# 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.

***

### 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`

***

### 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.

***

### 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>


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.cheqd.io/product/sdk/aca-py.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.