ABOUT · UPDATED 27 APRIL 2026
About Agent Compliance
Agent Compliance is the reference framework, scorecard, and advisory practice for firms deploying autonomous AI agents in regulated workflows. It was founded by Sebastian Heine in 2026.
The thesis is simple: compliance programs were not designed for autonomous AI agents, and the firms deploying them are flying blind. The Agent Compliance Framework gives Heads of Compliance, MLROs, and risk leaders a practical layer they can use now — before regulators publish formal guidance.
The founder
Sebastian Heine is Chief Compliance Officer & MLRO at MANTRA Chain — one of the world's leading regulated blockchain platforms — and Founder of Agent Compliance. A decade building compliance programs that survive real regulatory scrutiny: from KPMG advisory to CCO seats at crypto firms operating across four continents.
He writes weekly on the intersection of compliance, crypto, and AI at The SHeine Brief on Substack, with editorial home at sheine.ai.
Career
| 2023 – now | Chief Compliance Officer & MLRO | MANTRA Chain |
| 2022 – 2023 | Chief Risk & Compliance Officer | NORTHSTAKE |
| 2020 – 2022 | Compliance Lead, EMEA & MENA | Amber Group |
| 2018 – 2020 | Head of Compliance, Germany | eToro |
| 2015 – 2018 | Advisory | KPMG |
Why the founder matters for this firm
Agent Compliance sits at an intersection most consultancies cover only one of:
- Crypto compliance, deep. A decade across VASPs, CCO seats at firms holding live licences in the UAE, EU, and beyond. Not theoretical.
- AI governance, working knowledge. Active framework analyst across EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, and FCA AI guidance.
- Practitioner, not academic. Currently shipping AI-native compliance workflows inside a regulated firm. The framework is born from real implementation, not literature review.
What the firm does
1. The Agent Compliance Framework — free, public, citable
Twelve sections covering identity, action perimeter, audit trail, reversibility, vendor due diligence, performance monitoring, operational resilience, third-party risk, customer disclosure, data governance, sanctions screening, and incident response.
Read the Framework →2. The Agent Compliance Scorecard — 15-minute interactive assessment
A self-administered scoring tool that produces a personalised PDF report. Suitable for Compliance leads evaluating their firm's readiness before a board conversation.
Take the Scorecard →3. Advisory engagements — three productised packages
| Package | Duration | Investment |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic | 2 weeks | £18,000 |
| Implementation Sprint | 6 weeks | £45,000 |
| Fractional Officer | 6 or 12 months | £6-9k / month |
Editorial perspective
Reference content lives here. Editorial perspective — opinion, weekly news, regulator deltas — lives at The SHeine Brief on Substack and at sheine.ai. Cite this site for definitions; cite the Brief for perspective.
Get in touch
For advisory inquiries: take the Scorecard first — it produces a personalised report that anchors the discovery call. For media, speaking, or framework errata: hello@upgradecompliance.com.
Frequently asked
- Is the Agent Compliance Framework regulator-endorsed?
- No. The framework is independently published by Agent Compliance and is not formally endorsed by any regulator. It maps existing regulatory obligations under EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, FCA AI rules, VARA, and FATF guidance to twelve agent-specific dimensions.
- Who is the Scorecard for?
- Heads of Compliance, MLROs, and risk leaders at VASPs and mid-tier financial institutions evaluating or deploying autonomous AI agents in regulated workflows.
- How does Agent Compliance differ from generalist AI governance consultancies?
- Most AI governance practices speak the language of NIST RMF and ISO 42001 fluently but do not translate it into compliance vocabulary. Most compliance practices treat AI as a black box. Agent Compliance was built specifically to translate between them.
- How does this firm relate to MANTRA Chain?
- Sebastian's day role is CCO/MLRO at MANTRA Chain. Agent Compliance is a separate practice with no client overlap. Engagements are conducted in personal capacity outside MANTRA's regulated activities.