In 2026, understanding who your AI agents are becomes crucial amidst the rise of agentic AI since late 2025. The “Know Your Agent” (KYA) paradigm emphasizes the importance of trust in machine-initiated transactions, similar to Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols. KYA establishes the identity and permissions of AI agents, allowing delegated actions to be verified rather than inferred. Discussing the trust gap in AI systems, Billions highlights the need for decentralized identities (DIDs) to confirm the reputation of AI agents. Kaliya Young explains that decentralized identity eliminates central authority reliance, facilitating globally resolvable identifiers for various entities, including AI agents. This transition to decentralized identity management is essential as AI adopts more complex roles in commerce, finance, and daily life. Understanding agent capabilities and origins will be vital in navigating future identity and credentialing challenges.
Keywords: AI agents, Know Your Agent, decentralized identity, digital identity, identity management, trust protocols.
