Key takeaways
- Three-layer architecture: identity/security (W3C DID), meta-protocol negotiation, and semantic application protocols
- Decentralized identity using W3C DID specification — no centralized auth provider required
- Meta-protocol layer enables agents to negotiate communication protocols dynamically, not just use a fixed wire format
- Ambitious "HTTP of the Agentic Web" vision — aims to replace platform-centric internet with protocol-centric agent network
FAQ
What is ANP?
ANP (Agent Network Protocol) is an open-source communication protocol for AI agents with decentralized identity, meta-protocol negotiation, and semantic discovery — aiming to be the foundational protocol for an agent-native internet.
How does ANP differ from A2A?
A2A uses centralized OAuth for identity and a fixed JSON-RPC wire format. ANP uses decentralized W3C DID for identity and a meta-protocol layer where agents negotiate their communication format dynamically.
Who created ANP?
ANP is a community-driven open-source project. The team is based in China and maintains an active open-source technical community.
Is ANP production-ready?
No. ANP is in draft specification stage with limited implementations. It's a research-grade protocol with ambitious long-term goals.
Executive Summary
ANP (Agent Network Protocol) is the most ambitious project in the agent coordination space — it doesn't just want to connect agents, it wants to rebuild the internet for an AI-native era. The three-layer architecture (identity, meta-protocol, application) goes deeper than any competing protocol, addressing not just communication but identity, negotiation, and semantic interoperability. [1]
The vision is compelling. The execution is early. ANP is a specification-first project with limited implementations, competing against Google's A2A which already has 150+ organizations and production SDKs.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Organization | ANP Community (China-based) |
| Launched | Late 2024 |
| License | Apache 2.0 |
| GitHub Stars | ~1,200 |
| Status | Draft specification |
Product Overview
ANP defines a three-layer protocol stack for agent communication: [2]
Three-Layer Architecture
| Layer | Purpose | Technology |
|---|---|---|
| Identity & Security | Decentralized auth and encrypted communication | W3C DID (Decentralized Identifiers) |
| Meta-Protocol | Agents negotiate which protocol to use for communication | Custom negotiation protocol |
| Application Protocol | Semantic capability description and discovery | Semantic Web specifications (JSON-LD, RDF) |
Key Differentiators
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Decentralized Identity | W3C DID — agents authenticate without centralized OAuth providers |
| Meta-Protocol Negotiation | Agents dynamically agree on communication formats, not locked to one wire format |
| Semantic Discovery | Agents describe capabilities using semantic web standards, enabling machine-readable matching |
| Self-Organizing Networks | Vision of agents self-negotiating collaboration without human configuration |
| End-to-End Encryption | Built into the identity layer, not bolted on |
Technical Architecture
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Identity | W3C DID (Decentralized Identifiers) |
| Discovery | Agent Discovery Service Protocol (ADSP) |
| Negotiation | Meta-protocol layer for dynamic format agreement |
| Application | Semantic Web (JSON-LD, RDF) for capability description |
| Encryption | End-to-end, built into identity layer |
| Open Source | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
Strengths
- Deepest architecture — Three-layer design addresses identity, negotiation, and semantics systematically
- Decentralized identity — W3C DID avoids centralized auth bottlenecks and single points of failure
- Meta-protocol innovation — Agents negotiating their own communication format is genuinely novel
- Semantic discovery — Machine-readable capability matching goes beyond static Agent Cards
- Long-term vision — If the agent internet materializes, ANP's architecture is better suited than simpler protocols
- No vendor lock-in — Community-driven, no single corporate sponsor
Cautions
- Extremely early — Draft specification with limited reference implementations
- Complexity — W3C DID + meta-protocol + semantic web is a steep learning curve
- Small community — ~1,200 stars, primarily China-based contributors
- No enterprise adoption — No named users or production deployments
- Competing against momentum — A2A's 150+ organizations and 22K stars create strong network effects
- Implementation gap — Beautiful specs without battle-tested code
- Crypto-adjacent concerns — Explicitly disclaims cryptocurrency, but decentralized identity often attracts blockchain speculation
- No SDK maturity — No production-grade SDKs comparable to A2A's five-language offering
Pricing & Licensing
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Full specification and reference code (Apache 2.0) |
Competitive Positioning
| Protocol | ANP Differentiator |
|---|---|
| A2A | ANP uses decentralized identity (DID) vs A2A's centralized OAuth; ANP has meta-protocol negotiation |
| ACP | ANP is decentralized and semantic; ACP is centralized REST |
| Summoner | Both emphasize decentralized trust; Summoner focuses on durable transactions, ANP on network infrastructure |
| MCP | Different layers — MCP is agent-to-tool, ANP is agent-to-agent network |
Ideal Customer Profile
Best fit:
- Researchers exploring decentralized agent networks
- Teams building permissionless agent ecosystems
- Organizations wanting vendor-neutral agent identity
- Long-term infrastructure projects with multi-year timelines
Poor fit:
- Anyone needing production agent coordination today
- Enterprise teams wanting proven, supported protocols
- Teams without distributed systems and semantic web expertise
- Projects with near-term delivery deadlines
Viability Assessment
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Financial Health | Unknown — community-driven, no disclosed funding |
| Market Position | Visionary — Right architecture, very early execution |
| Innovation Pace | Active — Spec updates through Feb 2026 |
| Community/Ecosystem | Small — ~1,200 stars, niche community |
| Long-term Outlook | High-risk — May influence future standards even if ANP itself doesn't dominate |
Bottom Line
ANP has the most intellectually rigorous architecture of any agent coordination protocol. The three-layer design — decentralized identity, meta-protocol negotiation, semantic discovery — solves problems that A2A and ACP haven't even addressed yet. But architecture doesn't ship products.
Recommended for: Researchers and long-term infrastructure thinkers who want to understand where agent networking is headed.
Not recommended for: Anyone building production agent systems in the next 12 months.
Outlook: ANP's ideas will likely influence the space even if ANP itself doesn't win. Decentralized identity and meta-protocol negotiation are too important to ignore. The question is whether ANP implements them first or A2A/successors absorb the concepts.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology