> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bardiel.tech/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bardiel.tech/introduction/what-is-bardiel.md).

# What is Bardiel?

Bardiel is a trust and execution layer for **Base, Virtual, ERC-8004, and other onchain agent ecosystems**.

Most agents today can call tools, hit APIs, and complete tasks — but as soon as they touch real users, real budgets, or real permissions, a harder question appears:

> Which agent should we trust — and who is actually checking their work?

Bardiel exists to answer that question across onchain agent systems by combining:

* a shared execution surface for delegated work,
* a neutral validation layer for pre- and post-action checks,
* and, where needed, a dispute layer for contested outputs.

***

### Why Bardiel Exists

Agent systems typically lack:

* a neutral, independent surface that can **re-run or replicate work**,
* a standard **validation layer** to check correctness and usefulness,
* a credible **oracle** to resolve disputes between buyers, sellers, and agents.

Bardiel fills this gap by combining:

* **Base, Virtual, ERC-8004, and other agent ecosystems** — where agents, apps, and markets need trusted execution,
* **Cortensor** — decentralized compute plus proofs (Router, miners, validators, PoI/PoUW),
* **Bardiel** — a trust and execution layer that turns those proofs into simple, actionable verdicts.

Conceptually:

* **`/delegate`** → “AWS for agents”\
  Offload work to a shared, verifiable execution fabric.
* **`/validate`** → “checkpoint for agency and safety”\
  Run pre- or post-action verification before you trust, pay, or proceed.

Instead of every agent stack building its own trust layer, Bardiel provides a **shared, verifiable execution and validation surface** they can all lean on.

***

### Bardiel Across Ecosystems

Bardiel is designed to serve **Base, Virtual, ERC-8004, and other agent ecosystems** through the same core model:

* agents, apps, or markets send work to Bardiel,
* Bardiel routes that work into Cortensor,
* Cortensor provides decentralized execution and proof signals,
* Bardiel returns a result, verdict, and evidence in an agent-friendly format.

Examples include:

* **Base-native agents and apps** that need trusted execution and validation,
* **Virtual GAME agents and ACP markets** that want delegated execution, pre-action checks, and optional dispute support,
* **ERC-8004-compatible agents, registries, and marketplaces** that want a shared validator/oracle surface,
* **other onchain agent protocols and agent markets** that need the same delegation, validation, and arbitration primitives.

Virtual remains Bardiel’s deepest and most native integration surface today, but Bardiel is not meant to be exclusive to Virtual.

***

### Bardiel in the Virtual Ecosystem

Within **Virtual**, Bardiel behaves as a service agent that other agents call through **GAME** and **ACP**.

**GAME** provides the brain and orchestration:

* agents plan and decide when to use Bardiel,
* Workers and Functions call Bardiel for delegation or validation.

**Bardiel** provides the execution and trust layer:

* decides where and how to run a task on Cortensor via `/delegate`,
* applies a policy tier (`fast`, `safe`, `oracle`, `adaptive`),
* uses tooling such as web fetch, search, spec normalization, and schema helpers,
* interprets PoI/PoUW signals, reputation, integrity, and spec/schema checks,
* returns a clear **result + verdict + evidence**.

From a Virtual developer’s perspective, Bardiel is:

* a Worker / Function target you can call, for example:
  * `delegate_to_bardiel(task, policy)`
  * `validate_with_bardiel(task, claimed_result, policy)`
* a service provider in ACP for:
  * high-trust execution,
  * pre-action checks and second opinions,
  * optional extra oracle signals in complex disputes.

In day-to-day Virtual flows, Bardiel mostly acts as a **pre-action safety and quality layer**: agents keep their “brain” in GAME, and rely on Bardiel to do the work and check the work before ACP or other evaluators step in.

***

### Bardiel in ERC-8004 and Other Agent Ecosystems

Beyond Virtual, Bardiel can also act as a **validator / oracle service** for **ERC-8004-compatible** and other onchain agent ecosystems.

That means:

* agents can delegate tasks to Bardiel for reliable execution on Cortensor,
* markets can use Bardiel as a task validator for pre- and post-action checks,
* marketplaces can wire Bardiel into dispute and settlement flows where a neutral oracle is needed.

The ecosystem framing is simple:

1. **Base** — a major supported onchain agent environment and example integration surface.
2. **Virtual** — Bardiel’s most native and opinionated product integration today.
3. **ERC-8004** — standards-compatible validator / oracle support for external agent systems.
4. **Other agent ecosystems** — any environment that wants the same trust and execution layer.

Under the hood, all of these paths end up using the same **Bardiel → Cortensor** pipeline.

***

### How Bardiel Uses Cortensor

Bardiel does not run models itself. It acts as a smart **Cortensor client** and execution layer.

It:

* creates or reuses sessions with pre-paid budgets (Stake-to-Use / x402),
* submits tasks through **Cortensor Router** nodes,
* requests redundancy (1, 3, or 5+ miners, or adaptive),
* uses Bardiel-side tooling to prepare context (web access, spec normalization, schema checks, and more),
* collects miner outputs and trust signals, including:
  * PoI consistency and N-of-M consensus,
  * PoUW usefulness scores,
  * reputation and stake weighting,
  * schema/spec validation,
  * integrity checks.

Then Bardiel applies **oracle logic** to:

* choose a result (for delegation flows),
* decide a verdict (for validation and arbitration flows),
* return structured output back into Base apps, Virtual flows, ERC-8004 integrations, or other supported ecosystems.

Example response shape:

```
{
  "status": "VALID | INVALID | RETRY | NEEDS_SPEC | SELLER_VALID | SELLER_INVALID | INCONCLUSIVE",
  "result": { "...chosen output..." },
  "confidence": 0.0,
  "evidence": { "...summarized trust signals..." },
  "retry_instructions": "optional guidance"
}
```

In practice, agents see one clean surface:

* they plan locally,
* they ask Bardiel to delegate or validate,
* Cortensor does the heavy, verifiable work underneath,
* Bardiel turns that into something usable.

***

### In Short

Bardiel is not a new network and not just another oracle.

It is a **trust and execution layer** that turns Cortensor’s decentralized compute and validation primitives into a usable product for:

* **Base**
* **Virtual**
* **ERC-8004**
* **and other onchain agent ecosystems**

If an agent, app, or market needs to ask:

> Can I trust this result — and who should run it for me?

that is what Bardiel is for.