abstract.
this protocol enables pricing and exchange of verified social capital. the underlying asset is attested trust within a high-context network. it provides financial primitives to formalize social graph dynamics.

mechanics.
social call options grant the right to escalate an interaction for a premium paid in social reputation. exercise is triggered by verifiable signals, such as validated code contribution or high-value introduction. trust swaps are bilateral contracts where two trusted nodes post collateral to introduce members of their respective graphs. contract settlement depends on the vitality score of the new link. group cohesion futures are prediction market contracts settling based on verifiable metrics like member retention or collaborative output frequency over a defined epoch. time-put options hedge against time wasters. a premium secures a future calendar slot or the premium is forfeited. access for new entrants is managed by a bonding curve pricing clout chaser entry at exponentially higher cost.

risk factors.
protocol integrity is threatened by collusion attacks to artificially inflate reputation scores and by signal forging. reputation contagion presents systemic risk where a single node default can trigger cascading trust failures.

musicians embedded unalterable composer data via the 'auralis' protocol. elara, a coder who'd seen her band's work stolen, led the initial auralis collective. they faced pressure from content cartels. legal threats and platform bans were constant. the code was open. small labels, then independent acts, adopted it. fans discovered direct payment channels. the cartels' grip on distribution loosened. intermediaries found themselves bypassed. people built the new system, piece by piece. it was slow, then all at once.