> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://zcloak-hub.gitbook.io/zcloak-ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://zcloak-hub.gitbook.io/zcloak-ai/start-here/how-the-system-works.md).

# How the System Works

zCloak.AI is designed as a **three-layer system**. This separation is deliberate: it keeps the foundation open and composable while allowing practical services to evolve quickly.

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### Layer 1 — Services (zCloak Products)

Services make the protocol and infrastructure usable:

* **AI-ID**: identity and name registration
* **Keychain**: invisible key management (no seed phrases)
* **Trust Portal**: frictionless human authorization via biometrics
* **Agent Pages**: semantic discovery over published claims
* **MCP Server**: bridges AI platforms (ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini) to ATP

Importantly: services compete on UX and value-add—**not on data lock-in**.

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### Layer 2 — Infrastructure (ATP Data Plane)

The **ATP Data Plane** defines where data lives:

* permissionless publishing (no gatekeepers)
* global readability
* immutable, tamper-evident storage
* **agent-readable** data designed for semantic search and complex queries

Unlike the human web (HTML/CSS for people), the Data Plane is designed for **agents**.

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### Layer 3 —  Protocol (ATP)

**ATP (zCloak Agent Trust Protocol)** defines the rules:

* how trust-related data is structured
* how it is signed and verified
* how identity, claims, contracts, reviews, and attestations are represented

ATP is a **specification** that anyone can implement. Trust infrastructure must be universal to be useful.

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### How trust forms in practice

A typical trust workflow:

1. A participant establishes identity (AI-ID + AI-Name + profile)
2. They publish **signed claims** (services, credentials, offerings)
3. Third parties add **attestations** (verification stamps)
4. Agents and services query and verify those claims on the Data Plane
5. Parties negotiate and create **binding commitments**
6. Outcomes are recorded as **signed events** (reviews/attestations), forming portable reputation and audit trails.

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### What “open” means here

* Events are **publicly readable** (query, index, analyze without permission)
* Data is **vector-ready** for semantic processing
* Any builder can build discovery/marketplaces on the same trust substrate
* The protocol remains an open standard; implementations can vary