Don't block agents. Identify them. @sytaylor is joined by @patk , founder and CEO @proof Pat Kinsel has built an open framework to identify agents that is compatible with how banks do KYC today. It's called x401, built on the internet's HTTP 401 "authorization is required" But the really clever bit is the fact that it then uses verifiable credentials that are IAL2 certified to prove the authentication for the underlying human. Why's that clever? Because that's the same standard the US government published under the National Institute of Science and Technology NIST, and the one that FinCEN recently gave guidance on as being usable in bank Customer Identification Programs (CIP). Check out the entire video to know more Timestamps: 00:00 Proof launches x401 to bring trusted identity to AI agents 01:25 How x401 and verifiable credentials establish cryptographic identity 02:45 Should businesses block AI agents or verify their authority? 03:30 Why authentication alone cannot satisfy financial institutions' compliance obligations 04:34 Amazon's agent blocking, credential sharing risks and explicit consent 06:18 How x401 complements x402 payments and stablecoin-powered machine transactions 08:24 Transaction signing and binding prove an agent has delegated authority 10:00 How independent audits and identity standards establish trust in Proof 11:15 Why open identity standards matter for interoperability and stablecoin adoption 12:20 How verifiable authorization reduces payment fraud and addresses liability