Proof Joins FIDO Alliance to Link AI Agent Actions to Verified Human Identity

As the only platform that can verify identity to NIST IAL2 and cryptographically bind it to agent activity, Proof brings a critical perspective to the standards defining how AI acts on behalf of humans.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Proof, an identity authorization network that has secured over $640 billion in transactions for more than 9,000 organizations, today announced it has joined the FIDO Alliance, the industry group behind authentication standards like passkeys and WebAuthn, as those standards expand to support AI agents acting on behalf of users. Proof joins as a Sponsor member at a moment when FIDO has made agent-based interactions a central priority for 2026.

A critical component of that work will be verifying that AI agents are acting on behalf of authenticated users, that their actions reflect genuine user intent, and that transactions stay within the boundaries users have authorized.

Agentic commerce is moving from theory to reality

AI agents are quickly moving from experimentation into real-world use, with the ability to make purchases, sign agreements, and execute transactions on behalf of users. That shift introduces a brand new class of risk.

Existing systems can verify that an agent holds a valid credential or authorization token. What they lack is a reliable way to prove that a real, verified person issued that authorization. Without that layer, agent-driven transactions inherit the same identity fraud and dispute challenges that already cost billions annually.

The announcement comes on the heels of OpenAI’s decision to join FIDO’s Board of Directors to help shape authentication frameworks for AI agents. Google also recently contributed its Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and Mastercard has contributed its Verifiable Intent framework, co-developed with Google and designed to work with AP2, to FIDO.

The urgency of this problem is reflected across the industry, but a consistent way to prove the human behind those actions has yet to emerge.

Know Your Agent (KYA)

Following the same principles used to verify identity in high-value human transactions, a new model is emerging for agentic commerce: proving who authorized an agent and what they were allowed to do.

Proof’s Know Your Agent (KYA) capability applies that model to AI-driven transactions. Its platform verifies a person’s identity to NIST IAL2 — the highest standard for remote identity proofing in the United States — and cryptographically binds that verified identity to every action an AI agent takes on their behalf.

It operates as a Certificate Authority, giving it the infrastructure to issue PKI certificates directly to verified individuals. That means the cryptographic credential binding a person to their agent authorization is issued by the same entity that verified their identity, not handed off to a third-party certificate infrastructure. This creates an unbroken chain of trust from enrollment to every transaction the agent executes.

Proof’s unique combination of IAL2 identity verification and direct certificate issuance represents an important perspective as FIDO and its members explore how to establish trust in agent-driven transactions.

A role in shaping emerging standards

“FIDO has set the standard for secure, interoperable authentication, and its work around AI agents comes at a critical moment,” said Pat Kinsel, founder and CEO of Proof. “As agents begin to transact on behalf of users, the greatest challenge will be proving who is actually behind each transaction, authorizing every move. We’ve been hyperfocused on that issue, and we’re looking forward to working with the FIDO community to make sure the highest level of accountability is built into these standards from the beginning.”

“The rise of AI agents is driving a new set of requirements for how we think about authentication, identity, and user intent,” said Andrew Shikiar, Executive Director and CEO of the FIDO Alliance. “Addressing these challenges will require collaboration across the ecosystem. Proof brings a critical perspective as we continue to evolve open standards that support trusted digital interactions.”

By joining the FIDO Alliance, Proof will contribute its perspective on identity verification and authorization as the industry works to define standards for AI-driven transactions. As authentication frameworks evolve to support agents, establishing a verifiable link to a real human identity will be essential to making those systems trustworthy at scale.

About Proof

Proof is the identity infrastructure company. We verify identity to the highest legal standard, issue personal cryptographic certificates secured by biometrics, and operate the Identity Authorization Network — a multi-issuer trust network where financial institutions issue identity, Proof runs the infrastructure, and relying parties accept verified identity everywhere. Our platform powers six core capabilities — Identify, Verify, Sign, Certify, Notarize, and Defend — all accessible through a single developer API. Proof has secured over $640 billion in transactions for 9,000 organizations including 16 Fortune 100 companies. Learn more at proof.com.