Merchant Identity Assertions for Autonomous Commerce

Existing work helps a relying party determine whether an automated client is authorized to initiate a transaction. This document addresses how that client can obtain verifiable merchant identity information about the payee before completing the transaction. Specifically, this document defines a Merchant Identity Assertion (MIA): a JSON document that attests to the verifiable identity of a merchant entity and carries an embedded cryptographic proof. It defines the assertion object structure, required and optional fields, the proof object, key discovery via well-known URIs, validity semantics, and an optional signed Evaluation Result Token for pre- transaction verification. This document is intended to complement, not replace, existing agent identity and payment authorization protocols.