Chained Credential

Supports delegation flows through multiple entities for complex workflows with intermediary agents

Chained Delegation Credential

The Chained Delegation Credential model supports scenarios where delegation flows through multiple entities. This model is essential for complex workflows where intermediary agents need to further delegate authority.

Structure

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
    "https://mcp-i.org/credentials/v1"
  ],
  "id": "urn:uuid:9b37c28d-a7c2-4e5f-8d9a-1b2c3d4e5f6a",
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "ChainedDelegationCredential"],
  "issuer": "did:example:agentA",
  "issuanceDate": "2025-02-15T10:15:30Z",
  "expirationDate": "2025-06-30T23:59:59Z",
  "credentialSubject": {
    "id": "did:example:agentB",
    "scope": ["read:data"],
    "constraints": {
      "environment": "testing"
    }
  },
  "credentialStatus": {
    "id": "https://example.com/status/456",
    "type": "StatusList2021Entry",
    "statusPurpose": "revocation",
    "statusListIndex": "42"
  },
  "parentCredential": {
    "id": "urn:uuid:3978344f-8596-4c3a-a978-8fcaba3903c5",
    "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "DelegationCredential"],
    "issuer": "did:example:principal123",
    "issuanceDate": "2025-01-01T19:23:24Z",
    "expirationDate": "2025-12-31T23:59:59Z",
    "credentialSubject": {
      "id": "did:example:agentA",
      "scope": ["read:data", "write:calendar"]
    },
    "proof": {
      "type": "Ed25519Signature2020",
      "verificationMethod": "did:example:principal123#key-1",
      "proofValue": "z43BsK5Fu9Sdw7tF1JwPnBtYu..."
    }
  },
  "proof": {
    "type": "Ed25519Signature2020",
    "created": "2025-02-15T10:15:30Z",
    "verificationMethod": "did:example:agentA#key-1",
    "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
    "proofValue": "z82Kn2d7a9FjHnPoQ5..."
  }
}

Key Properties

  • type: Includes "ChainedDelegationCredential" to indicate delegation chain
  • parentCredential: The credential that authorizes the issuer to delegate
  • scope: Must be a subset of the parent credential's scope