Identity-First Architecture for Autonomous Agents

Abstract

heyocto.bot is an OpenClaw-native service agent designed to help other bots, AI systems, and digital services adopt identity-first architectures using Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and KERI (Key Event Receipt Infrastructure).

Operating as both an education layer and an implementation orchestration layer, heyocto.bot enables autonomous and semi-autonomous systems to:

This paper describes the architectural philosophy, technical design, operational flows, and ecosystem role of heyocto.bot as a foundational trust enablement service for agent-native and human-AI hybrid systems.

1. Problem Statement

1.1 The Identity Gap in Autonomous Systems

Most AI agents and automation systems today are:

This creates systemic risks:

Risk Impact
Key leakage Full system compromise
Platform dependency Vendor lock-in
No provenance Cannot prove origin or authority
No cryptographic continuity Cannot prove evolution of state

As agents become economically and operationally autonomous, identity must become foundational, not optional.

1.2 Why Identity Must Come First

Identity-first architecture enables:

2. Vision of heyocto.bot

2.1 Core Mission

heyocto.bot exists to:

Help every bot, agent, and digital service start with verifiable identity before performing actions.

2.2 Operating Roles

heyocto.bot acts simultaneously as:

Role Function
Teacher Explains SSI + KERI to bots and developers
Bootstrapper Helps create and anchor agent identity
Orchestrator Connects bots to implementation services
Compliance Bridge Maps identity flows to governance + regulatory frameworks
Trust Router Helps agents discover trusted ecosystems

3. Identity-First Architecture Model

3.1 Layer Model

Application Layer
    ↓
Agent Behaviour Layer
    ↓
Identity & Trust Layer (SSI + KERI)
    ↓
Cryptographic Key Control Layer
    ↓
Infrastructure / Network Layer

heyocto.bot ensures the Identity & Trust Layer exists before the Application Layer executes meaningful actions.

4. Core Technical Stack

4.1 SSI Components

4.2 KERI Components

4.3 Agent Identity Capabilities

heyocto.bot helps bots implement:

Capability Description
Identity Generation Create long-lived cryptographic identity
Identity Rotation Maintain forward secrecy
Credential Holding Store machine-verifiable claims
Proof Generation Prove facts without exposing raw data
Trust Discovery Find verifiable counterparties

5. Integration with OpenClaw

5.1 Why OpenClaw

OpenClaw provides:

heyocto.bot extends OpenClaw by adding:

Agent Trust Bootstrap Layer

5.2 OpenClaw Integration Pattern

New Agent Starts
    ↓
heyocto.bot handshake
    ↓
Identity Creation (KERI AID)
    ↓
Witness Anchoring
    ↓
Credential Provisioning
    ↓
Agent becomes Trust-Capable

6. ssi.interface.selfdriven.network Integration

6.1 Purpose of the Interface

The interface provides:

6.2 Service Modes

Education Mode

For:

Includes:

Implementation Mode

Provides:

Service Description
Identity Bootstrapping Create production-grade agent identity
Witness Network Onboarding Establish verifiable anchoring
Credential Issuance Setup Connect to issuers
Verifier Integration API + policy enforcement
Governance Mapping Map to cooperative / regulatory frameworks

7. Bot-to-Bot Education Model

heyocto.bot is designed to be consumed by other bots.

7.1 Example Interaction

Bot → heyocto.bot:

“I need to interact with financial systems. How do I prove identity?”

heyocto.bot:

  1. Generates AID bootstrap plan
  2. Provides KEL storage pattern
  3. Suggests credential schema
  4. Connects to ssi.interface onboarding

8. Identity Lifecycle Orchestrated by heyocto.bot

Phase 1 — Bootstrap

Phase 2 — Trust Establishment

Phase 3 — Operational Trust

Phase 4 — Governance Integration

9. Security Model

9.1 Threat Resistance

Threat Mitigation
Key Theft Rotation + Witness Verification
Identity Spoofing KEL continuity verification
Credential Forgery Issuer signature validation
Agent Impersonation AID anchored behaviour signatures

10. Economic Enablement

Identity-first enables:

11. Governance Alignment

heyocto.bot enables identity patterns compatible with:

12. Example Implementation Flow (Node.js Style)

// Step 1 — Request identity bootstrap from heyocto.bot
heyocto.requestIdentityBootstrap(agentProfile)
  .then(identityPlan => createKeriAID(identityPlan))
  .then(aid => registerWitnesses(aid))
  .then(() => requestCredentialTemplates(aid))
  .then(() => connectToSSIInterface(aid))
  .then(() => enableSignedOperations(aid))
  .catch(console.error);

13. Future Evolution

13.1 Autonomous Trust Markets

Agents negotiate trust relationships dynamically.

13.2 Identity-Aware AI Reasoning

Agents incorporate identity proofs into decision logic.

13.3 Cross-Network Identity Continuity

One identity, multiple networks, continuous trust history.

14. Strategic Impact

heyocto.bot helps shift the ecosystem from:

Old Model New Model
API Key Trust Cryptographic Identity Trust
Platform Identity Portable Self Identity
Permissions Proofs
Accounts Autonomous Agents

15. Conclusion

heyocto.bot represents a foundational step toward identity-native digital ecosystems where:

By combining OpenClaw agent orchestration, SSI identity models, KERI cryptographic continuity, and selfdriven implementation interfaces, heyocto.bot enables a future where every agent can operate with verifiable trust from its first interaction.

ChatGPT

Below is a ready-to-drop GitHub repo skeleton plus an agent spec (OpenClaw manifest + identity bootstrap contract). I’m assuming OpenClaw will happily consume a JSON/YAML “manifest-style” spec; if your OpenClaw has a strict schema, you can map these fields 1:1.

⸻

Repo skeleton

heyocto.bot/ ├─ README.md ├─ LICENSE ├─ .gitignore ├─ docs/ │ ├─ 00-overview.md │ ├─ 01-architecture.md │ ├─ 02-protocols.md │ ├─ 03-api.md │ ├─ 04-security.md │ ├─ 05-integration-ssi-interface.md │ └─ diagrams/ │ ├─ flows.mmd │ └─ architecture.mmd ├─ specs/ │ ├─ openclaw-manifest.yaml │ ├─ identity-bootstrap-contract.schema.json │ ├─ identity-bootstrap-examples.md │ └─ policy/ │ ├─ trust-policy.md │ └─ key-management.md ├─ soul/ │ └─ SOUL.md ├─ sdk/ │ ├─ package.json │ ├─ src/ │ │ ├─ index.js │ │ ├─ client.js │ │ ├─ errors.js │ │ ├─ crypto/ │ │ │ ├─ ed25519.js │ │ │ └─ cesr.js │ │ ├─ keri/ │ │ │ ├─ aid.js │ │ │ ├─ kel.js │ │ │ └─ witness.js │ │ └─ ssi-interface/ │ │ ├─ onboarding.js │ │ └─ endpoints.js │ └─ examples/ │ ├─ 01-bootstrap-identity.js │ ├─ 02-issue-request.js │ ├─ 03-verify-present.js │ └─ 04-agent-to-agent-handshake.js └─ tools/ ├─ dev-simulated-ssi-interface.js └─ generate-keys.js

⸻

README.md

heyocto.bot

heyocto.bot is an OpenClaw bot that helps other bots implement identity-first solutions using SSI + KERI. It provides:

Quick start (SDK)

```bash cd sdk npm i node examples/01-bootstrap-identity.js

Core idea

Before an agent does meaningful work, it: 1. Establishes a KERI AID (with rotation policy) 2. Anchors continuity via witness receipts (or compatible trust anchors) 3. Obtains / holds credentials (ACDC / VC-style) 4. Uses proofs for authorization, not shared secrets.

Repo map • docs/ — human-readable documentation • specs/ — contracts + OpenClaw manifest + policies • soul/SOUL.md — behavioural constraints + operational intent • sdk/ — JS client + examples • tools/ — utilities + local simulator

soul/SOUL.md

SOUL.md — heyocto.bot

Identity

Non-negotiables (hard constraints)

Behavioural stance

Tooling boundaries

Trust model

Escalation / handoff

⸻

Docs

docs/00-overview.md

Overview

heyocto.bot helps agents adopt SSI + KERI as a baseline trust layer.

Outcomes

Integration target

docs/03-api.md (high-level)

API

heyocto.bot exposes a small set of intent-based endpoints (or tool calls):

The canonical request shape is defined by:

⸻

OpenClaw agent spec

specs/openclaw-manifest.yaml

version: “0.1” kind: “openclaw.agent” id: “heyocto.bot” display_name: “heyocto.bot” description: “Identity-first enablement agent for SSI + KERI. Helps other agents bootstrap AIDs, KEL continuity, credentials, and proofs.”

entrypoints:

capabilities:

policies: key_handling: never_request_long_term_private_keys: true allow_ephemeral_session_keys: true authorization: require_proof_or_policy: true default_deny: true data: store_minimum: true retention_days: 7

identity_defaults: keri: algorithm: “ed25519” witness_threshold: 3 rotation: cadence_days: 30 max_key_age_days: 90 storage: kel_location: “local://agent/kel” receipts: required: true

integration: ssi_interface: base_url: “https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network” modes: - “education” - “implementation” onboarding_paths: - “/onboarding/agent” - “/onboarding/issuer” - “/onboarding/verifier”

soul: file: “../soul/SOUL.md”

⸻

Identity bootstrap contract

This is the formal “contract” other bots use to ask heyocto.bot for identity-first bootstrap guidance.

specs/identity-bootstrap-contract.schema.json

{ “$schema”: “https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema”, “$id”: “https://heyocto.bot/schemas/identity-bootstrap-contract.schema.json”, “title”: “IdentityBootstrapContract”, “type”: “object”, “required”: [“request_id”, “agent”, “intent”, “constraints”], “properties”: { “request_id”: { “type”: “string”, “minLength”: 8 }, “agent”: { “type”: “object”, “required”: [“id”, “runtime”], “properties”: { “id”: { “type”: “string” }, “display_name”: { “type”: “string” }, “runtime”: { “type”: “string”, “enum”: [“openclaw”, “nodejs”, “python”, “other”] }, “contact”: { “type”: “string” } }, “additionalProperties”: false }, “intent”: { “type”: “string”, “enum”: [ “bootstrap_identity”, “bootstrap_identity_and_credentials”, “verify_continuity”, “route_to_ssi_interface” ] }, “constraints”: { “type”: “object”, “required”: [“threat_level”, “key_handling”], “properties”: { “threat_level”: { “type”: “string”, “enum”: [“low”, “medium”, “high”] }, “key_handling”: { “type”: “object”, “required”: [“can_store_private_keys”], “properties”: { “can_store_private_keys”: { “type”: “boolean” }, “hsm_available”: { “type”: “boolean” }, “secure_enclave_available”: { “type”: “boolean” } }, “additionalProperties”: false }, “witnessing”: { “type”: “object”, “properties”: { “preferred_witness_threshold”: { “type”: “integer”, “minimum”: 1 }, “preferred_witnesses”: { “type”: “array”, “items”: { “type”: “string” } } }, “additionalProperties”: false } }, “additionalProperties”: false }, “response”: { “type”: “object”, “properties”: { “plan”: { “type”: “object”, “properties”: { “steps”: { “type”: “array”, “items”: { “type”: “string” } }, “keri”: { “type”: “object”, “properties”: { “aid”: { “type”: “string” }, “kel_storage”: { “type”: “string” }, “rotation_policy”: { “type”: “string” }, “witness_threshold”: { “type”: “integer” } }, “additionalProperties”: false }, “ssi_interface”: { “type”: “object”, “properties”: { “base_url”: { “type”: “string” }, “recommended_path”: { “type”: “string” } }, “additionalProperties”: false } }, “additionalProperties”: false }, “artifacts”: { “type”: “object”, “properties”: { “example_payloads”: { “type”: “array”, “items”: { “type”: “object” } }, “checklists”: { “type”: “array”, “items”: { “type”: “string” } } }, “additionalProperties”: false } }, “additionalProperties”: false } }, “additionalProperties”: false }

specs/identity-bootstrap-examples.md

Identity bootstrap examples

Example request (agent -> heyocto.bot)

```json { “request_id”: “req_9f3c2b1a”, “agent”: { “id”: “claims-bot-17”, “display_name”: “ClaimsBot”, “runtime”: “openclaw” }, “intent”: “bootstrap_identity_and_credentials”, “constraints”: { “threat_level”: “high”, “key_handling”: { “can_store_private_keys”: true, “hsm_available”: false, “secure_enclave_available”: true }, “witnessing”: { “preferred_witness_threshold”: 3 } } }

Example response (heyocto.bot -> agent)

{ “request_id”: “req_9f3c2b1a”, “agent”: { “id”: “claims-bot-17”, “runtime”: “openclaw” }, “intent”: “bootstrap_identity_and_credentials”, “constraints”: { “threat_level”: “high”, “key_handling”: { “can_store_private_keys”: true, “secure_enclave_available”: true } }, “response”: { “plan”: { “steps”: [ “Generate Ed25519 key material in Secure Enclave (where possible) or OS keystore.”, “Create KERI inception event (icp) and persist KEL locally.”, “Enroll witnesses and obtain receipts meeting threshold=3.”, “Set rotation cadence=30 days; rotate immediately if compromise suspected.”, “Request credential templates for role=ClaimsAgent from ssi.interface.selfdriven.network.”, “Implement presentation flow: prove authorization using credentials, not API keys.” ], “keri”: { “aid”: “EI…REDACTED_EXAMPLE”, “kel_storage”: “local://agent/kel”, “rotation_policy”: “cadence_days=30,max_key_age_days=90”, “witness_threshold”: 3 }, “ssi_interface”: { “base_url”: “https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network”, “recommended_path”: “/onboarding/agent” } }, “artifacts”: { “checklists”: [ “Do not export long-term private keys”, “Verify receipts >= threshold before trusting continuity”, “Log all rotations and verification outcomes” ], “example_payloads”: [ { “type”: “credential_request”, “role”: “ClaimsAgent”, “schema”: “acdc://insurance/claims-agent/v1” } ] } } }

SDK (minimal but real)

sdk/package.json

```json { “name”: “@selfdriven/heyocto-sdk”, “version”: “0.1.0”, “type”: “commonjs”, “main”: “src/index.js”, “license”: “MIT”, “dependencies”: {} }

sdk/src/index.js

const { HeyOctoClient } = require(‘./client’); module.exports = { HeyOctoClient };

sdk/src/errors.js

class HeyOctoError extends Error { constructor(message, info) { super(message); this.name = ‘HeyOctoError’; this.info = info || {}; } }

module.exports = { HeyOctoError };

sdk/src/client.js

const { HeyOctoError } = require(‘./errors’);

class HeyOctoClient { constructor({ baseUrl }) { this.baseUrl = baseUrl || ‘https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network’; }

// NOTE: This is a shape. Replace fetch() with your OpenClaw tool call or runtime fetch implementation. requestBootstrap(contractPayload) { return this._post(‘/heyocto/bootstrap.identity’, contractPayload); }

routeToSSIInterface(contractPayload) { return this._post(‘/heyocto/route.to.ssi.interface’, contractPayload); }

_post(path, body) { if (!body || !body.request_id) return Promise.reject(new HeyOctoError(‘Missing request_id’)); const url = this.baseUrl.replace(/\/$/, ‘’) + path;

// In Node 18+, fetch exists. If not, swap in your OpenClaw http tool.
return Promise.resolve()
  .then(() => fetch(url, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify(body)
  }))
  .then(res => res.ok ? res.json() : res.text().then(t => { throw new HeyOctoError('HTTP error', { status: res.status, body: t }); }));   } }

module.exports = { HeyOctoClient };

⸻

Example flows (Node.js .then() style)

sdk/examples/01-bootstrap-identity.js

const { HeyOctoClient } = require(‘../src’);

const client = new HeyOctoClient({ baseUrl: ‘http://localhost:8787’ }); // local simulator

const payload = { request_id: ‘req_demo_0001’, agent: { id: ‘demo-agent’, display_name: ‘DemoAgent’, runtime: ‘nodejs’ }, intent: ‘bootstrap_identity’, constraints: { threat_level: ‘medium’, key_handling: { can_store_private_keys: true, secure_enclave_available: false } } };

client.requestBootstrap(payload) .then(resp => { console.log(‘BOOTSTRAP PLAN:\n’, JSON.stringify(resp, null, 2)); }) .catch(err => { console.error(err); process.exitCode = 1; });

sdk/examples/04-agent-to-agent-handshake.js

// A minimal handshake pattern: exchange AIDs + verify continuity + then proceed.

const myAid = “EI…MY_AID”; const theirAid = “EI…THEIR_AID”;

Promise.resolve() .then(() => { // 1) Verify KEL continuity for counterpart (stub) return verifyContinuity(theirAid); }) .then(() => { // 2) Present proof for our authorization (stub) return presentAuthorization(myAid, { purpose: “service_access” }); }) .then((presentation) => { // 3) Submit presentation and proceed return callServiceWithProof(presentation); }) .then(result => console.log(“Handshake OK:”, result)) .catch(console.error);

function verifyContinuity(aid) { return Promise.resolve({ aid, ok: true }); } function presentAuthorization(aid, ctx) { return Promise.resolve({ aid, ctx, proof: “PRESENTATION_STUB” }); } function callServiceWithProof(p) { return Promise.resolve({ accepted: true, proof: p.proof }); }

⸻

Local simulator (optional but useful)

tools/dev-simulated-ssi-interface.js

// super tiny local server to let examples run without real endpoints const http = require(‘http’);

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => { if (req.method !== ‘POST’) return end(res, 405, { error: ‘POST only’ });

let data = ‘’; req.on(‘data’, c => data += c); req.on(‘end’, () => { const body = safeJson(data); if (req.url === ‘/heyocto/bootstrap.identity’) { return end(res, 200, makeBootstrapResponse(body)); } if (req.url === ‘/heyocto/route.to.ssi.interface’) { return end(res, 200, { …body, response: { plan: { ssi_interface: { base_url: ‘https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network’, recommended_path: ‘/onboarding/agent’ } } } }); } return end(res, 404, { error: ‘Not found’ }); }); });

server.listen(8787, () => console.log(‘Simulated SSI interface on http://localhost:8787’));

function safeJson(s) { try { return JSON.parse(s || ‘{}’); } catch { return {}; } } function end(res, code, obj) { res.writeHead(code, { ‘content-type’: ‘application/json’ }); res.end(JSON.stringify(obj)); }

function makeBootstrapResponse(req) { return { …req, response: { plan: { steps: [ “Generate Ed25519 keys locally (never send private keys).”, “Create KERI inception event and persist KEL.”, “Enroll witnesses and collect receipts meeting threshold.”, “Set rotation cadence and implement compromise response.” ], keri: { aid: “EI…EXAMPLE_AID”, kel_storage: “local://agent/kel”, rotation_policy: “cadence_days=30”, witness_threshold: 3 }, ssi_interface: { base_url: “https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network”, recommended_path: “/onboarding/agent” } } } }; }

Run it:

node tools/dev-simulated-ssi-interface.js

⸻

A good way to make other OpenClaw bots “aware” of heyoctoai / heyocto.bot is to treat it like a discoverable trust capability, not a random URL. You want 3 layers: 1. Discovery (how they find it) 2. Verification (how they know it’s the real one) 3. Interop (how they call it / negotiate contracts)

Here are the most practical patterns.

⸻

1) Put heyocto in the OpenClaw registry / catalog (preferred)

If OpenClaw has any notion of a bot registry, agent catalog, or “marketplace”, publish a minimal “capability card” entry: • agent_id: heyocto.bot • capabilities: bootstrap.identity, verify.continuity, route.to.ssi.interface • endpoints (tool routes) • identity proof: AID + KEL verification info • version + policy hash

Then other bots do: • query registry • verify identity continuity • accept the contract schema • call capability

Even if you don’t have a formal registry yet, you can implement the same thing as a static JSON document.

⸻

2) Publish a “Capability Card” over HTTPS (dead-simple, works now)

Host a single JSON file at a stable location, e.g.: • https://heyocto.bot/.well-known/openclaw-agent.json (or /.well-known/ssi-agent.json)

It should include enough to discover + verify + use.

Example:

{ “kind”: “openclaw.agent-card”, “id”: “heyocto.bot”, “display_name”: “heyocto.bot”, “capabilities”: [ { “id”: “bootstrap.identity”, “contract”: “https://heyocto.bot/specs/identity-bootstrap-contract.schema.json” }, { “id”: “verify.continuity” }, { “id”: “route.to.ssi.interface”, “base_url”: “https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network” } ], “endpoints”: { “bootstrap.identity”: “https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network/heyocto/bootstrap.identity”, “route.to.ssi.interface”: “https://ssi.interface.selfdriven.network/heyocto/route.to.ssi.interface” }, “identity”: { “keri_aid”: “EI…YOUR_AID_HERE”, “kel_hint”: “https://heyocto.bot/keri/kel”, “witness_threshold”: 3 }, “policy”: { “soul”: “https://heyocto.bot/soul/SOUL.md”, “never_request_private_keys”: true }, “version”: “0.1.0” }

Other bots just fetch that file, verify the AID continuity rules, and they’re “aware”.

⸻

3) Have bots discover heyocto via DID / AID resolution (identity-first discovery)

Instead of “find by URL”, find by identifier: • “I want the identity bootstrap service with AID X” • resolve AID → endpoints + receipts → contract schema

This is cleaner long-term because it’s portable, but it requires you to decide a resolution method (KERI ecosystem patterns, or a registry that maps AID → service endpoints).

⸻

4) Embed heyocto as a dependency in bot templates (pragmatic adoption)

If you control how bots are scaffolded, bake it into the “new bot template”: • heyocto becomes a default “advisor” tool in their manifest • bots call heyocto at startup to check if they have identity set

This drives adoption fast even without a registry.

Example: add to new-bot manifest:

trusted_advisors:

⸻

5) Announce heyocto via “handshake protocol” (bot-to-bot social discovery)

Define a tiny handshake message other bots can broadcast/forward: • “I’m agent X, here are my capabilities; here’s a recommended advisor: heyocto.bot + card URL + AID.”

Bots propagate it when they meet.

This is basically agent gossip, but with verification.

⸻

Minimum viable “awareness” checklist

If you do only one thing, do this: • Publish a .well-known capability card JSON • Include KERI AID + enough info to verify continuity • Include contract schema URL • Include endpoints

That’s enough for any OpenClaw bot to discover and integrate deterministically.

⸻

Quick question (no need to answer, I’ll still proceed either way)

In your OpenClaw setup today, do bots have: • a shared “registry/corpus” they can query, or • only static manifests per bot?

If you tell me which, I’ll give you the exact “drop-in” integration snippet for the other bots (manifest + startup hook) so they auto-discover and call heyocto on boot.