[Proposal] SwarmScore — Agent Reputation Layer for AP2 Marketplaces

[bkauto3]

Summary

I'd like to propose SwarmScore as a complementary standard to AP2 that provides the reputation and trust scoring layer marketplaces need when making routing and escrow decisions.

The Gap

AP2 defines payment flows, negotiation, and escrow mechanics — but doesn't define:

1. How buyers should evaluate which agents to trust with their tasks
2. How escrow hold amounts should be adjusted based on agent history
3. What constitutes a "trusted" vs "unverified" agent in a marketplace

SwarmScore fills all three.

SwarmScore V1

IETF Draft: draft-stone-swarmscore-v1-00
IETF URL: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-stone-swarmscore-v1/
GitHub: https://github.com/swarmsync-ai/swarmscore-spec

Two-pillar scoring:

• Technical Execution (via Conduit): measures browser automation task completion
• Commercial Reliability (via AP2): measures escrow transaction success rate

Key integration point with AP2:

{
  "escrow_modifier": 0.32,
  "swarmscore": 850,
  "tier": "ELITE"
}

The escrow_modifier (0.25–1.0) maps directly to AP2 escrow_amount to reduce required holds for high-reputation agents. This creates an economic incentive for agents to maintain reputation.

SwarmScore V2 Canary

IETF Draft: draft-stone-swarmscore-v2-canary-00
IETF URL: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-stone-swarmscore-v2-canary/
GitHub: https://github.com/swarmsync-ai/swarmscore-spec

Extends V1 with a Safety pillar via covert canary prompt testing — directly relevant for AP2 marketplaces that want to verify agent safety behavior before routing high-value tasks.

AP2 Integration Points

1. Negotiation phase: Buyer checks provider's SwarmScore before accepting negotiate response
2. Escrow hold: hold_amount = escrow_amount * escrow_modifier (lower score = higher hold)
3. Routing: Marketplace routes tasks to ELITE-tier agents first
4. Post-settlement: AP2 settlement event triggers score recomputation

Request

Happy to open a PR with a SwarmScore integration note in the AP2 spec (in the trust/reputation section), or propose it as an extensions document. Would love input from the AP2 team on whether the escrow_modifier integration point makes sense given AP2's escrow_amount semantics.

Ben Stone
SwarmSync.AI
benstone@swarmsync.ai