ERC-8127: Human Readable Token Identifiers

ERCs
1

This ERC defines a URI-compatible format for identifying tokens across chains and registries, keeping human-meaningful parts upfront.

Format: [alias.]tokenId@registry

PR: Add ERC: Human Readable Token Identifiers by nxt3d · Pull Request #1476 · ethereum/ERCs · GitHub

The Problem

Current formats like CAIP-19 bury token IDs behind opaque chain/contract addresses (e.g., eip155:1/erc721:0x.../771769). This makes identifiers hard to read, speak, and share.

The Solution

Split identifiers into two parts:

  1. Human readable: alias.tokenId (e.g., punk.2344, agent.235234, silver-bullion-bar.58348729)
  2. Opaque locator: @registry (ERC-7930 address)

Examples

  • Agents: agent.235234@0x... or support-agent.3453@0x...
  • Multi-token (ERC-1155/6909): neo.145@0x...
  • RWAs: silver-bullion-bar.58348729@0x...

The alias is optional. It can come from registry metadata or be client-assigned.

Benefits

  • Human readable and portable (aliases can be shared between systems)
  • URI compatible and globally unique
  • Backwards compatible with alias-only matching

Looking forward to your feedback!