How an exchange works
Every exchange on the network is the same shape: a request that states who is asking, under what authority, and what they need, and a response in a defined envelope. What makes it safe and predictable is a small set of named patterns the network enforces.
Identify-and-Refine
Instead of asking for everything up front, an exchange runs in two steps: first confirm whether a counterparty holds the subject and how they identify it, then make a narrow follow-up scoped to exactly what's needed. Less noise, less exposure.
Data minimization by progressive disclosure
The only mandatory answer is the minimal one: a yes/no, an identifier. Everything beyond that is disclosed step by step, so the total data shared across an investigation is the least that answers the question.
Human-in-the-loop release
A response can be held for a person to approve before it leaves the responding organization. That is accountability built into the exchange, not bolted on after.