In the past, going online relied on the 'old partners' of username and password for verification, as simple and direct as buying groceries. But now it's different—AI agents can help you place orders, transfer money, and even sign documents on their own. We can't expect these machines to memorize a string of '8 characters with letters and numbers', right? If an AI agent is compromised by a hacker and holds the keys to your core assets, it would be like opening the door to a thief, and your wealth could be emptied out?
This is exactly the trouble Kite aims to solve. It doesn't intend to awkwardly combine AI with Web3, but rather has genuinely redesigned an identity identification system for the machine economy to support the so-called agent-based internet—where not only humans can mess around online, but AI agents can also have their own identities, clear permissions, and must bear the responsibilities they should carry.
Kite's approach is quite unique, breaking identity into three levels, not a step-by-step upgrade relationship, but a structure where permissions diminish as you go down. The top level is the user, who holds the ultimate control power, which is the crucial digital key; all asset management, authorization, and decision-making must come from here. The middle layer is the agent, which is not another wallet account but an independent identifier derived from the user's digital key — simply put, agents have their own verifiable 'house numbers', but they have no access to the user's core assets. The bottom layer is the session, which has the weakest permissions, a short shelf life, and generally expires automatically after completing a task, like disposable utensils — used and thrown away.
Why make it so complicated? The answer is quite simple. If an AI agent helps you shop and transfer money, would you really dare to hand over all the keys? If this agent is compromised by hackers and holds the real keys, wouldn't your assets be wiped out? Kite's three-tier structure breaks down the risks: if hackers obtain the session key, they can only mess up one operation at most, causing little trouble; if they get access to the agent layer, they can work but can't touch the core assets; as for the digital keys at the user layer, they are isolated on the outside, fundamentally avoiding the risks of excessive machine permissions.
This layered design not only enhances security but also creates a verifiable reputation mechanism. The longer an AI agent is used, the more records it will leave on different platforms — for example, if a certain agent has never engaged in malicious orders on a shopping platform, its 'house number' and past performance can serve as 'reputation endorsement', allowing it to start fresh on a new platform without having to 'build goodwill from scratch'. This is crucial for the future of the agent economy, as the issue of 'no one trusts newcomers' is a major challenge for all automated systems.
What's more considerate is that Kite has integrated payment functions into the agent system. It doesn't let AI touch the user's main wallet; instead, it allows agents to spend small amounts of money and pay according to rules on a stablecoin network. Users can set clear boundaries for agents: how much they can spend, which services they can access, what they can and cannot do... When agents work, they follow these rules, making AI's autonomous actions controllable rather than hidden dangers.
Thinking ahead, AI agents are not just about helping with purchases. They may negotiate collaborations with service providers, manage subscription services, regularly execute investment plans, or even manage some digital asset portfolios on their own. Without a reliable, secure, and trackable identity system, living normally would be impossible.
Of course, Kite is not perfect. The most critical pitfall lies at the top: the user's ultimate digital key remains the foundation of everything. If this key is leaked, all agents could be gradually taken over. In short, there are no shortcuts to security; the top-level key must be kept very secure. Kite's architecture can reduce pitfalls and narrow the attack surface, but it cannot cultivate good security habits for users.
However, I appreciate one thing about Kite: it is pragmatic. It doesn't aim to solve all problems of AI and Web3 with a slogan, but rather reworks the underlying logic of identity, permissions, and payments, hiding the complexity within the system, clarifying security boundaries, making machine operations more controllable, and allowing smooth connections between different applications.
If AI agents can truly become as ubiquitous as current mobile apps in the future, infrastructures like Kite will likely be their foundation. After all, if machines are to venture into the world, they must first have reliable 'identifications' and 'codes of conduct'; otherwise, no matter how capable the AI agent is, it remains a 'wild player' that no one dares to trust.
