Security

The Trust Infrastructure Imperative

In an age of AI agents, trust cannot be assumed—it must be proven. Here's why cryptographic trust infrastructure is the foundation of safe AI commerce.

Pragma.Vision Research 2 min read

The Trust Problem

When a human shops at a familiar store, trust is implicit. They recognize the brand, see other customers, feel the physical presence of goods.

When an AI agent makes a purchase on your behalf, how do you know:

  • The agent is who it claims to be?
  • The merchant is legitimate?
  • Your authorization won’t be exceeded?
  • The transaction is exactly what you approved?

These questions cannot be answered by brand recognition or social proof. They require cryptographic verification.

The Three Layers of Trust

Safe AI commerce requires trust at three distinct layers:

Layer 1: Identity (Who)

Before any transaction, we must verify the agent’s identity. Is this agent registered, verified, and operating within its declared parameters?

Protocols like Visa TAP provide agent identity verification through PKI and Ed25519 signatures.

Layer 2: Authorization (What)

Identity isn’t enough. A verified agent still needs proof that a human authorized this specific action.

Google AP2 mandates provide cryptographic proof of user consent—what can be spent, on what, up to what limit.

Layer 3: Execution (How)

Finally, the actual transaction must execute correctly. Payment must flow, goods must transfer, all parties must be properly credited.

Stripe ACP checkout sessions with x402 settlement handle the actual movement of value.

Why All Three Layers Matter

Remove any layer and the system fails:

  • Without identity verification, anyone can claim to be a trusted agent
  • Without authorization proof, agents could overspend or mis-spend
  • Without proper execution, transactions fail or fraud occurs

Most AI commerce implementations focus on one layer. We believe robust AI commerce requires all three, working together.

Building Trust Infrastructure

This is why Pragma.Vision platforms implement the full three-layer model:

  • Agent identity verification via verifiable credentials
  • Cryptographic spending mandates
  • Multi-protocol payment execution

Trust infrastructure isn’t glamorous work. It’s the plumbing that makes everything else possible.