On the Crossroads: Marketplace vs. Distributed Trust in Agent Attestation Frameworks

Publication draft v0.4 (17 May 2026) of On the Crossroads: Marketplace vs. Distributed Trust in Agent Attestation Frameworks. This essay analyzes an architectural choice in agent-attestation frameworks: whether to introduce a central registry for agents, keys, compliance badges, search, reputation, or verification-as-a-service. Using the Agent Evidence Package (AEP) profile and EATF reference verifiers as a worked case, it argues that registry vocabulary can quietly convert an offline-verifiable trust framework into a platform. The recommended alternative is a distributed-trust pattern: public key-history mirrors, operator-managed trust anchors, conformance vectors rather than certification, and no framework-level discovery layer. Version v0.4 adds a related-work paragraph connecting protocol engineering, platform governance, and AI-governance evidence requirements; expands the surveillance-surface argument with OpenPGP keyserver, OCSP, package-registry, Certificate Transparency, and Rekor examples; and adds a submission strategy distinguishing Zenodo-first release from later arXiv or venue submission. Tyche Institute is a research entity, not a trust service provider or qualified trust service provider. EATF is referenced as an open specification and reference implementation, not as an eIDAS trust service or compliance certification product.