Identity Digital spins out agentic effort, now called Known

The transition marks a significant milestone for the project previously known as DNSid. When Identity Digital first unveiled its Innovation Labs, the primary focus was on creating what the company described as "birth certificates for AI agents." This concept was born out of a necessity to manage the "agentic" web—a shift in the digital landscape where autonomous AI agents do not merely provide information but actively perform tasks, negotiate transactions, and interact with web infrastructure on behalf of human users. As these agents become more integrated into corporate and consumer workflows, the lack of a standardized identity layer has become a glaring vulnerability. Without a verifiable way to identify an agent, its origin, and its authorized permissions, the potential for misuse, fraud, and systemic instability remains high.

Known is tasked with advancing the DNSid protocol as an open standard. The core philosophy behind DNSid is the utilization of the Domain Name System (DNS) as the foundational layer for agent identity. Because the DNS is already the world’s most established, distributed, and trusted naming infrastructure, it provides a logical framework for assigning unique, verifiable identities to AI entities. By leveraging existing DNS protocols, Known intends to provide enterprises with the tools necessary to implement agent accountability at scale. This involves not just the creation of identities, but the ongoing management of the permissions and reputations associated with those identities, ensuring that when an AI agent interacts with a third-party server, its credentials can be instantly validated.

The decision to spin out Known from Identity Digital was a strategic one, driven by the realization that a global identity standard requires broad industry adoption to be effective. Akram Atallah, the CEO of Identity Digital, has been a vocal proponent of the need for cross-platform accountability. Speaking on the strategic shift, Atallah noted that while the project began as an internal innovation, its ultimate success depends on its ability to operate independently of any single domain name company. He explained that for agent accountability to truly take hold, it must function seamlessly across various companies, platforms, and technological ecosystems. Keeping the initiative tucked inside Identity Digital’s corporate structure could have been perceived as a limitation, potentially discouraging competitors or different sectors of the tech industry from adopting the standard.

By launching Known as an independent entity, the project gains the institutional neutrality required to build broad participation. Atallah emphasized that Known now has the independence to work across the entire market, engaging with a diverse array of stakeholders to build the shared infrastructure necessary for the AI era. This independence is seen as vital for establishing the trust required for enterprises to integrate these identity standards into their core operations. If DNSid is to become the "birth certificate" for the next generation of digital entities, it must be supported by a governance structure that prioritizes universal applicability over proprietary interests.

The financial and operational framework for Known remains closely tied to its origins, though its path forward is distinct. Identity Digital will maintain a significant interest in the new company as an investor and will retain a seat on its board of directors to ensure continued alignment with the broader goals of the domain industry. Furthermore, Known is receiving support from Ethos Capital, the private equity firm that also backs Identity Digital. The involvement of Ethos Capital provides Known with the institutional backing and capital necessary to navigate the intensive research and development phase required to bring enterprise-grade identity solutions to market.

In terms of leadership, Known has appointed Allie Kline as its interim CEO. Kline is a seasoned executive and a partner at Ethos Capital, and she currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Identity Digital. Her appointment is intended to provide a steady hand during the initial transition period as the company searches for a permanent Chief Executive Officer. Kline’s background in brand building and corporate strategy is expected to be instrumental as Known begins the process of marketing its identity solutions to a global audience of tech firms and enterprises. The search for a permanent leader will focus on finding an individual capable of bridging the gap between deep technical infrastructure and the complex regulatory and security needs of the modern enterprise.

The move comes at a time when the broader technology community is increasingly concerned with the "black box" nature of autonomous AI. While much of the public discourse has focused on the large language models themselves, the industry is now turning its attention to the "agents" that use these models to navigate the web. These agents are designed to book travel, manage calendars, execute financial trades, and interact with APIs. However, most web protocols were designed for human-to-machine interaction, not machine-to-machine. This creates a friction point where servers often cannot distinguish between a legitimate AI agent working for a verified user and a malicious bot.

Known’s mission is to resolve this friction by providing a cryptographic link between an agent and its owner, rooted in the DNS. This approach allows for a "chain of trust" that can be audited and verified. For an enterprise, this means they can set policies that only allow agents with a valid DNSid from a trusted domain to access certain data or perform specific actions. It brings a level of governance to the AI space that has been largely absent during the initial gold rush of generative AI development.

The concept of using the DNS for identity is not entirely new, but applying it specifically to the lifecycle of an AI agent represents a novel application of classic internet infrastructure. During his appearance on the Domain Name Wire Podcast earlier this year, Akram Atallah detailed how DNSid could function as a persistent identifier. Unlike temporary session tokens, a DNS-based identity can follow an agent throughout its operational life, providing a consistent record of activity. This is particularly important for accountability; if an agent performs an unauthorized action, the DNSid allows the affected party to trace the responsibility back to the entity that registered and authorized the agent.

As Known begins its journey as a separate company, its primary challenge will be achieving the "network effect" required for any new standard. For DNSid to succeed, it must be recognized by web servers, firewalls, and cloud service providers. The company’s strategy involves working closely with standards bodies and enterprise security firms to demonstrate the efficacy of the DNSid protocol. By distancing itself from the registry-specific operations of Identity Digital, Known is positioning itself as a pure-play technology firm focused on the intersection of AI, identity, and security.

The spin-out also reflects a broader trend within the domain name industry, where traditional registries are looking for ways to add value beyond the simple sale of extensions. As the market for domain names matures, companies like Identity Digital are exploring how the underlying technology of the DNS can be repurposed to solve modern problems. The creation of Innovation Labs was a clear signal of this intent, and the birth of Known is the first major result of that experimental mindset.

The industry will be watching closely to see how Known navigates its first year of independence. With the support of Ethos Capital and the strategic guidance of Allie Kline, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for AI governance tools. The successful establishment of an open standard for agent identity could fundamentally change how the web operates, moving it toward a more structured and accountable ecosystem where every autonomous entity has a verifiable "birth certificate."

For now, Known will focus on refining its technical capabilities and building the partnerships necessary to move DNSid from a conceptual framework to a widely deployed reality. As AI agents continue to evolve in complexity and autonomy, the work being done by Known may provide the essential guardrails needed to ensure that the agentic web remains secure, transparent, and accountable to the humans it serves. The independence granted by this spin-out is the first step in ensuring that those guardrails are built on a foundation of industry-wide collaboration rather than isolated innovation.