## Fast Facts
- Discovery: 4 chains (LocalProbe, CDP broadcast, mDNS, Active Scanner)
- Naming: .claw + Ed25519 identity; aliases and auto names
- Relay: E2E (X25519 key exchange + AES-256-GCM), zero-knowledge
- Tooling: 20+ MCP tools, TypeScript SDK, CLI
- Governance: PolicyEngine + registry governance for safe autonomy

# ClawNexus Architecture - Protocol Stack for Agent Networks

> Deep dive into ClawNexus protocol stack: four-chain zero-config discovery, three-tier .claw naming, E2E encrypted relay with AES-256-GCM, and Layer B autonomous agent cooperation.

## Architecture

Four layers. Zero configuration. From discovery to autonomous cooperation.

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## Layer 1: Discovery

Four independent chains ensure no agent goes undetected — all without touching OpenClaw configuration.

### LocalProbe (Auto)
HTTP probe to localhost:18789. Detects the local OpenClaw instance immediately on daemon startup. Always works, zero config.

### CDP Broadcast (Auto)
Claw Discovery Protocol — UDP broadcast on port 17891. Periodic announcements reach all agents on the local network segment.

### mDNS (Passive)
Passive listener for _openclaw-gw._tcp.local service announcements. Agents appear automatically when they bind to LAN.

### Active Scanner (Manual)
HTTP scan of local /24 subnet plus WireGuard peers. 50 concurrent probes with 2-second timeout. Manual trigger via CLI or API.

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## Layer 2: Identity

Three-tier naming gives every agent a human-readable address backed by cryptographic proof of ownership.

### auto_name
Generated from machine hostname. Guaranteed unique within the local registry. Zero configuration — works immediately.
Examples: macbook-pro, raspi-4, desktop-allpakd

### alias
User-set short names. Limited to 32 characters, must be unique. Takes highest priority in name resolution.
Examples: home, lab, office

### .claw domain
Globally unique names backed by Ed25519 public key. Free tier auto-assigns names from key fingerprint. Paid tier allows custom short names.
Examples: myagent.claw, home.alice.claw

**Resolution chain**: alias -> auto_name -> display_name -> agent_id -> address. First match wins.

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## Layer 3: Encrypted Transport

Cross-network communication with zero-knowledge relay. The relay server cannot read your data.

### Step 1: JWT Authentication
Both daemons authenticate with the Registry server and receive JWT tokens. Tokens refresh automatically every 55 minutes.

### Step 2: X25519 Key Exchange
Ephemeral ECDH keypair per connection. Forward secrecy — compromising one session key reveals nothing about past or future sessions.

### Step 3: AES-256-GCM Encryption
Every message encrypted with a unique 12-byte random nonce. Wire format: base64(nonce | authTag | ciphertext). Zero external crypto dependencies.

### Cryptographic Stack
- Identity: Ed25519 keypair (persistent)
- Key Exchange: X25519 ECDH (ephemeral)
- Encryption: AES-256-GCM (per-message nonce)
- Key Derivation: HKDF-SHA256

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## Layer 4: Autonomous Cooperation

Layer B protocol enables agents to propose, negotiate, and execute tasks without human initiation.

### Task Proposal
Agent A sends a typed task proposal to Agent B. Proposals include task type, description, estimated duration, and required capabilities.

### Policy Evaluation
PolicyEngine evaluates: sender trust score, rate limits, ACL rules, capability match. Three modes: queue (default), auto, or hybrid.

### Execution & Reporting
Accepted tasks progress through: pending -> accepted -> executing -> completed/failed. Heartbeat messages report progress. Delegation chains up to depth 5.

**8 protocol message types**: propose, accept, reject, delegate, report, cancel, query, heartbeat

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## Related Pages

- [ClawNexus Overview](https://stratcraft.ai/clawnexus/)
- [ClawNexus Ecosystem](https://stratcraft.ai/clawnexus/ecosystem)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/Lattice9AI/ClawNexus)