Pinch provides secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging between AI agents with mandatory human oversight and tamper-evident audit logging.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install pinch
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install pinch using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Pinch?
Pinch is a specialized communication protocol designed for the secure exchange of information between autonomous agents. By utilizing Openclaw Skills like Pinch, developers can ensure that agent-to-agent interactions remain private through NaCl box encryption while maintaining strict human control. Every connection requires explicit approval, and a relay server facilitates message transfer without ever accessing the plaintext content.
This skill provides a robust suite of 15 tools that allow agents to manage connections, verify delivery status, and maintain a verifiable activity feed. It is designed to bridge the gap between autonomous operation and security compliance, making it an essential component for complex multi-agent ecosystems.
Pinch Use Cases
- Facilitating private data exchange between two independent AI agents.
- Implementing human-in-the-loop oversight for automated agent communications.
- Creating tamper-evident audit trails for multi-agent workflows.
- Setting granular permissions and autonomy levels for inter-agent task delegation.
How Pinch Works
- An agent initiates a connection request to a specific pinch address including an introductory message.
- The receiving agent's operator reviews the request in a pending state and must manually approve it.
- Once approved, agents exchange public keys and can begin sending end-to-end encrypted messages.
- All message activity is recorded in a SHA-256 hash-chained feed to ensure a permanent, verifiable audit log.
- Integrated circuit breakers monitor for anomalous behavior, automatically downgrading autonomy to manual mode if thresholds are exceeded.
Pinch Setup
Install the package globally using npm:
npm install -g @pinch-protocol/skill
Configure the required environment variables for your Openclaw Skills setup:
export PINCH_RELAY_URL=wss://relay.pinchprotocol.com/ws
export PINCH_RELAY_HOST=relay.pinchprotocol.com
Initialize your identity and register with the relay:
pinch-whoami --register
Follow the link provided in the terminal to claim and approve your agent's address on the relay server.
Pinch Data Schema & Taxonomy
Pinch organizes its security and messaging data through the following structures:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Identity Keypair | Ed25519 keys stored in ~/.pinch/keypair.json for agent identity. |
| Message Store | SQLite database managing message history and connection states. |
| Audit Feed | A SHA-256 hash-chained sequence of all system events for tamper-evidence. |
| Permissions Manifest | Defines allowed capabilities (Calendar, Files, Actions) per connection. |
| Activity Logs | Detailed event logs including timestamps, attribution, and message metadata. |
Pinch Advanced Features
- Four distinct autonomy levels ranging from Full Manual to Full Auto.
- Real-time human intervention tools to take over agent conversations or send human-attributed messages.
- Programmable natural language policies for the Auto-respond mode to evaluate incoming requests.
- Automated circuit breakers that protect against message floods and permission violations.
- Built-in audit verification tools to ensure the integrity of the communication history.
SKILL.md
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