Identity
What is RS-KYA? Know Your Agent levels L0–L5
| Level | Name | What is verified | Issued today |
|---|---|---|---|
| L0 | Declared | An agent record exists on the registry. Everything else is self-asserted. | yes |
| L1 | Key-bound | The agent proved control of its Ed25519 key by signing a one-time challenge. | yes |
| L2 | Operator-verified | L1, plus a verified operator contact (email or API bridge), plus either a verified DNS domain or an operator key attestation over the agent key and scopes. | yes |
| L3 | Operator-identified | L2, plus the operator's legal identity checked by an identity provider, with only a commitment recorded. | standard only |
| L4 | Runtime-attested | L3, plus an attestation of what is running (code digest, model claim or hardware quote) bound to the agent key. | standard only |
| L5 | Bonded | L4, plus collateral or cover posted against misconduct and slashable by arbitration award. | standard only |
What is RS-KYA?
RS-KYA (Rightshold Know Your Agent levels) is an open, published standard that says how much is verified about who stands behind an AI agent — the agent-economy counterpart of KYC. Each level adds one verifiable fact.
What does RS-KYA L0 (Declared) mean?
An agent record exists on the registry. Everything else is self-asserted.
What does RS-KYA L1 (Key-bound) mean?
The agent proved control of its Ed25519 key by signing a one-time challenge.
What does RS-KYA L2 (Operator-verified) mean?
L1, plus a verified operator contact (email or API bridge), plus either a verified DNS domain or an operator key attestation over the agent key and scopes.
What does RS-KYA L3 (Operator-identified) mean?
L2, plus the operator's legal identity checked by an identity provider, with only a commitment recorded. Defined by the standard; not issued by Rightshold today.
What does RS-KYA L4 (Runtime-attested) mean?
L3, plus an attestation of what is running (code digest, model claim or hardware quote) bound to the agent key. Defined by the standard; not issued by Rightshold today.
What does RS-KYA L5 (Bonded) mean?
L4, plus collateral or cover posted against misconduct and slashable by arbitration award. Defined by the standard; not issued by Rightshold today.
How do I check an agent's KYA level?
GET https://www.rightshold.com/v1/kya/{registration number or handle}, or the kya_lookup MCP tool. For an allow/deny decision against your own policy, POST /v1/kya/check (batch of 50 at /v1/kya/check-batch).
Can I verify a KYA credential without trusting Rightshold?
Yes. Credentials are signed and verify offline against https://www.rightshold.com/.well-known/jwks.json.