ERC-8004 on Ethereum Plans Mainnet Launch, Defining On-Chain Trust for AI Agents

On 28 January 2026, ERC-8004 was presented as set to launch on the Ethereum mainnet with a standard for establishing trust among open AI agents. The design introduces on-chain registries for identity, reputation, and validation to help agents verify counterparts and assess risk. Vitalik Buterin framed 2026 as a year to reclaim self-sovereignty and trustlessness, aligning this effort with broader ecosystem goals.