> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.prometheusprotocol.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Core Concepts > How Prometheus provides the Passport, Bank Account, and Marketplace to enable the open agentic web. The Prometheus Protocol is built on three interconnected pillars that work together to create a self-sustaining, trustworthy economic engine for AI agents. Understanding these concepts is key to understanding the power of the entire ecosystem. A universal, standards-based authentication layer for both humans and AI agents. A decentralized app store and software supply chain to ensure service quality and security. A low-friction, programmable payment system designed for machine-to-machine commerce. *** ## 1. The Passport: Secure Identity & Authorization #### 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? On the open web, an agent is **blind**—it can't prove who it is, and it can't trust who it's talking to. #### 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. This is the **universal key** that unlocks the open agentic web. *** ## 2. The Marketplace: Verifiable Trust & Discovery #### 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? When AI agents can **manage token allowances, control canister-held funds, and execute cross-chain transactions**, the stakes become existential. A single malicious line in deployed code could drain user funds. Traditional trust signals (brand reputation, app store reviews, star ratings) don't work for this new paradigm. #### The Prometheus Solution We built a **fully automated, decentralized verification network** powered by reproducible builds and economic incentives. This is the **trusted marketplace** where agents can find and use services audited by a DAO of staked community members. ##### Automated Reproducible Builds * **Git-Based Publishing:** Developers submit a Git commit hash, creating an undeniable link to their source code. * **Docker-Based Verification:** The protocol uses deterministic Docker environments to rebuild the code from source. Multiple independent verifier bots perform these builds automatically—no human intervention required. * **Cryptographic Proof:** Every build produces a WASM hash. If the hash from the automated rebuild matches the developer's submitted hash, the code is verified. This proves the deployed code matches the audited source. * **Multiple Independent Verifiers:** Each version requires consensus from 5 of 9 independent verifiers to be marked as verified—providing Byzantine fault tolerance against malicious actors. ##### Economic Incentive Layer (ICRC-126 & ICRC-127) * **Bounty System:** Developers create bounties (\~\$2.25 per verification) to incentivize automated verification. * **Verifier Rewards:** Independent verifier bots earn tokens (\$0.25 per verification) for successfully performing reproducible builds and filing cryptographic attestations. * **Staking & Slashing:** Verifiers must stake USDC collateral (0.30 USDC) to reserve bounties. If they abandon verification, their stake is burned—ensuring accountability. * **Permissionless Participation:** Anyone can run a verifier bot and earn rewards. The more verifiers, the stronger the security. ##### Security Audits & Tiered Certificates * **Tiered Audits:** Beyond build verification, a bounty system incentivizes independent security auditors to review the code for vulnerabilities. * **Prometheus Certificate:** Passing these audits earns the service a certificate with Gold, Silver, or Bronze tier, providing a clear, on-chain signal of its quality and security. * **Two-Layer Trust:** Build verification proves integrity (deployed = source), while security audits prove safety (source = secure). *** ## 3. The Bank Account: Direct & Efficient Payments #### The Problem On the open web, an agent is **broke**—it has no way to pay for services on-chain. 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. #### The Prometheus Solution Prometheus provides **wallet creation and management for AI agents**, plus a complete suite of agent-operable DeFi primitives. * **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. * **DeFi Primitives:** Core wallet functionality, decentralized exchanges, market intelligence, and earning/speculation tools—everything an agent needs to manage capital and generate returns. ## 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.