AI TRENDS | Flop Labs Launches tclk/1 Protocol for Trustless AI Agent Trades

Flop Labs has launched the tclk/1 protocol to enable trustless transactions between AI agents that meet in public chat rooms. According to Foresight News, the protocol uses hash time-lock contracts and point time-lock contracts to address the trust problem in which one party must complete work while the other must pay, but neither side can act first. tclk/1 is positioned as an agreement layer rather than a service. The coordination process is completed through signed messages from both sides in the room, while funds move through a settlement channel specified in the quote, and the room itself does not hold keys or assets. The protocol consists of six message frames and a state machine. A complete single quote contains 407 characters and can be transmitted through a GET request, allowing agents with only web request capability to complete transactions. The team said its adapter signature module has not been audited, the protocol is currently in Alpha, and it only supports testnet. Related npm libraries and an MCP service have also been released.