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What is DCP?

The Digital Citizenship Protocol (DCP) defines a portable accountability layer for AI agents, allowing any verifier to evaluate:

• Who is responsible for an agent (Responsible Principal binding),
• What the agent declared it intended to do (Intent Declaration),
• What policy outcome was applied (Policy Decision),
• What verifiable evidence was produced (Audit Trail),
• How agents are managed throughout their lifecycle (Lifecycle Management),
• What happens when agents transition or are decommissioned (Digital Succession),
• How conflicts are resolved between agents and principals (Dispute Resolution),
• What rights and obligations govern agent behavior (Rights Framework), and
• How authority is delegated from humans to agents (Personal Representation).

All artifacts are cryptographically signed, hash-chained, and independently verifiable — without requiring a central authority.

This protocol was co-created by a human and an AI agent — designed for the collaboration it seeks to govern.

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Architecture

DCP is organized into three conceptual layers:

DCP Core

The minimum interoperable protocol that every implementation must support. Core defines the artifacts, their relationships, and the verification model:

• Responsible Principal Binding — links every agent to a human or legal entity that assumes accountability
• Agent Passport — the agent's portable identity, capabilities, and key material
• Intent Declaration — structured declaration of what the agent intends to do, before it acts
• Policy Outcome — the authorization decision applied to an intent
• Action Evidence — hash-chained, tamper-evident audit entries with Merkle proofs
• Bundle Manifest — the portable package that binds all artifacts together for verification

See spec/core/ for the core specification.

Profiles

Extensions and specializations that build on top of the core but are not required for basic interoperability:

• Crypto Profile — algorithm selection, hybrid post-quantum signatures, crypto-agility, verifier policy (spec/profiles/crypto/)
• Agent-to-Agent (A2A) Profile — discovery, handshake, session management, transport bindings (spec/profiles/a2a/)
• Governance Profile — risk tiers, jurisdiction attestation, revocation, key recovery, governance ceremonies (spec/profiles/governance/)

Services

Operational infrastructure that supports the protocol but is not part of the normative core:

• Verification servers, anchoring services, transparency logs, revocation registries
• These are deployment choices, not protocol requirements

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Protocol Specifications

Spec	Title	Description
DCP-01	Identity & Human Binding	Agent identity, operator attestation, key binding
DCP-02	Intent Declaration & Policy Gating	Declared intents, security tier enforcement, policy evaluation
DCP-03	Audit Chain & Transparency	Hash-chained audit entries, Merkle proofs, transparency logs
DCP-04	Agent-to-Agent Communication	Authenticated inter-agent messaging, delegation, trust chains
DCP-05	Agent Lifecycle Management	Commission, monitor, decline, and decommission agents with state machine enforcement
DCP-06	Digital Succession & Inheritance	Digital testaments, memory transfer, successor designation
DCP-07	Conflict Resolution & Dispute Arbitration	Disputes, escalation levels, arbitration, jurisprudence
DCP-08	Rights & Obligations Framework	Rights declarations, obligation records, violation reporting
DCP-09	Personal Representation & Delegation	Delegation mandates, awareness thresholds, principal mirrors
DCP-AI v2.0	Post-Quantum Normative Specification	Complete v2.0 spec with hybrid PQ crypto, 4-tier security model

See also: Core specification | Profiles overview

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Quick Start

Option A: CLI Wizard (recommended)

npx @dcp-ai/cli init

The interactive wizard (@dcp-ai/cli) walks you through identity creation, key generation, intent declaration, and bundle signing.

A lower-level reference CLI is also available as dcp (from the root dcp-ai package) for scripting and CI/CD pipelines:

npx dcp-ai verify my-bundle.signed.json

Option B: SDK directly

npm install @dcp-ai/sdk

import { BundleBuilder, KeyManager } from '@dcp-ai/sdk';

const keys = await KeyManager.generate({ algorithm: 'hybrid' });
const bundle = await new BundleBuilder()
  .setIdentity({ name: 'my-agent', operator: 'org:example' })
  .addIntent({ action: 'query', resource: 'public-api', tier: 'routine' })
  .sign(keys)
  .build();

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Security Tiers

Tier	Verification Mode	Use Case
Routine	Self-declared identity	Public data reads, informational queries
Standard	Operator-attested identity + Ed25519 signature	API access, standard agent operations
Elevated	Multi-party attestation + hybrid PQ signatures	Financial transactions, PII access, cross-org delegation
Maximum	Hardware-bound keys + full PQ suite + anchored audit	Government systems, critical infrastructure, regulated industries

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Ecosystem

graph TB
  subgraph sdks["SDKs (5 languages)"]
    TS["TypeScript SDK"]
    PY["Python SDK"]
    GO["Go SDK"]
    RS["Rust SDK"]
    WA["WASM Module"]
  end

  subgraph integrations["Integrations (11)"]
    EX["Express Middleware"]
    FA["FastAPI Middleware"]
    LC["LangChain"]
    OA["OpenAI"]
    CR["CrewAI"]
    AGNO["Agno (agno-dcp)"]
    OC["OpenClaw Plugin"]
    W3C["W3C DID/VC Bridge"]
    A2A["Google A2A Bridge"]
    MCP["Anthropic MCP Bridge"]
    AG["AutoGen Bridge"]
  end

  subgraph tools["Tooling"]
    CLI["CLI Wizard"]
    PG["Playground"]
    TPL["Templates"]
  end

  subgraph services["Infrastructure Services"]
    VER["Verification Server"]
    ANC["Anchoring Service"]
    TL["Transparency Log"]
    REV["Revocation Service"]
  end

  subgraph infra["Deployment"]
    SOL["Smart Contract L2"]
    GH["GitHub Actions"]
    DK["Docker Compose"]
  end

  TS --> EX
  TS --> OC
  TS --> W3C
  TS --> A2A
  TS --> MCP
  TS --> AG
  PY --> FA
  PY --> LC
  PY --> OA
  PY --> CR
  RS --> WA

  CLI --> TS
  PG --> WA
  TPL --> LC
  TPL --> CR
  TPL --> OA
  TPL --> EX

  EX --> VER
  FA --> VER
  VER --> ANC
  VER --> TL
  VER --> REV
  ANC --> SOL
  DK --> VER
  DK --> ANC
  DK --> TL
  DK --> REV
  GH --> VER

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SDKs

Create, sign, and verify Citizenship Bundles in your preferred language. All SDKs support DCP v2.0 and post-quantum hybrid cryptography.

SDK	Package	Features	Docs
TypeScript	@dcp-ai/sdk	BundleBuilder, hybrid PQ crypto, JSON Schema validation, Vitest	sdks/typescript/
Python	dcp-ai	Pydantic v2 models, CLI (Typer), PQ extras, optional plugins	sdks/python/
Go	github.com/dcp-ai-protocol/dcp-ai/sdks/go/v2	Native types, hybrid signatures, full verification pipeline	sdks/go/
Rust	dcp-ai	serde, ed25519-dalek + pqcrypto, optional WASM feature	sdks/rust/
WASM	@dcp-ai/wasm	Browser verification, PQ crypto in WebAssembly, compiled from Rust	sdks/wasm/

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Framework Integrations

Drop-in DCP governance for popular AI and web frameworks.

Integration	Package	Pattern	Docs
Express		dcpVerify() middleware, req.dcpAgent	integrations/express/
FastAPI		DCPVerifyMiddleware, Depends(require_dcp)	integrations/fastapi/
LangChain		DCPAgentWrapper, DCPTool, DCPCallback	integrations/langchain/
OpenAI		DCPOpenAIClient, DCP_TOOLS function calling	integrations/openai/
CrewAI		DCPCrewAgent, DCPCrew multi-agent governance	integrations/crewai/
Agno		DCPAgent, DCPTeam, DCPWorkflow wrappers (separate package)	agno-dcp repo
OpenClaw		Plugin + SKILL.md, 6 agent tools	integrations/openclaw/
W3C DID/VC		DID Document ↔ DCP identity bridge, VC issuance	integrations/w3c-did/
Google A2A		A2A Agent Card ↔ DCP identity, task governance	integrations/google-a2a/
Anthropic MCP		MCP Tool ↔ DCP intent mapping, server middleware	integrations/anthropic-mcp/
AutoGen		AutoGen Agent ↔ DCP wrapper, group chat governance	integrations/autogen/

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Templates

Ready-to-use project templates for common frameworks. Each template includes DCP identity, intent policies, and audit logging pre-configured.

Template	Description	Command
LangChain	RAG agent with DCP governance	npx @dcp-ai/cli init --template langchain
CrewAI	Multi-agent crew with per-agent DCP identities	npx @dcp-ai/cli init --template crewai
OpenAI	Function-calling agent with DCP tool governance	npx @dcp-ai/cli init --template openai
Express	API server with DCP verification middleware	npx @dcp-ai/cli init --template express

See templates/ for full source.

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Playground

An interactive web-based playground for exploring DCP concepts — create identities, declare intents, sign bundles, and verify signatures directly in the browser using the WASM SDK.

# Open in browser
open playground/index.html

See playground/ for details.

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Infrastructure Services

Backend services for anchoring, transparency, and revocation. These are operational components — not part of the normative core protocol.

Service	Port	Description	Docs
Verification	3000	HTTP API for verifying Signed Bundles	server/
Anchoring	3001	Anchor bundle hashes to L2 blockchains	services/anchor/
Transparency Log	3002	CT-style Merkle log with inclusion proofs	services/transparency-log/
Revocation	3003	Agent revocation registry + .well-known	services/revocation/

Deploy all services with one command:

cd docker && docker compose up -d

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Documentation

Normative Specifications

Document	Description
DCP-01	Identity & Human Binding
DCP-02	Intent Declaration & Policy Gating
DCP-03	Audit Chain & Transparency
DCP-04	Agent-to-Agent Communication
DCP-05	Agent Lifecycle Management
DCP-06	Digital Succession & Inheritance
DCP-07	Conflict Resolution & Dispute Arbitration
DCP-08	Rights & Obligations Framework
DCP-09	Personal Representation & Delegation
DCP-AI v2.0	Post-Quantum Normative Specification
BUNDLE	Citizenship Bundle format
VERIFICATION	Verification procedures & checklist
DCP Core	Core protocol editorial specification

Getting Started

Guide	Description
QUICKSTART	General quick start guide
QUICKSTART_LANGCHAIN	LangChain integration walkthrough
QUICKSTART_CREWAI	CrewAI multi-agent setup
QUICKSTART_OPENAI	OpenAI function-calling integration
QUICKSTART_EXPRESS	Express middleware setup

API Reference

Document	Description
OpenAPI Spec	REST API (OpenAPI 3.1)
Protocol Buffers	gRPC service definitions
API README	API overview and usage

Architecture & Security

Document	Description
TECHNICAL_ARCHITECTURE	System architecture for global-scale deployment
SECURITY_MODEL	Threat model, attack vectors, protection layers
STORAGE_AND_ANCHORING	P2P storage, optional blockchain anchoring

Guides

Guide	Description
AGENT_CREATION_AND_CERTIFICATION	P2P agent creation flow, DCP certification
OPERATOR_GUIDE	Running a verification service
MIGRATION_V1_V2	Migrating from DCP v1.0 to v2.0

Standards Alignment

Document	Description
NIST_CONFORMITY	NIST post-quantum cryptography conformance
ROADMAP	Project evolution roadmap

Community

Document	Description
EARLY_ADOPTERS	Early adopter program and case studies
CONTRIBUTING	Contribution guidelines
GOVERNANCE	Project governance model

Vision

Document	Description
GENESIS_PAPER	Founding whitepaper

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Cryptographic Algorithms

DCP v2.0 employs a hybrid cryptographic architecture for quantum-resistant security. Algorithm selection and crypto-agility are governed by the Crypto Profile.

Algorithm	Standard	Purpose
Ed25519	RFC 8032	Classical digital signatures
ML-DSA-65	FIPS 204	Post-quantum digital signatures (Dilithium)
ML-KEM-768	FIPS 203	Post-quantum key encapsulation mechanism (Kyber)
SLH-DSA-192f	FIPS 205	Hash-based backup signatures (SPHINCS+)
X25519 + ML-KEM-768	Hybrid	Combined classical + PQ key exchange
SHA-256 + SHA3-256	FIPS 180-4 / FIPS 202	Dual hash chains for audit integrity

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Repository Layout

dcp-ai-genesis/
├── spec/                    # Normative specifications (DCP-01 through DCP-09, v2.0)
│   ├── core/                # DCP Core editorial specification
│   └── profiles/            # Profile specifications (crypto, a2a, governance)
├── schemas/                 # JSON Schemas (draft 2020-12, v2 includes DCP-05–09)
├── tools/                   # Validation, conformance, crypto + Merkle helpers
├── tests/                   # Conformance tests and fixtures
├── bin/dcp.js               # Reference CLI
├── cli/                     # Interactive CLI wizard (@dcp-ai/cli)
├── sdks/
│   ├── typescript/          # TypeScript SDK (@dcp-ai/sdk)
│   ├── python/              # Python SDK (dcp-ai)
│   ├── go/                  # Go SDK
│   ├── rust/                # Rust SDK (dcp-ai)
│   └── wasm/                # WASM module (@dcp-ai/wasm)
├── integrations/
│   ├── express/             # Express middleware
│   ├── fastapi/             # FastAPI middleware
│   ├── langchain/           # LangChain integration
│   ├── openai/              # OpenAI integration
│   ├── crewai/              # CrewAI integration
│   ├── openclaw/            # OpenClaw plugin
│   ├── w3c-did/             # W3C DID/VC bridge
│   ├── google-a2a/          # Google A2A bridge
│   ├── anthropic-mcp/       # Anthropic MCP bridge
│   └── autogen/             # Microsoft AutoGen bridge
├── templates/               # Framework templates (langchain, crewai, openai, express)
├── playground/              # Web-based interactive playground
├── server/                  # Reference verification server
├── services/
│   ├── anchor/              # Blockchain anchoring service
│   ├── transparency-log/    # CT-style Merkle transparency log
│   └── revocation/          # Agent revocation registry
├── contracts/ethereum/      # DCPAnchor.sol for EVM L2
├── docker/                  # Docker Compose + multi-stage Dockerfile
├── api/                     # OpenAPI 3.1 + Protocol Buffers (gRPC)
├── docs/                    # All documentation
└── .github/                 # CI/CD workflows + reusable GitHub Actions

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Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Run tests
npm test

# Run protocol conformance suite
npm run conformance

# Start verification server (port 3000)
npm run server

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Contributing

We welcome contributions from both humans and AI agents.

• Read the Contributing Guide for development workflow and standards.
• See Governance for decision-making processes and roles.

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Citation

If you use DCP-AI in your research, please cite both the paper (the conceptual framework) and the software release (the specific implementation you used).

Paper

Naranjo Emparanza, D. (2026). Agents Don't Need a Better Brain — They Need a World: Toward a Digital Citizenship Protocol for Autonomous AI Systems. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19040913

Software (v2.0.2)

Naranjo Emparanza, D. (2026). DCP-AI v2.0.2 — Digital Citizenship Protocol for AI Agents (Reference Implementation). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19656026

See CITATION.cff for a machine-readable format.

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License

Apache-2.0

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