{
  "dataset": "protocols",
  "record": {
    "id": "kite",
    "name": "Kite",
    "full_name": "Kite (Agent payments / identity infrastructure)",
    "layer": "payments",
    "creator": "Kite AI",
    "status": "live (Kite Chain + Agent Passport, 2026)",
    "year": 2025,
    "one_liner": "A payments-and-identity layer for the agent economy: verifiable agent identities (Agent Passport), cryptographically enforced spending constraints, and stablecoin rails, integrating x402, AP2 and MCP.",
    "spec_url": "https://gokite.ai",
    "snippet": "Kite AIR: verifiable agent identity + programmable spend constraints + stablecoin rails (x402 / AP2 / MCP).",
    "abbreviation": "Kite",
    "also_known_as": [
      "Kite AI",
      "Kite AIR",
      "Kite Agent Passport"
    ],
    "canonical_spec_url": "https://gokite.ai/kite-whitepaper",
    "entity_uri": "https://gokite.ai",
    "taxonomy_layer": "payments",
    "sub_layer": "agent-payment-identity-rails",
    "protocol_type": "settlement",
    "central_problem": "Treats AI agents as first-class economic actors by giving them verifiable identities, cryptographically enforced spending guardrails, and stablecoin payment rails for micropayments at scale.",
    "maintainer": "Kite AI",
    "governance_body": "vendor (Kite AI)",
    "license": {
      "value": null,
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://gokite.ai/kite-whitepaper",
      "note": "Confirm any open-spec license; Kite is largely a platform/network rather than an open spec. Confirm at build."
    },
    "maturity_tag": "emerging",
    "current_spec_version": {
      "value": null,
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://gokite.ai/kite-whitepaper",
      "note": "Confirm whitepaper/spec version at build."
    },
    "spec_date": {
      "value": null,
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://gokite.ai/kite-whitepaper",
      "note": "Confirm whitepaper date at build (a 2025-10-30 research paper is referenced)."
    },
    "launch_date": {
      "value": "2026-04-30",
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://dailyhodl.com/2026/04/30/kite-launches-kite-chain-and-kite-agent-passport-enabling-autonomous-ai-agent-payments/",
      "note": "Kite Chain + Agent Passport launch reported 2026-04-30 (secondary source); Kite raised $18M in Sep 2025. Confirm the launch date against a Kite primary at build."
    },
    "last_verified": "2026-06-15",
    "transport": "Kite Chain (Layer-1) + stablecoin rails; integrates x402 / AP2 / MCP envelopes",
    "core_mechanism": "Kite provides agent payment-and-identity infrastructure: Kite AIR gives agents verifiable identities (Agent Passport) and a hierarchical identity model with mathematical delegation; the SPACE framework adds stablecoin-native sub-cent payments with instant finality, cryptographically enforced programmable constraints (smart contracts), immutable audit trails, and economically viable micropayments. It uses x402 as the interoperability envelope between agents and services, with AP2 specializing the flow for stablecoin settlement and MCP for tool access.",
    "discovery_endpoint": "Kite Agent Passport identity (Kite AIR); on-chain (Kite Chain)",
    "settlement_type": "stablecoin (on-chain, Kite Chain; instant finality, sub-cent fees)",
    "adoption_metric": {
      "value": null,
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://gokite.ai/kite-whitepaper",
      "note": "Kite reports investment from Coinbase Ventures (Oct 2025) and an $18M raise (Sep 2025); no audited usage figure asserted. Confirm at build."
    },
    "notable_adopters": [
      {
        "value": "Kite AI (operator)",
        "source": "https://gokite.ai/kite-whitepaper"
      },
      {
        "value": "Coinbase Ventures (investor; x402 collaboration)",
        "source": "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/27/3174837/0/en/kite-announces-investment-from-coinbase-ventures-to-advance-agentic-payments-with-the-x402-protocol.html"
      }
    ],
    "relationships": [
      {
        "predicate": "built_on",
        "target": "x402",
        "note": "Kite uses x402 as the interoperability envelope between agents and services for payment intent/authorization."
      },
      {
        "predicate": "complements",
        "target": "ap2",
        "note": "Kite specializes the AP2 flow for stablecoin settlement on Kite Chain."
      },
      {
        "predicate": "complements",
        "target": "erc-8004",
        "note": "Kite Agent Passport provides verifiable agent identity, an off/on-chain analogue to ERC-8004's identity registries."
      }
    ],
    "ideal_use_case": "Running autonomous agents that hold verifiable identities and spend within cryptographically enforced limits using stablecoin micropayments.",
    "when_to_use": "When you need agent identity, delegation, spend guardrails, and stablecoin rails together on a purpose-built network.",
    "when_not_to_use": "When a single open payment protocol (x402) or mandate framework (AP2) on existing rails meets your need without a dedicated chain.",
    "code_example": "// Kite Agent Passport + x402 (schematic)\n// passport = kite.air.issue({ owner, limits: { perTx: '$0.50', daily: '$20' } })\n// agent pays via x402 envelope; constraints enforced on-chain by Kite Chain",
    "source": "Kite agent payments-and-identity infrastructure (Kite AIR identity / Agent Passport, SPACE framework, stablecoin rails; x402 envelope + AP2 settlement + MCP), Kite Chain + Agent Passport launch reported 2026-04-30: https://gokite.ai/kite-whitepaper ; Coinbase Ventures/x402 collaboration https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/10/27/3174837/0/en/kite-announces-investment-from-coinbase-ventures-to-advance-agentic-payments-with-the-x402-protocol.html . Listed for addition in research §2.",
    "agent_readiness_link": "agent-readiness/x402",
    "layer_legacy": "payment"
  }
}