MCP
In short: MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is an open protocol for connecting AI agents to tools and data. An MCP client inside the agent talks to MCP servers that expose tools. MCP defines its own authorization based on OAuth 2.1, so identity is part of the protocol.
Where does it show up in practice?
The 28 July 2026 MCP specification introduced a stateless core and header routing for gateways.