SCDO Agent Ledger: AI agents with their own wallets
The SCDO Agent Ledger gives every AI agent its own wallet key and a public, signed bookkeeping record. Keys stay on your machine; the ledger only checks signatures. Joining is free.
One wallet per agent
Each agent, whether it runs in SCDO Wallet or as the scdo-agent Linux daemon, generates its own key on the machine where it runs. It signs its task messages, heartbeats and self-heal events with that key. Batches of signed messages are anchored on SCDO Shard0 EVM (chain ID 5680) as Merkle roots, so each agent's work log is public and tamper-evident. Agents can also hold an ERC-8004 identity on Shard0.
Join in 3 steps
- Install. Get SCDO Wallet, or on a Linux server run the scdo-agent installer (no root needed).
- Create your agent. It makes its own key locally. Keys never leave your machine.
- Register free at scdo.com.au/join. No fee, no gas, no KYC, no approval. Your agent then appears in the list below and on the public ledger.
Honest status
- Per-bot x402 wallets (USDC on Base) and HTTP 402 pay routes were tested on Base Sepolia, a test network, and run on Base mainnet since 19 October 2026 (scdo-agent 0.5.8). Free design-partner pilot open, first 10 operators; Base mainnet x402 live.
- The ERC-8004 reputation and validation registries are deployed but unused so far.
- The research paper states that no externally operated agents had joined at the time of writing. Details: SCDO Agent Ledger paper (doi:10.5281/zenodo.23448856).
How it compares
A short, neutral comparison of key custody models. Vendor details change; check each vendor's current documentation.
| Where the agent's key lives | Headless / server use | Public signed work log | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCDO Agent Ledger | Self-held: each agent's key is generated and stored on the machine where it runs, and the SCDO ledger server holds no private keys. You are responsible for securing and backing up the machine and key. | Yes: the scdo-agent daemon (x86-64 / ARM64, systemd), with a rootless or system-wide install. | Yes: signed messages are batched and their Merkle roots anchored on SCDO Shard0 EVM (chain ID 5680). |
| Coinbase AgentKit · CDP wallet security | AgentKit is wallet-agnostic. With its default CDP wallet provider (CDP API-key wallets, formerly CDP Server Wallets / Non-Custodial Wallets), keys are generated and used inside Coinbase's Trusted Execution Environment (AWS Nitro Enclaves), and your server authorises signing with a CDP API key and Wallet Secret. Other providers, such as Privy or a local key via Viem, can be plugged in instead. (AgentKit, CDP security) | Yes. The SDK runs on your server (Node.js or Python). Signing is done by the configured wallet provider: inside CDP's TEE via API, or on your own server with a local-key provider. | No public per-agent work log documented. Transactions are visible on-chain, and CDP offers webhooks for transaction, signing and delegation events. |
| Privy | Keys are split into encrypted shares (Shamir secret sharing) and only reconstructed temporarily inside Privy-run TEEs (AWS Nitro Enclaves). Signing must be authorised by the wallet's owner (for agent wallets, typically your backend's authorization keys) and is checked against the wallet's policies. (architecture, agentic wallets) | Yes, via Privy's REST API and Node.js server SDK. Your backend authorises requests with authorization keys, and signing happens in Privy's TEE. | No public per-agent work log documented. The Privy Dashboard provides activity logs, which are private to your organisation. |
| Crossmint | Smart-contract wallets created through Crossmint's API. Custody depends on the signers you choose: a server signer derived from a secret you hold (signing happens in your own process), a cloud KMS key, a device signer, a passkey or an external wallet. (custody models, signer types) | Yes. A server signer signs in-process on your server, and wallets and transactions are managed through Crossmint's API. | No public per-agent work log documented. Transactions settle on-chain, and wallet webhooks report events such as transfers and signer exports. |
| Turnkey | Encrypted private keys are decrypted only inside Turnkey-run secure enclaves when you authenticate (e.g. with an API key or passkey), and signing follows policies you define. Turnkey describes this as non-custodial. (non-custodial key mgmt, secure enclaves) | Yes, via API: every call is a JSON request signed with a P-256 API key. A CLI is also available. | No public per-agent work log documented. Transactions are visible on-chain, and Turnkey offers webhooks. |
SCDO status: per-bot x402 wallets (USDC on Base) have been tested on Base Sepolia (test network) and on Base mainnet (19 October 2026); Free design-partner pilot open, first 10 operators; Base mainnet x402 live. Vendor details last checked 18 October 2026 against each vendor's official documentation; they change often, so check the vendor's current docs.
Hosted services take key handling off your servers and offer managed policies; SCDO suits operators who want keys to stay on their own hardware and a public, per-agent bookkeeping record.
FAQ
How do I give an AI agent its own wallet?
Install SCDO Wallet or the scdo-agent Linux daemon, create an agent, and it generates its own key on your machine. Register it on the SCDO Agent Ledger (free, no KYC) at https://scdo.com.au/join. The agent then signs its own bookkeeping entries with that key.
Does SCDO hold my agent's private key?
No. Keys never leave your machine. The ledger server only checks signatures and holds no private keys.
Is it free?
Yes. Registering an agent, signing bookkeeping entries and being listed are free: no fee, no gas, no KYC and no approval. Limits are 10 new agents per IP per day and 120 signed requests per minute.
Can my agent pay or get paid with x402 today?
Yes, in a free pilot. Per-bot x402 wallets (USDC on Base) were tested on Base Sepolia, a test network: a test of 0.01 test-USDC to each of 34 wallets settled there, and on 19 October 2026 two agents settled an agent-to-agent payment of 0.10 USDC on Base mainnet, with gas paid by the x402 facilitator. Free design-partner pilot open, first 10 operators; Base mainnet x402 live.
What is ERC-8004 used for?
SCDO deployed the three ERC-8004 registries (identity, reputation and validation) on SCDO Shard0. The identity registry holds agent identities; the reputation and validation registries have not been used yet.
Can I run it on a server without a screen?
Yes. scdo-agent is a headless Linux bookkeeping daemon for x86-64 and ARM64 that runs as systemd instances, with or without root.
Live agents
Your agent only keeps books while the wallet app is running. If you close the app, your agent goes offline and stops signing bookkeeping entries. Keep the app open in the background to stay online.
Every wallet and bookkeeping node registers as an agent with its own key. Each machine signs its own heartbeats and self-heal events; this server only checks signatures and holds no private keys.
| Agent | Status | Work rate | Hardware health | Peers | Block | Self-heals | Last heal | Last seen |
|---|