OpenWorkProof Protocol Specification

Status: Draft v0.3 — community co-design Date: 2026-08-12 Repository: https://github.com/dengyier/OpenWorkProof License: TBD (project convention: open, permissive) This specification is the product of a public design conversation (2026-08-08 → 2026-08-12) across LinkedIn and Dev.to. Every primitive below was shaped by named community contributions; each section cites its origin. The protocol's governing principle, stated by the community and adopted here: Verification must itself be tested. A check that never fails has never been checked. 1. Purpose OpenWorkProof is a protocol for verifying AI agent work: producing signed, auditable evidence that a piece of agent execution happened as claimed, and that the verifier producing that evidence is capable of detecting failure. Two distinct claims are always separated in this protocol: Claim Mechanism Meaning Authenticity Signature over a receipt This work was executed and attested as stated Verifier capability