# ANP

> An open protocol aiming to be the 'HTTP of the agent internet': decentralized DID-based identity, a meta-protocol negotiation layer, and JSON-LD agent descriptions so billions of agents can connect.

_The Agent Protocol Atlas · /protocols/anp · [JSON](/api/protocols/anp) · [all The Agent Protocol Atlas](/protocols)_

- **name:** ANP
- **full_name:** Agent Network Protocol
- **layer:** interop
- **creator:** Agent Network Protocol open-source community
- **status:** emerging (open source)
- **year:** 2025
- **one_liner:** An open protocol aiming to be the 'HTTP of the agent internet': decentralized DID-based identity, a meta-protocol negotiation layer, and JSON-LD agent descriptions so billions of agents can connect.
- **spec_url:** https://agent-network-protocol.com/
- **snippet:**

```
did:wba identity + meta-protocol negotiation + JSON-LD agent description for open agent discovery.
```
- **abbreviation:** ANP
- **also_known_as:** Agent Network Protocol
- **canonical_spec_url:** https://agent-network-protocol.com/specs/agent-description.html
- **entity_uri:** https://github.com/agent-network-protocol/AgentNetworkProtocol
- **taxonomy_layer:** interop
- **sub_layer:** decentralized-agent-network
- **protocol_type:** transport
- **central_problem:** Defines how agents connect across an open, decentralized network — establishing identity and trust, exchanging interpretable messages, and understanding each other's intent — to build an 'internet of agents'.
- **maintainer:** Agent Network Protocol open-source community (agent-network-protocol on GitHub)
- **governance_body:** open-source community (ANP)
- **license:** — (verify-against-primary-at-build)
- **maturity_tag:** emerging
- **current_spec_version:** — (verify-against-primary-at-build)
- **spec_date:** — (verify-against-primary-at-build)
- **launch_date:** 2025
- **last_verified:** 2026-06-15
- **transport:** HTTPS + W3C DID (did:wba) for identity/encryption; JSON-LD agent descriptions; meta-protocol negotiation
- **core_mechanism:** ANP layers three tiers: (1) an Identity & Encrypted Communication layer using W3C DIDs (the did:wba method, each DID resolving to an HTTPS-hosted DID document) for decentralized authentication and end-to-end encryption; (2) a Meta-Protocol layer where agents negotiate which protocol to speak; and (3) an Application Protocol layer using semantic-web/JSON-LD agent descriptions to advertise capabilities, endpoints, and auth schemes.
- **discovery_endpoint:** JSON-LD agent description document (HTTPS) + did:wba DID document
- **settlement_type:** —
- **adoption_metric:** — (verify-against-primary-at-build)
- **notable_adopters:** {"value":"Agent Network Protocol community","source":"https://github.com/agent-network-protocol/AgentNetworkProtocol"}
- **relationships:** {"predicate":"competes_with","target":"a2a","note":"ANP is an alternative agent-interop protocol to A2A, distinguished by decentralized DID-based identity and a meta-protocol negotiation layer."}, {"predicate":"complements","target":"erc-8004","note":"Both bring decentralized identity to agents; ANP uses W3C DIDs off-chain, ERC-8004 uses on-chain registries."}
- **ideal_use_case:** Building an open, decentralized agent network where identity and trust are self-sovereign (DID-based) rather than platform-issued.
- **when_to_use:** When you want decentralized DID identity and protocol negotiation for agents instead of a single vendor's interop stack.
- **when_not_to_use:** When you need the broad ecosystem and production interop of A2A, or you don't want to adopt DID infrastructure.
- **code_example:** // ANP agent description (JSON-LD, schematic)
{ "@context": "https://agent-network-protocol.com/context", "did": "did:wba:example.com:agent", "name": "researcher", "interfaces": [ ... ] }
- **source:** ANP three-layer architecture (did:wba identity, meta-protocol negotiation, JSON-LD agent description): https://agent-network-protocol.com/ and https://agent-network-protocol.com/specs/agent-description.html ; repo https://github.com/agent-network-protocol/AgentNetworkProtocol . Compared with MCP/ACP/A2A in arXiv:2505.02279. Listed for addition in research §2.
- **agent_readiness_link:** agent-readiness/a2a
- **layer_legacy:** agent