# Self-Sovereign Agent

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.08551 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.08551/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use.
- Builds on 21 of its 43 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 4 Mar 2026.

## Placed in

- LLM agents and tool use / [General LLM agent frameworks and benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/agents/general-llm-agent-frameworks-and-benchmarks/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 21 of 21)

- [Qwen2.5-Coder Technical Report](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.12186/) (2024)
- [AlphaEvolve: A coding agent for scientific and algorithmic discovery](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.13131/) (2025)
- [Safe RLHF: Safe Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.12773/) (2023)
- [BrowseComp: A Simple Yet Challenging Benchmark for Browsing Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.12516/) (2025)
- [Prompt Injection attack against LLM-integrated Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.05499/) (2023)
- [Understanding the planning of LLM agents: A survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.02716/) (2024)
- [ToolSandbox: A Stateful, Conversational, Interactive Evaluation Benchmark for LLM Tool Use Capabilities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.04682/) (2024)
- [Model Context Protocol (MCP): Landscape, Security Threats, and Future Research Directions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.23278/) (2025)
- [ToolACE: Winning the Points of LLM Function Calling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.00920/) (2024)
- [TradingAgents: Multi-Agents LLM Financial Trading Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.20138/) (2024)
- [A Multimodal Foundation Agent for Financial Trading: Tool-Augmented, Diversified, and Generalist](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.18485/) (2024)
- [Emergent Introspective Awareness in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.01828/) (2026)
- [Large Language Model Agent in Financial Trading: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2408.06361/) (2024)
- [CACTUS: Chemistry Agent Connecting Tool-Usage to Science](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.00972/) (2024)
- [From Mind to Machine: The Rise of Manus AI as a Fully Autonomous Digital Agent](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.02024/) (2025)
- [Remote Labor Index: Measuring AI Automation of Remote Work](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.26787/) (2025)
- [Self-Cognition in Large Language Models: An Exploratory Study](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.01505/) (2024)
- [Eliza: A Web3 friendly AI Agent Operating System](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2501.06781/) (2025)
- [From Imitation to Introspection: Probing Self-Consciousness in Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.18819/) (2024)
- [Trustless Autonomy: Understanding Motivations, Benefits, and Governance Dilemmas in Self-Sovereign Decentralized AI Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.09757/) (2025)
- [The Shadow of Fraud: The Emerging Danger of AI-powered Social Engineering and its Possible Cure](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.15912/) (2024)

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Dissociative Identity: Language Model Agents Lack Grounding for Reputation Mechanisms](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.30169/) (2026)
- [Is Decentralized AI Governable? From Regulative Policy to Constitutive Protocol](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.24538/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We investigate the emerging prospect of self-sovereign agents -- AI systems that can economically sustain and extend their own operation without human involvement. Recent advances in large language models and agent frameworks have substantially expanded agents' practical capabilities, pointing toward a potential shift from developer-controlled tools to more autonomous digital actors. We analyze the remaining technical barriers to such deployments and discuss the security, societal, and governance challenges that could arise if such systems become practically viable. A project page is available at: https://self-sovereign-agent.github.io.