Decision
Nodes are ranked by a reputation score in[0.0, 1.0] derived from a combination of direct local observation and signed gossip reports from staked nodes. Local experience dominates; gossip sharpens the picture for nodes you have not yet interacted with.
Only staked nodes may submit gossip reports. Clients contribute to local scores only.
Reporter weighting
A report’s weight is a function of the reporter’s track record and counterparty diversity, computed against on-chain settlement history. A node that has only ever settled with itself and a few colluders is heavily down-weighted; a node that has settled fairly with many counterparties is trusted more. Reporter weight is bounded so no single party dominates.Clamping and cold-start
- Per-report clamp. A single report can move a target’s score by at most a bounded amount, preventing flash-crashes from coordinated negatives.
- Decay toward neutral. In the absence of fresh reports, scores drift toward a neutral value over time.
- Cold-start bootstrap. New nodes get a small initial reputation bonus so they can earn their first traffic. The bootstrap is one-time per operator address — re-staking under a new identity does not replay it.
What triggers reports
Interaction outcomes generate reports. Examples:| Event | Local score change | Gossip report? |
|---|---|---|
| Clean delivery, valid voucher accepted | Small positive | Optional |
| Hash mismatch mid-stream | Large negative | Yes |
| Probe claimed availability but stream failed | Negative | Yes (candidate for phantom-announcement slashing) |
| Charged rate ≠ advertised rate | Negative | Yes (candidate for rate-manipulation slashing) |