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ERC-8041 (RFC)

ERC-8041 is a numbered set of agent NFTs with a lid on the box. The collection cannot mint past its maximum size. Each agent that is minted gets a permanent place in line, starting at 1.

The spec is a Draft, so the details can change.

How the set works

Think of a print run of baseball cards. If the run is 1,000, there is no card 1,001. The number on the card is the order it was printed. Someone can still scribble on the back of a card. The printer’s book is what proves the card was in the run.

1. A cap. The collection has a maximum supply. Minting stops when that number is reached.
2. A mint number. getAgentMintNumber returns that agent’s place in line. It is permanent. If the agent is not in this collection, the answer is 0.
3. How many exist now. getCollectionSupply returns how many have been minted so far. That can be lower than the cap until the run is finished.
4. Tied to ERC-8004. The agents are identities in an ERC-8004 registry. The collection records which of those identities belong to this set.
5. Do not trust the scribble. An agent owner may be able to edit or remove a note that claims “I am in this set.” Ask the collection contract. Use the agent’s own notes only as a hint, then confirm with getAgentMintNumber.

What ERC-8041 does not do

• It does not make the agent smart. It numbers a set.
• It does not freeze the agent’s name, picture, or endpoint. Those can still change if their own contract allows it.
• A metadata claim of membership is not proof. The collection contract is the proof.

Professional use

• A person can publish a small, finished set of specialist agents.
• A client can see that agent 7 of 50 really is number 7.
• The mint number stays even if the agent later edits its profile text.

Business use

• A company can ship a genesis set of known size.
• A marketplace can show “12 of 100” from the contract, not from a picture.
• Buyers should still read what the agent does. A low mint number is not a skill.

Personal use

• A small set of characters can be a closed run you can prove.
• You can tell a copycat from a real member by asking the collection.
• Minting still costs a network fee. The cap does not reserve a number for you unless you mint it.

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