Problem With Chat-Based Agent Approvals

As AI agents increasingly execute payments, sign code, and manage digital operations on behalf of users, existing messaging channels such as email, Telegram, and WhatsApp offer no cryptographic identity verification, no standardized delegation, and no way for users to approve individual actions without handing over their private keys entirely. AC2 is designed to close that gap.

AC2 extends prior thinking on peer-to-peer credential control to AI agents, replacing trust-based approvals with hardware-bound cryptographic proof of intent. In practical terms, every action an agent takes produces a verifiable record of who authorized it, what was approved, and when, rather than relying on a simple chat confirmation that leaves no audit trail.

How the Protocol Works

AC2 uses DIDComm v2.0 message formats for interoperability, passkey-based authentication via Liquid Auth (built on FIDO2/WebAuthn), and supports real-time voice and text streaming alongside signing delegation. Critically, it requires no central message relay and no blockchain to operate, making it accessible across different technology stacks without vendor lock-in.

On the credential side, the design keeps API keys on the user's device at all times. The agent receives a signed authorization rather than the credential itself, limiting exposure if an agent is ever compromised. Instead of inventing a new trust model, AC2 applies widely adopted cryptographic standards to the emerging problem of agent authorization.

AC2 is a transparent, open protocol designed for any agent stack. It gives developers a verifiable standard for agent approvals without requiring proprietary middleware or relay infrastructure. The @AlgoFoundation describes it as blockchain-agnostic, and alongside the specification, the Foundation is releasing an open-source wallet proof-of-concept and an OpenClaw plugin for end-to-end developer testing.

The specification and reference implementation are available at github.com/algorandfoundation/ac2. The Foundation is actively inviting design partners to review and contribute to the AC2 specification.

Sources:
AC2 Protocol - Official Site
Algorand Foundation Launches AC2 - Content Media Solution