Security & User Control
Cardano Smart AI is designed so users stay in control at every level of wallet interaction — from analysis to future autonomous capability.
Security and user control are part of the design from the first step. Cardano Smart AI deliberately separates wallet connection, cryptographic verification and transaction authorization, so every level of interaction is granted explicitly and on purpose.
This foundation shapes how Merkle's evolution from AI companion to Cardano AI Agent is being built.
A Deliberate Separation, Today
Connecting a wallet grants the read-only access the application needs to analyze balances, positions and activity. Cryptographic verification is requested only when wallet verification is actually required — never as part of connecting, and never as part of analysis.
Transaction authorization is a distinct capability with its own explicit step. This progressive model means each additional capability is introduced deliberately, with the appropriate authorization for that capability — and nothing is bundled implicitly into connecting a wallet.
Merkle's Gradual Evolution
Merkle's progression moves step by step from intelligence toward actions and automation:
Today, Merkle provides personalized Cardano intelligence and recommendations. Future stages will introduce deeper monitoring, user-approved actions and eventually automation — all built on the same foundation of explicit user control.
Permissions Defined by Users
Future autonomous functionality is intended to operate within rules and permissions established by the user. The main approaches currently being evaluated:
User-approved Actions
The AI finds or recommends an action, prepares it and the user approves it through their own wallet. This is the next stage of Merkle's evolution.
Delegated Wallet Permissions
Existing Cardano wallets may eventually provide ways for users to grant an AI Agent authority under specific conditions the user defines.
Dedicated AI Agent Wallets
A separate wallet can be funded specifically for an AI Agent, giving the user a clear, deliberate way to allocate the resources an Agent works with.
The final architecture is still being evaluated, and will develop alongside Cardano's agent and wallet infrastructure. As capabilities like Smart Swap and later Agent functionality ship, we will document the concrete permission models they use.