# ACA-Py

**Aries Cloud Agent Python (ACA-Py)** is a powerful and extensible agent framework for building Verifiable Credential (VC) ecosystems. Built on the **Aries RFCs** and aligned with the **Trust Over IP stack**, ACA-Py operates at **Layer 2 (Credential Exchange)** and **Layer 3 (Peer-to-Peer Communication)**.

As a project under the **Open Wallet Foundation**, ACA-Py supports dynamic extensions via runtime-loaded plugins, enabling flexible integration into enterprise and SSI platforms.

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### DID and Credential Support

ACA-Py supports multiple **credential formats** and **DID methods**, including:

* **AnonCreds**
* **W3C Verifiable Credentials (JSON-LD)**
* **DIDComm v1 & v2**
* **DID method plugins** like `did:peer`, `did:indy`, and `did:cheqd`

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### ACA-Py + cheqd: Modern Verifiable Credential Issuance

ACA-Py now includes full support for the **`did:cheqd`** method, enabling seamless integration with the **cheqd decentralized identity network**. This allows developers to:

* Create and resolve `did:cheqd` identifiers
* Publish **Credential Schemas** and **Credential Definitions** to cheqd
* Issue and verify **AnonCreds** credentials using cheqd DIDs as signatures
* Issue and verify **JSON-LD** credentials using cheqd DIDs as signatures
* Replace legacy `did:sov`/Sovrin usage with a modern, scalable alternative

> 💡 AnonCreds on cheqd are enabled via the **cheqd AnonCreds Object Method**, maintaining compatibility with ACA-Py's credential exchange workflows.

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### Universal Registrar Integration

The **cheqd plugin for ACA-Py** supports dynamic DID registration via the **Universal Registrar**. This provides a streamlined interface for managing multiple DID methods.

#### Benefits of Using Universal Registrar:

* **Unified DID Support**\
  Register multiple DID methods (e.g., `did:cheqd`, `did:key`, `did:web`) through a single unified API.
* **Streamlined Setup**\
  Eliminate manual configuration—DIDs are created dynamically at runtime by calling the relevant driver.
* **Interoperable by Design**\
  Easily switch or support multiple DID methods in the same ACA-Py deployment.

## Get started <a href="#get-started" id="get-started"></a>

Get setup with your ACA-Py agent and begin using cheqd's functionality below:

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>cheqd Agent Setup</strong></mark></td><td>Setup the ACA-Py agent with our cheqd plugin.</td><td></td><td><a href="aca-py/setup-aca-py-agent">setup-aca-py-agent</a></td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>Create a Decentralized Identifier (DID)</strong></mark></td><td>Use the ACA-Py agent to create <code>did:cheqd</code> Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs).</td><td></td><td><a href="aca-py/dids/create-did">create-did</a></td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>Create DID-Linked Resources</strong></mark></td><td>Create a DID-Linked Resource (DLR) linked to a cheqd Decentralized Identifier (DID).</td><td></td><td><a href="aca-py/did-linked-resources">did-linked-resources</a></td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>Issue a Verifiable Credential</strong></mark></td><td>Issue and verify Verifiable Credential using ACA-Py agent with <code>did:cheqd</code>.</td><td></td><td><a href="aca-py/credentials">credentials</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Enterprise Support for ACA-Py

Below are a list of enterprise applications that leverage ACA-Py with full `did:cheqd` support under the hood:

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>Sudo Platform (Anonyome Labs)</strong></mark></td><td>API-first developer platform for cheqd DIDs and support for multiple Verifiable Credential formats.</td><td><a href="https://3569764573-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FPVAMvpKH7PYzvXA6u6Cn%2Fuploads%2F9ealmkItMit79nyxs0WB%2FAnonyome%20Labs.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a48b5051-81e2-4d78-a476-ef4c1eb98f28">Anonyome Labs.png</a></td><td><a href="https://anonyome.com/businesses/decentralized-identity-for-developers/">https://anonyome.com/businesses/decentralized-identity-for-developers/</a></td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>DIDx</strong></mark></td><td>DIDx supports <code>did:cheqd</code> through an enterprise version of ACA-Py, supporting AnonCreds and JSON-LD.</td><td><a href="https://3569764573-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FPVAMvpKH7PYzvXA6u6Cn%2Fuploads%2FdcGimBpVYN5o58ogPMPD%2FDIDx.jpg?alt=media&#x26;token=ea331ed5-f7d5-4a08-811a-1c884575c44e">DIDx.jpg</a></td><td><a href="https://www.didx.co.za/">https://www.didx.co.za/</a></td></tr></tbody></table>