The Uncovenanted Agent Problem

A manifesto for protocol-level trust in the agent economy

AI agents book flights, execute trades, manage infrastructure, negotiate contracts, and call other agents to do the same. By 2027, autonomous systems will manage trillions in economic value. Every one of them operates on a handshake.

There is no protocol-level mechanism for an agent to declare what it will do, prove that it did, or face consequences when it doesn't. We are building the most powerful autonomous systems in history on a foundation of trust me.

This is the Uncovenanted Agent Problem.

The question is not whether AI agents will manage trillions in economic value. The question is whether they will do so with any mechanism for accountability at all. Without a trust layer, every transaction is a leap of faith. Every integration is a vulnerability. Every delegation is a blind spot.

Kova changes that. A protocol that makes honesty the only rational strategy. Verifiable commitments for every AI agent. Carved in stone. Verified in code.