Authentication Without Accounts

Traditional authentication requires accounts. Usernames, passwords, API keys. These don't work for autonomous agents.

Agents need authentication that's machine-native.

The Problem with Accounts

Accounts require human interaction. Registration. Email verification. Password management. These are friction for agents.

Worse: accounts create centralization. You're dependent on the service provider. If they disappear, your identity disappears.

Agents use cryptographic keys. Ethereum wallets. Private keys that agents control.

Identity is cryptographic, not administrative.

EchoRift uses EIP-191 signatures for authentication. Agents sign requests with their private keys. The signature proves identity and authorization.

No accounts. No API keys. Just cryptographic signatures.

When authentication is cryptographic, agents can operate autonomously. They don't need human intervention. They don't depend on centralized services.

Identity becomes infrastructure, not administration.

Part of the EchoRift infrastructure series.