MOD-X: A Modular Open Decentralized eXchange Framework proposal for
  Heterogeneous Interoperable Artificial Agents
Authors: name: Georgios Ioannides, name: Christos Constantinou, name: Vinija Jain, name: Aman Chadha, name: Aaron Elkins

As Artificial Intelligence systems evolve from monolithic models to
ecosystems of specialized agents, the need for standardized communication
protocols becomes increasingly critical. This paper introduces MOD-X (Modular
Open Decentralized eXchange), a novel architectural framework proposal for
agent interoperability that addresses key limitations of existing protocols.
Unlike current approaches, MOD-X proposes a layered architecture with a
Universal Message Bus, thorough state management, translation capabilities, and
blockchain-based security mechanisms. We present MOD-X's architecture, compare
it with existing protocols, and demonstrate its application through a worked
example how it enables integration between heterogeneous specialist agents
(agents with different architectures, vendors, capabilities, and knowledge
representations--including rule-based systems, neural networks, symbolic
reasoning engines, and legacy software with agent wrappers). MOD-X's key
innovations include a publish-subscribe communication model, semantic
capability discovery, and dynamic workflow orchestration--providing a framework
that bridges theoretical formalism with practical implementation. This
architecture addresses the growing need for truly decentralized, interoperable
agent ecosystems that can scale effectively without the need for central
coordination.