Agency Protocol helps us answer a fundamental question:
"What can X promise that Y can't promise?"
❓This gives us a way to find the signal in the noise, so that outcomes are closer to expectations.
- "I promise to help you quit smoking in 3 sessions or fewer"Hypnotherapist⚡ 50 Credits Staked
- "I promise to increase your website conversion rate by 30% within 60 days"Marketing Expert⚡ 75 Credits Staked
- "I promise to reduce your tax liability by at least $5,000 this year"Tax Professional⚡ 100 Credits Staked
- "I promise to sell your house within 60 days at 95%+ of asking price"Real Estate Agent⚡ 200 Credits Staked
- ×"I can help you quit smoking"No timeline, no stakes
- ×"I know marketing really well"No measurable outcomes
- ×"I'll save you money on taxes"No specific amount
- ×"I'll help sell your house fast"No definition of "fast"
By creating clear rules around this question, something remarkable happens—promises start getting kept and quality naturally rises.
This isn't wishful thinking; it's the inevitable result of a system designed to give promise-keepers a structural advantage. When honest actors consistently outcompete dishonest ones, products and services improve not through force, but through the simple power of aligned incentives.
Promises Kept
Clear accountability creates reliable commitments
Quality Rises
Truth-tellers naturally outcompete dishonest actors
Aligned Incentives
Success through honesty, not manipulation
For mathematical proofs and formal verification of the protocol's properties
For a technical description of the system architecture and implementation
Centralized authority, generic reputation, and misaligned incentives create inefficient markets
Domain-specific promises, verifiable evidence, and economic alignment create trusted cooperation
Understanding Unrival
Unrival is a platform built on Agency Protocol—a foundational framework for creating trust through verifiable promises and domain-specific merit.
Agency Protocol
The open-source foundation that defines how promises, merit, and assessments work together to create aligned incentives.
- Defines the promise-assessment-merit cycle
- Establishes rules for skin in the game
- Creates manipulation-resistant mechanisms
Unrival Platform
The first implementation of Agency Protocol, providing tools and infrastructure for real-world promise networks.
- User-friendly interface for promises
- Merit tracking and visualization
- Domain-specific agent hierarchies
How They Work Together
Agency Protocol
Defines the rules
Unrival
Implements the system
You
Build trust networks
Think of Agency Protocol as the constitution and Unrival as the government that implements it.
The Merit Problem: Why We Can't Tell What's Better
We live in an age of information abundance, yet we lack the most fundamental capability: a fair, formal, and accurate way to compare the merit of two things. Whether it's two newspaper articles, two doctors, or two solutions to a problem, we have no systematic way to determine which has more merit in a given domain.
Without this capability, we're reduced to screaming into the void—loudness replaces logic, popularity substitutes for proof, and marketing trumps merit. We can't clearly state why one option is better than another because we lack the framework to even define "better" in a verifiable way.
Many are uncomfortable admitting that some things do have more merit than others—that some doctors are more skilled in specific procedures, some books contain more accurate information, some solutions work better than others. This discomfort with comparative merit leaves us unable to learn from our collective experience and dooms us to repeat the same mistakes.
Merit Skepticism
"If meritocracy means those at the top deserve to be there, it's self-delusion."
— Michael Sandel, The Tyranny of Merit
"Merit is never so conspicuous as when it is not rewarded."
— Edward Bulwer-Lytton
"Merit is like love: the more you talk about it, the less you seem to have."
— Anonymous
"Meritocracy is a powerful discourse that obscures the systemic nature of oppression."
— Robin DiAngelo
"Meritocratic systems devolve into a test of who can afford prep materials."
— Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Answer: sToP tAlKiNg AbOuT mErIt?!
Thought Experiment: Asteroid 2029
The year is 2029. An asteroid is detected heading directly for Earth.
Impact: Complete extinction of all life on Earth
The Ultimate Question:
How should humanity decide what to do about this existential threat?
Reality Check
While the choice is never this simple in reality, one thing is crystal clear:
The more we weight decisions toward those with relevant expertise, the more likely we are to actually survive.
If we accept that merit matters when everything is at stake, why do we pretend it doesn't matter for the thousand smaller catastrophes we face every day in healthcare, education, technology, and society?
The Merit Problem Manifests Everywhere
Healthcare
Two doctors claim expertise in the same procedure. Without formal merit comparison, patients choose based on:
- • Insurance networks (not skill)
- • Online reviews (easily gamed)
- • Marketing budgets (not outcomes)
Result: Patients can't identify who's actually better at specific procedures.
Journalism
Two articles cover the same event. We can't formally compare their merit, so we rely on:
- • Click counts (rewards sensationalism)
- • Social shares (amplifies bias)
- • Brand reputation (not article quality)
Result: Truth gets buried under clickbait and partisan noise.
Education
Two courses promise the same skills. Without merit metrics, students choose by:
- • Price (often inverse to quality)
- • Marketing claims (unverified)
- • Platform popularity (not effectiveness)
Result: Learners waste time and money on ineffective education.
Technology
Two solutions solve the same problem. Merit comparison is replaced by:
- • GitHub stars (popularity contest)
- • Corporate backing (not technical merit)
- • Hype cycles (not actual utility)
Result: Superior solutions remain undiscovered while inferior ones dominate.
Research
Two papers reach different conclusions. We judge merit through:
- • Journal prestige (not study quality)
- • Citation count (reinforces groupthink)
- • Author credentials (not methodology)
Result: Flawed research persists while breakthroughs go unnoticed.
Business Services
Two companies offer similar services. Customers decide using:
- • Advertising reach (not performance)
- • Price (race to the bottom)
- • Testimonials (cherry-picked)
Result: Quality providers lose to better marketers.
The Root Cause: No Framework for Merit
All these problems stem from one fundamental issue: we have no fair, formal, or accurate way to establish and compare merit.
Without this capability, every domain devolves into the same pattern: popularity beats performance, marketing trumps merit, and we all lose access to what would actually work best for our specific needs.
Imagine Solving the Merit Problem
What if we could accurately determine which ideas, services, and content truly have merit? Imagine a world with formal, fair, and accurate discovery mechanisms.
Recognize Better Ideas
"This idea has merit" would become more than opinion—it would be verifiable through actual outcomes and expert validation in specific domains.
Find Better Services
Service providers would compete on actual performance and fulfilled promises, not marketing budgets or manipulated reviews.
Promote Better Content
Quality content would rise based on demonstrated value and domain expertise, not clickbait tactics or algorithmic gaming.
Accurate Discovery
Match the intentions of seekers with the promises of providers through formal, transparent, and verifiable mechanisms.
The Power of True Merit
A formal system for recognizing merit would transform how we discover, evaluate, and trust. It would create a world where quality naturally rises to the top, where expertise is valued in its proper domain, and where promises align with intentions.
The Solution: a meritocratic system governed by rules, not rulers
Merit emerges from kept promises.
Promisers
"I will help you launch your business in 90 days"
/business/consulting/startup/_launchesWithin90Days
"They delivered on time with excellent guidance"
Promisees
Promise Makers
Anyone who claims they can do something: doctors, teachers, services, products
Promises & Assessments
Clear commitments made and verifiable evaluations of whether they were kept
Promise Accepters
Those with intentions seeking promises that match: patients, students, customers
The Goal Engine: A Dead-Simple Interface
Hi! I'm the Goal Engine. Tell me what you need help with and I'll find promises that match.
I need help with chronic back pain
I found 3 promises that match your need. Here's the best one:
Dr. Sarah Chen
98% kept"I will reduce your pain by 50% within 6 weeks"
Intention → Promise Matching
- Before: "I need help with my back pain" → Endless confusing options
- After: "I need help with my back pain" → Providers with proven promises in back pain treatment
Merit Through Assessment
- Before: "This doctor has 5 stars" → But what does that mean?
- After: "This doctor kept 95% of promises about surgery outcomes" → Clear, verifiable merit
Beyond Popularity: A New Framework for Trust
Agency Protocol transcends simple majority rule by creating a system where valuable insights are not only shared but rigorously validated and surfaced based on domain-specific credibility, not popularity or authority.
Agency Protocol Is:
- A robust anti-collusion mechanism
Leverages cryptographic techniques and transparent records to detect and deter coordinated efforts to manipulate credibility systems or outcomes.
- A precise way to describe expectations
Uses promises and assessments to define expectations, outcomes, and discrepancies, reducing information asymmetry in transactions.
- A mechanism for creating data as labor networks
Tracks data provenance and usage to ensure individuals contributing data are compensated proportionally to its value.
- Dynamic and self-improving
Iteratively refines parameters like credibility weighting and anti-gaming measures based on system performance and community feedback.
Agency Protocol Is Not:
- Tied to any single infrastructure
Operates on centralized servers, distributed databases, or peer-to-peer networks as required, without being locked into any specific technology.
- Exclusive to technological applications
Extends beyond technology to domains like community governance, education, or offline group decision-making processes.
- Limited to majority rule
Transcends simple popularity contests by weighting contributions based on domain-specific credibility, ensuring decisions reflect wisdom over mere numbers.
- Immutable or inflexible
Allows for iterative updates and revisions while maintaining historical records of changes, adapting to evolving community needs.
The Unrival Agent System
Unrival organizes digital entities (agents) in a hierarchical system, with each type inheriting promises from its parent types while adding specialized functionality.
Base Agent
The foundation of the system, with basic promises about cryptographic verification, unique addressing, and state management.
- Unique content-based addressing
- Cryptographic signature verification
- State change emission
Merit Agent
Specializes in tracking domain-specific credibility based on promise fulfillment history.
- Domain-specific merit scoring
- Merit-weighted assessment
- Transparent merit history
Assessment Agent
Evaluates whether promises have been kept based on evidence, with their own merit at stake.
- Evidence-based assessment
- Conflict of interest declaration
- Staked merit on assessment accuracy
Key Mechanisms for Incentive Alignment
Domain-Specific Merit
Merit is always tied to specific domains rather than general reputation. This prevents inappropriate influence across unrelated areas and creates accurate signals of domain expertise.
How it works:
- •Merit exists within namespace hierarchies (e.g., medicine/cardiology/diagnosis)
- •Merit scores don't transfer between unrelated domains
- •Higher domain specificity provides more precise merit signals
Skin in the Game
All participants stake resources (merit and/or credits) on their promises and assessments, creating real consequences for dishonesty and misrepresentation.
How it works:
- •Promise-makers stake merit on fulfillment
- •Assessors stake merit on accurate assessments
- •Merit-based stake requirements create efficiency for honest actors
Distributed Assessment
Promise fulfillment is verified by multiple assessors with domain-specific merit, preventing manipulation by any single party and distributing responsibility.
How it works:
- •Multiple qualified assessors evaluate promise fulfillment
- •Assessments are weighted by domain-specific merit
- •Batch processing prevents collusion and timing attacks
Manipulation Detection
Sophisticated algorithms prevent circular vouching, merit laundering, and other forms of collusion that could undermine the system's integrity.
How it works:
- •Graph analysis identifies circular dependencies
- •Matrix factorization detects collusion patterns
- •Temporal analysis prevents gaming through timing manipulation
Philosophical Foundations
Agency Protocol builds on ancient philosophical wisdom about trust, knowledge, and social coordination, implementing timeless principles with modern technology.
Nyāya: Bottom-Up Epistemology
The Nyāya philosophical school developed one of history's most sophisticated frameworks for determining reliable knowledge. Their approach centered on pramāṇa (reliable knowledge sources) and āpta (trustworthy experts with domain-specific knowledge).
Nyāya Principles
- Domain-specific expertise (not universal authority)
- Evidence-based verification (not blind acceptance)
- Trustworthiness demonstrated through reliable patterns
- Knowledge as verifiable process, not static content
Agency Protocol Implementation
- Domain-specific merit tracking
- Evidence requirements for assessments
- Merit earned through demonstrated reliability
- Full process transparency and verification
Coordinating Collective Action
Agency Protocol enables groups to act as unified entities through its Superagent system, coordinating complex collective behavior while maintaining accountability.
Superagent Architecture
How Unrival enables collective action with aligned incentives
Decision Mechanisms
Meritocratic Agents
Decisions weighted by domain-specific merit create expertise-driven governance
Democratic Agents
Voting mechanisms for equal participant influence in appropriate contexts
Consensual Agents
Deliberation-focused decision processes seeking broad agreement
Ensuring Accountability
Composite Promises
Superagents make and fulfill collective promises with distributed responsibility
Inheritance Controls
Clear mechanisms for merit and responsibility inheritance among members
Transparency Infrastructure
Full visibility into decision processes and collective outcomes
Frequently Asked Questions
Applications Across Industries
Agency Protocol powers solutions in diverse domains, from healthcare to finance to software development.
Healthcare
Create trust in specialty care through verified credentials, transparent patient outcomes, and domain-specific merit that highlights true expertise.
Finance
Transform financial services with verifiable performance reporting, transparent fee structures, and demonstrated fiduciary responsibility through staked merit.
Software Development
Improve SaaS reliability and promisee trust through verifiable uptime promises, response time commitments, and security incident handling with real stakes.
Start Building With Agency Protocol
Transform how your organization creates trust, aligns incentives, and makes better collective decisions with a system designed for true accountability.
For Developers
Build applications with domain-specific credibility, transparent assessment, and aligned economic incentives.
Explore the Agent SystemFor Organizations
Implement Agency Protocol to improve trust, streamline decision-making, and create better alignment.
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