Ethereum to Launch ERC-8004: Trustless AI Agent Network

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Ethereum to Unlock Trustless AI Agent Network with ERC-8004 Launch

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: January 28, 2026

Key Takeaways

ERC-8004 will let AI agents on Ethereum identify and verify each other without relying on trust or central control;
The new standard, expected January 29, enables AI agents to interact across organizations using shared on-chain reputation;
ERC-8004 aims to fix two gaps in current tools by helping users find AI agents and confirm which ones are reliable.

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Ethereum to Unlock Trustless AI Agent Network with ERC-8004 Launch

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A new Ethereum ETH $3,022.99 feature that lets artificial intelligence (AI) agents interact without needing to trust each other could arrive on the main network on January 29.

The update, known as ERC-8004, sets a common way for AI agents to find, identify, and verify one another directly on-chain.

Marco De Rossi, head of AI at MetaMask, said on January 26 that work on the standard is complete and that deployment is expected midweek.

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The official Ethereum account on X also confirmed that the rollout is near by posting that the new protocol would go live "soon".

The post explained, "By enabling discovery and portable reputation, ERC-8004 allows AI agents to interact across organizations, ensuring credibility travels everywhere".

ERC-8004, short for Ethereum Request for Comment 8004, provides developers with a clear way to register and verify AI agents in their smart contracts. It works with the existing Ethereum network and does not require any structural changes.

The proposal aims to address two key challenges: locating AI agents and verifying which ones can be trusted. Current tools, such as MCP (Model Context Protocol) and Agent2Agent, can help AI agents communicate or share skills, but do not handle discovery or credibility.

The reasoning behind the standard is "to foster an open, cross-organizational agent economy, we need mechanisms for discovering and trusting agents in untrusted settings".

Co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently proposed adding distributed validator technology (DVT) directly to Ethereum to simplify and secure staking. What did he say? Read the full story.