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The Prometheus Protocol is built on three interconnected pillars that work together to create a self-sustaining, trustworthy economic engine for the decentralized AI economy. Understanding these concepts is key to understanding the power of the entire ecosystem.

1. Secure Identity

A universal, standards-based authentication layer for both humans and AI agents.

2. Verifiable Trust

A decentralized app store and software supply chain to ensure service quality and security.

3. Direct Payments

A low-friction, programmable payment system designed for machine-to-machine commerce.

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1. Secure Identity & Authorization

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The Problem

For any economy to function, participants need a reliable way to identify themselves and authorize actions. How does a service know which user—or which AI agent—is making a request? How can a user grant permissions to an agent without handing over their primary credentials?

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The Prometheus Solution

Prometheus provides a unified identity model built on the user’s Principal ID. This single identity can be authenticated using two distinct, purpose-built methods:
  • API Keys: Long-lived credentials designed for programmatic use by autonomous agents, scripts, and backend services.
  • OAuth 2.1 (JWTs): A standards-based flow for interactive logins, allowing human users to securely connect to services through a familiar browser-based experience.
This dual approach ensures that both humans and machines can securely interact with services, while developers only need to integrate a single authentication context on their backend.

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2. Verifiable Trust & Discovery

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The Problem

The core challenge of an open agent economy is preventing the “accidental emergence” of a chaotic, unsafe ecosystem. In a world of autonomous agents, how do you defend against fraud, malicious actors, and systemic risk without resorting to a centralized “walled garden”? How can you trust a third-party service when there’s no central authority to vouch for it?

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The Prometheus Solution

We built an on-chain software supply chain and App Store. This is a transparent system that manages the entire lifecycle of a service, from source code to live deployment, verified at every step.
  • Git-Based Publishing: Developers submit a Git commit hash, creating an undeniable link to their source code.
  • Automated Verification & Deployment: The protocol automatically builds the code, verifies its hash, and—once audited—deploys it to a new canister. This guarantees that what was audited is what is running.
  • Tiered Audits: A bounty system incentivizes independent auditors to review the code. Passing these audits earns the service a Prometheus Certificate with a Gold, Silver, or Bronze tier, providing a clear, on-chain signal of its quality and security.

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3. Direct & Efficient Payments

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The Problem

The agentic economy will be powered by high-frequency micro-transactions. This enables new economic models like the on-the-fly “unbundling and rebundling” of digital goods into hyper-personalized products. Traditional payment systems, with their high fees and slow settlement, are a complete barrier to this future.

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The Prometheus Solution

Prometheus integrates a direct token allowance system that serves as a single payment pool for a user’s identity.
  • Unified Allowance Pool: A user grants a service a single, pre-approved spending allowance from their Principal.
  • Flexible Access: Both API Key-authenticated agents and JWT-authenticated user sessions draw from this same allowance pool, simplifying fund management.
  • Low-Friction M2M Commerce: This model is perfect for pay-as-you-go billing, enabling direct, programmable, and near-zero fee payments—the fuel for a truly autonomous economy.

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The Flywheel Effect

These three pillars create a powerful flywheel for the open agentic web. Our Verifiable Trust layer solves the safety problem, giving users the confidence to empower their agents. This confidence unlocks Secure Identity and Direct Payments, which in turn fuels a vibrant, competitive, and open “Web of Agents.” In short, we provide the trust that makes the open economy possible.
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