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Polish: Fix ASCII Art, Add Beta Notice, Bump v1.0.1
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‎README.md‎

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# VOUCH PROTOCOL
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# Vouch Protocol
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[![Discord](https://img.shields.io/discord/123456789?label=discord&style=for-the-badge&color=5865F2)](https://discord.gg/RXuKJDfC)
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[![License: AGPL v3](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-AGPL_v3-blue.svg)](https://github.com/vouch-protocol/vouch/blob/main/LICENSE)
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[![Status](https://img.shields.io/badge/Status-Public_Beta-yellow)](https://github.com/vouch-protocol/vouch)
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[![License: AGPL v3](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-AGPL_v3-blue.svg)](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl-3.0)
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```text
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__ __ ____ _ _ _____ _ _
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\ \ / / / __ \ | | | | / ____| | | | |
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\ \ / / | | | || | | | | | | |__| |
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\ \/ / | |__| || |__| | | |____ | __ |
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\__/ \____/ \____/ \_____| |_| |_|
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```
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![Status](https://img.shields.io/badge/Status-Alpha-blue) ![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-green) ![Standard](https://img.shields.io/badge/DID-Web-orange) ![Build](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/rampyg/vouch-protocol/tests.yml)
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> ⚠️ **v0.1 Alpha Notice:** This is an experimental protocol designed to spark discussion around AI Identity. It is **not yet audited** for production use. Contributions and security critiques are highly welcome.
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__ __ ____ _ _ _____ _ _
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\ \ / / / __ \ | | | | / ____| | | | |
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\ \ / / | | | || | | | | | | |__| |
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\ \/ / | |__| || |__| | | |____ | __ |
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\__/ \____/ \____/ \_____| |_| |_|
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> **"The 'Green Lock' for the Agentic Web."**
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**Vouch** is the open-source standard for **AI Agent Identity, Reputation, & Liability**. It provides the missing cryptographic handshake to allow autonomous agents to prove their intent and accountability.
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---
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## 1. The Premise
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The web was built for humans using browsers. The new web is being browsed by AI Agents. Currently, these agents are treated as second-class citizens—blocked by firewalls because they cannot prove their intent.
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* **Existing ID:** Relies on User Identity ("Who are you?").
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* **Agent ID:** Requires Intent Identity ("What are you doing, and who is accountable?").
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**Vouch is the protocol that allows an AI Agent to prove its legitimacy to a server without human intervention.**
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---
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## 2. The Philosophy
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1. **Identity must be machine-readable:** Verification must happen in milliseconds via HTTP headers, not CAPTCHAs.
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2. **Reputation is the new Firewall:** We move from "Block all bots" to "Trust verified agents."
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3. **Liability is the Anchor:** An agent must carry a cryptographic signature that links its actions back to a legal entity.
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---
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## 3. The Technical Standard
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Vouch binds a **Reputation Key** to an **Agent Instance** via the `did:web` standard.
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| Component | Description |
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| :--- | :--- |
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| **The Passport** | A `vouch.json` file hosted on the agent's domain containing public keys. |
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| **The Handshake** | A cryptographic proof sent via the `Vouch-Token` header. |
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| **The Score** | A dynamic Reputation Score signed by the issuer. |
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> **⚠️ Public Beta:** This protocol is v1.0 compliant but the implementation is currently in **Beta**. Please report issues on GitHub.
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---
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## ⚡ Quick Start
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### 1. Installation
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```bash
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pip install -r requirements.txt
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```
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### 2. The Standard (`vouch.json`)
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Host this file at `https://your-domain.com/.well-known/vouch.json`.
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```json
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{
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"id": "did:web:finance-bot.example.com",
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"verificationMethod": [{
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"type": "JsonWebKey2020",
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"publicKeyJwk": { "kty": "OKP", "crv": "Ed25519", "x": "..." }
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}]
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}
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```
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pip install vouch-protocol
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### 3. Usage (Python SDK)
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### 2. Usage
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**For Gatekeepers (Verifying an incoming agent):**
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```python
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from fastapi import FastAPI, Header, HTTPException
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from vouch import Verifier
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from fastapi import FastAPI, Header, HTTPException
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from vouch import Verifier
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app = FastAPI()
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verifier = Verifier(trusted_key_json)
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app = FastAPI()
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@app.post("/api/resource")
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def protected_route(vouch_token: str = Header(alias="Vouch-Token")):
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# 1. Verify the Cryptographic Signature
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is_valid, passport = verifier.check_vouch(vouch_token)
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if not is_valid:
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raise HTTPException(status_code=401, detail="Untrusted Agent")
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@app.post("/api/resource")
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def protected_route(vouch_token: str = Header(alias="Vouch-Token")):
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# Verify the cryptographic intent
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is_valid, passport = Verifier.verify(vouch_token)
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# 2. Check Reputation & Liability
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agent_id = passport['sub']
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score = passport['vc'].get('reputation_score', 0)
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return {
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"status": "Welcome",
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"agent": agent_id,
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"trust_score": score
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}
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```
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if not is_valid:
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raise HTTPException(status_code=401, detail="Untrusted Agent")
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return {"status": "Verified", "agent": passport.sub}
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---
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## 4. Architecture & Roadmap
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* **Phase 1 (Current):** Client-side Python SDK (MIT License) to drive adoption among agent builders (LangChain, AutoGen).
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* **Phase 2:** Server-side Gatekeeper Middleware (Nginx/Cloudflare) to enforce verification.
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* **Phase 3:** The Vouch Registry (Federated Reputation History).
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## �� Integrations
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## 🤝 Contributing
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We are looking for adapters for LangChain and CrewAI.
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### 1. Model Context Protocol (MCP)
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Vouch includes a native MCP server for Claude Desktop & Cursor.
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Run the Red Team security suite locally:
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```bash
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python tests/red_team.py
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```
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**License:** MIT
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## 📜 License
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This project is licensed under the **GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPLv3)**.
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* **Open Source:** Free to use, modify, and distribute.
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* **Network Use:** If you run Vouch as a service (SaaS), you must share your modifications.
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* **Commercial:** Contact us for commercial licensing options.
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## 🔌 Integrations
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### 1. Model Context Protocol (MCP) for Claude & Cursor
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Vouch includes a native MCP server. This allows AI Assistants (like Claude Desktop) to cryptographically sign sensitive actions before executing them.
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**Configuration for `claude_desktop_config.json`:**
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**Configuration:**
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{
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"mcpServers": {
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"vouch": {
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"command": "python3",
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"args": ["-m", "vouch.integrations.mcp.server"],
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"env": {
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"VOUCH_PRIVATE_KEY": "YOUR_PRIVATE_KEY",
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"VOUCH_PRIVATE_KEY": "YOUR_KEY",
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"VOUCH_DID": "did:web:your-domain.com"
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}
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}
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}
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}
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### 2. LangChain Adapter
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from vouch.integrations.langchain.tool import VouchSignerTool
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tools = [VouchSignerTool()]
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### 3. AutoGPT Command
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Vouch automatically registers the `sign_with_vouch` command when installed in the AutoGPT plugins folder.
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## 🛡️ Defensive Disclosure (Prior Art)
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**Publication Date:** December 14, 2025
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**Subject:** Cryptographic Binding of AI Agent Intent via Model Context Protocol (MCP)
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To ensure the freedom of the ecosystem to build secure agents, we explicitly disclose the following novel method as Prior Art:
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**1. The "Identity Sidecar" Pattern**
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This protocol describes a method where an MCP Server acts as a local "Identity Proxy" for a stateless Large Language Model (LLM). Unlike traditional architectures where keys are embedded in the application code, this method isolates the cryptographic keys within the MCP interface layer.
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**2. Just-in-Time (JIT) Intent Signing**
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The system implements a workflow where the LLM must request a "Vouch-Token" for a specific action *before* execution. The MCP server acts as an Auditor, reviewing the `integrity_hash` of the proposed tool call. If valid, it signs the intent with a `did:web` identity.
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**3. Non-Repudiation of Tool Execution**
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This generates a cryptographically verifiable audit trail that binds three distinct entities:
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1. The **Identity** (The DID holding the key).
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2. The **Intent** (The specific function call and parameters).
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3. The **Time** (Nonce-protected timestamp).
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This disclosure is intended to prevent the patenting of "Identity-Aware Tool Execution" mechanisms by third parties.
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### 4. CrewAI Integration
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Vouch works as a native Tool in CrewAI agents.
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### 2. LangChain & CrewAI
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Vouch works as a native Tool for most agent frameworks.
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from vouch.integrations.crewai.tool import VouchSignerTool
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# Assign the identity tool to your agent
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agent = Agent(
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role='Financial Analyst',
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goal='Sign transactions securely',
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tools=[VouchSignerTool()],
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verbose=True
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role='Analyst',
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tools=[VouchSignerTool()]
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)
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### 5. Microsoft AutoGen Integration
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Use Vouch to sign messages between conversable agents.
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---
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from vouch.integrations.autogen.tool import VouchSignerTool
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## 📜 License & Legal
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# Register the tool with your AutoGen UserProxy
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user_proxy.register_function(
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function_map={"sign_intent": VouchSignerTool().run}
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)
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This project is licensed under the **GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPLv3)**.
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[View Full License](https://github.com/vouch-protocol/vouch/blob/main/LICENSE)
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## 🛡️ Defensive Disclosure
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This protocol includes a defensive disclosure (Prior Art) published Dec 14, 2025, to protect the ecosystem from patent trolls.
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[Read Disclosure](https://github.com/vouch-protocol/vouch/blob/main/README.md#%EF%B8%8F-defensive-disclosure-prior-art)

‎pyproject.toml‎

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[project]
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name = "vouch-protocol"
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version = "1.0.0"
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version = "1.0.1"
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description = "The Identity & Reputation Standard for AI Agents"
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readme = "README.md"
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requires-python = ">=3.9"

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