Introduction

Introduction to the Verification Protocol in MCP-I

Introduction to Verification

Verification in MCP-I ensures that agents possess valid delegation credentials before they can access resources or perform actions. The Verification Protocol defines:

  1. How verifiers authenticate agent identities
  2. How delegation credentials are validated
  3. The handshake process between agents and services
  4. Fallback mechanisms for different MCP-I conformance levels

Verification Components

Key Actors

  • Agent: The entity presenting credentials and requesting access
  • Verifier: The component validating credentials (Edge Proxy or Service)
  • Principal: The original delegator (not directly involved in verification)
  • DID Resolver: Infrastructure for resolving DID documents
  • Revocation Service: Infrastructure for checking credential revocation status

Core Verification Operations

  1. DID Resolution: Converting DIDs to DID Documents with verification keys
  2. Signature Verification: Validating cryptographic signatures
  3. Revocation Checking: Confirming credentials are still valid
  4. Scope Matching: Ensuring requested actions are authorized
  5. Constraint Validation: Checking that any delegation constraints are satisfied