Governance and Upgrades
Governance defines how system-wide rules change and who may exercise administrative authority. Claim-specific evidence review remains part of Challenges and Disputes, not protocol governance.
Decision scope
Governance covers:
- Capability eligibility and claim standards;
- evidence and Verification requirements;
- Challenge, Settlement, bond, slash, burn, and reward parameters;
- protocol fees and ecosystem programs;
- Resolver and appeal frameworks; and
- upgrades, pauses, and emergency procedures.
Parameters and framework details are published before mainnet.
Non-retroactivity
A purchase remains governed by the Capability version and protocol rules in effect when it was made. Material Capability changes require a new version. Protocol changes receive a clear activation point and do not rewrite resolved transactions.
Open transactions follow the migration or exception rules attached to the governing upgrade.
Deployment requirements
Any component that can hold funds, change finality, select a Resolver, pause activity, or upgrade protocol logic must identify its controlling authority, approval path, key security model, and emergency powers. Administrative actions follow least-privilege and multi-party approval where the risk requires it, with durable records of changes and emergency intervention.