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Concept

What is attenuation in authorization?

Attenuation is narrowing a credential — adding restrictions the holder can apply but can never remove.

Add-only restrictions

A warrant is an ordered chain of signed blocks. To attenuate, you append a block of new caveats and sign it. Because each block's signature covers the next block's key, the chain can only be extended with more restrictions — editing, reordering, or dropping a block breaks verification. Authority is the logical AND of every caveat in the chain, so adding blocks can only shrink it.

Why it makes delegation safe

This is what lets one agent hand another less authority safely and offline. The delegator doesn't call a server; it just attenuates. The recipient — and any verifier — can confirm the sub-warrant is strictly weaker than its parent. Escalation is not policed; it's impossible.

Give your agents permission, not your keys.

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