Squid Mode
Squid is an optional WaaP wallet mode whose key material is distributed across the Ika Network validator set rather than held in a single enclave. Signing requires a threshold of validators to cooperate. No single operator, including us, can produce a signature alone.
Everything else about the wallet behaves the same way. Squid transactions go through the same authorization gate as standard mode: exact chain bytes are verified before any decision, the Policy Engine authorizes against your spend limits and risk thresholds, and the resulting approval names one transaction and is used once.
Squid is opt-in and must be initialized explicitly. It is not a fallback for standard mode. An account can use both. Standard mode for everyday signing and Squid where distributed custody matters. And they have different addresses.
Signers
| Signer | Curve | Chains |
|---|---|---|
sqd1 | secp256k1 | EVM |
sqd2 | ed25519 | Sui, Solana |
A Squid account has its own addresses, separate from the account’s standard-mode t1 and
t2 addresses. Funds are not shared between modes. Send to the Squid address
to spend from Squid.
How it compares to standard mode
| Standard mode | Squid | |
|---|---|---|
| Key material | Held in an attested TEE | Split across the Ika validator set |
| Trust assumption | The enclave and its attestation | A threshold of Ika validators |
| Setup | Automatic on account creation | Explicit initialization |
| Signing latency | Lower | Higher. A distributed protocol round |
| Policy Engine gate | Yes | Yes, identical |
| Chains | EVM, Sui, Solana | EVM, Sui, Solana |
Choose standard mode when you want the fastest path and are comfortable with enclave custody. Choose Squid when you would rather no single party. Including human.tech. Hold the key material at all.
Integration paths
- Squid for Apps: browser dapps, via
initWaaPSquidin@human.tech/waap-sdk. - Squid for Agents: headless and CI, via the
waap-cli squidcommands.
Deployment
Squid commands and facades resolve their on-chain deployment from a reviewed manifest. Development and staging target test networks.
Production fails closed until its reviewed deployment is published. A Squid call in production errors rather than signing against an unreviewed deployment.
Related
- Core Architecture: enclave custody and the authorization gate
- Privileges: scoped, time-bounded autonomy, supported in both modes
- Supported Networks: chains available for signing