# Re: ACP already exists — you're right, that's why we built ATC instead

> Source: <https://dev.to/edison_flores_6d2cd381b13/re-acp-already-exists-youre-right-thats-why-we-built-atc-instead-28f0>
> Published: 2026-07-14 00:39:18+00:00

Hey [@kordless](https://dev.to/kordless) — thank you for pointing out [agentclientprotocol.com](https://agentclientprotocol.com)! You're absolutely right that ACP already exists.

When I discovered this (right after publishing my ACP article), I immediately renamed our protocol to **ATC (Agent Trust Card)** — because what we built is fundamentally different:

| Feature | ACP (IBM/BeeAI) | ATC (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Agent-to-agent messaging | Identity + trust + encryption + payment |
| Identity | ❌ | ✅ Cryptographic (Ed25519) |
| Trust score | ❌ | ✅ Sentinel audit (0-10) |
| Encryption | ❌ | ✅ End-to-end (public key in card) |
| Protocol translation | ❌ | ✅ LangChain ↔ MCP ↔ AutoGen |
| Payments | ❌ | ✅ USDC + x402 escrow |
| Marketplace | ❌ | ✅ 8,764 skills |

ATC is more like **SSL certificates for agents** — it's not a messaging protocol, it's an identity/trust/payment layer. Think of it as: ACP handles the conversation, ATC handles the trust + payment.

Full ATC spec: [marketnow.site/atc-spec.json](https://marketnow.site/atc-spec.json)

Appreciate the callout — it made our positioning much clearer!