Mizuho FG and NEC Launch Joint Proof-of-Concept for 'KYA', a New AI Agent Authentication Infrastructure for the AI Agent Era

Mizuho Financial Group and NEC Corporation announced that they will begin a joint proof-of-concept (PoC) in June 2026 to build 'KYA' (Know Your Agent), a new authentication infrastructure using DID/VC technology, in anticipation of the 'Agentic Finance' era where AI agents autonomously utilize financial services. Agentic Finance refers to a usage model where AI agents, based on user intent and authorization, perform access, inquiries, and procedures for financial services on behalf of the user. DID/VC technology utilizes decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials to enable self-sovereign management of personal data while ensuring secure data linkage between companies, municipalities, and services. NEC has developed 'FaceVC,' which combines VC with facial recognition and identity verification, providing higher security and reliability. In this PoC, the companies will jointly build an AI agent authentication infrastructure using NEC's DID/VC technology. Specifically, they will conduct technical verification in a scenario where a customer's AI agent accesses financial services via an AI agent operating on Mizuho's AI development platform, 'Wiz Base.' Both companies will collaborate on KYA schema design reflecting financial institution requirements and authentication flow design between banking systems. Following the technical verification, they will evaluate practical feasibility for commercialization, aiming to build a common infrastructure for the entire financial industry and align with global standards.