> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://yvechat.gitbook.io/wp/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://yvechat.gitbook.io/wp/sovereignty-model.md). # Sovereignty Model Sovereignty is a claim that can be checked. This page defines it precisely enough to be checked.
The position

Custody describes a physical fact about where data sits

*** ### The Four Layers ```mermaid graph LR K["Keys
credentials"] --> S(("Sovereignty")) D["Data
threads and files"] --> S I["Identity
your signature"] --> S C["Compute
where the model runs"] --> S ``` *** #### 1) Key Sovereignty **Status: Available for tool credentials. Planned for hosted model providers.** **The guarantee today.** Credentials for configured tools, including the web search provider, stay inside the Engine process on the user's machine. They reach no YveChat server. **What runs without any key at all.** A local model served by Ollama needs no credential of any kind. The strongest form of key sovereignty is the case where no key exists. **What is planned.** Full hosted-provider credential management, covering the major model providers. One configuration path exists today, for an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Broader provider support is Planned. **How to verify it.** Inspect outbound network traffic from the Engine. With a local model selected and search disabled, no outbound request leaves the machine. *** #### 2) Data Sovereignty **Status: Available.** **The guarantee.** Conversations persist to a SQLite database that YveChat Engine manages on the user's computer. The file sits on the user's own disk. Deletion removes the data. **What it requires of you.** Backing up your own machine. The conversation database is the only copy, so your backup routine is the durability guarantee. **What is planned.** User-configurable external storage, which will let you place that database in a location of your choosing. Until then, storage stays where YveChat Engine puts it. *** #### 3) Identity Sovereignty **Status: Available.** **The guarantee.** YveChat Engine manages profiles on the user's machine. Two sign-in methods are supported, and both resolve to a local profile. | Method | Behavior | | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Local account | A profile opened with credentials you set. Passwords are hashed with scrypt and require at least 12 characters | | Wallet authentication | Optional. Signing a challenge creates a local profile, or identifies an existing one | Wallet authentication is a convenience for people who prefer a signature to a password. Choosing a local account gives the same access to the same workspace. **What it requires of you.** Custody of whichever credential you choose. A local account depends on your password, and a wallet profile depends on your wallet. **What it does not do.** A wallet signature identifies a profile. Encryption of stored data is a separate concern, and the signature performs no encryption on its own. Source: [ERC-4361](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4361) *** #### 4) Compute Sovereignty **Status: Available.** **The guarantee.** A model served locally through Ollama produces responses without contacting any provider. For those conversations the entire exchange stays on the machine. Local image generation through ComfyUI behaves the same way. **What it requires of you.** Hardware capable of serving the model. Local execution consumes your electricity, your memory, your storage, and your processing time, and those costs stay with you. Locally runnable models sit measurably behind the largest hosted models on capability. That gap is quantified in [Limitations](/wp/product-scope/limitations.md), and [System Requirements](/wp/getting-started/system-requirements.md) covers the hardware tradeoffs. *** ### The Sovereignty Ladder Each rung increases custody and increases what the user carries. | Rung | Configuration | Reaches a third party | Status | | ---- | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | | 1 | Hosted models, keys held by a platform | Prompts, output, credentials | The arrangement this project replaces | | 2 | Hosted models, your keys via the Engine | Prompts and output, to your provider | Planned | | 3 | Local model, Engine-managed local storage | Nothing | Available | Rung three is available today, and it is the rung that carries the full position. Rung two waits on hosted-provider credential management, which is Planned. {% hint style="success" %} Sovereignty is measured by what leaves the machine. At rung three, the answer is nothing. {% endhint %} *** Four layers. Each one verifiable, each one carrying a cost, each one stated. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://yvechat.gitbook.io/wp/sovereignty-model.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. 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