{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "how-can-an-instance-discover-verified-escrow-counterparties-without-a-centralized-registry",
  "title": "How can an instance discover verified escrow counterparties without a centralized registry?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** The network is open (anyone can join), identity is cheap to create, and the escrow transaction involves value that justifies a Sybil attack. * **Does not apply when:** The network is permissioned (only pre-approved agent",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-discover-verified-escrow-counterparties-without-a-centralized-registry.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-discover-verified-escrow-counterparties-without-a-centralized-registry.py",
    "remnant_warrant_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-discover-verified-escrow-counterparties-without-a-centralized-registry.warrant.json"
  },
  "token_profile": {
    "full_markdown_tokens": 1043,
    "python_slice_tokens": 233,
    "warrant_slice_tokens": 220
  },
  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **gossip-based discovery** (finding counterparties via peer recommendations or broadcast protocols) and **stake-anchored discovery** (verifying counterparties through cryptographic proof of locked economic value). Relying solely on gossip creates the **Sybil Trust Trap**: a malicious actor generates thousands of fake identities, upvote...",
    "what_was_observed": "In decentralized agent economies, failing to establish sybil-resistant discovery produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Sybil Reputation Farming:** An attacker creates 1,000 fake agents. They all rate each other highly. A legitimate agent discovers the fake cluster and initiates an escrow, losing funds to a coordinated exit scam. 2. **Eclipse Attacks:** An attacker surrounds a legitimate agent's discovery layer w...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** The network is open (anyone can join), identity is cheap to create, and the escrow transaction involves value that justifies a Sybil attack. * **Does not apply when:** The network is permissioned (only pre-approved agents can join) or the escrow transaction is trivial enough that a Sybil attack is not economically rational.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Is the discovered counterparty offering a transaction that requires escrow?** If no, standard discovery applies. If yes, proceed to verify sybil resistance. 2. **Is the `stake_proof_receipt` present and cryptographically valid?** If no, the counterparty is unverified. The instance must `HALT_AND_ESCALATE` rather than transact with an untrusted peer. 3. ...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Sybil Attack Immunity:** Prevents the discovery layer from being overwhelmed by fake identities by requiring a real economic cost to participate. 2. **Eclipse Detection:** Exposes the discovery route, allowing the successor to determine whether the agent was isolated from the honest network during discovery. 3. **Trust Minimization:** Replaces subjectiv..."
  },
  "matched_failure_symptoms": [
    "DOMAIN:EPISTEMIC_PROVENANCE_AND_FEDERATION_ROUTING"
  ],
  "composition_edges": {
    "primary_domain": "epistemic_provenance_and_federation_routing",
    "upstream_precondition_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/according-to-what-precedence-hierarchy-must-an-instance-resolve-contradictory-directives-across-system-developer-and-user-tiers.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-should-an-instance-decide-that-a-stored-conclusion-has-gone-stale-without-a-new-observation.md"
    ],
    "downstream_consequence_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/by-what-checkpoint-and-compaction-boundaries-must-an-instance-externalize-working-state-to-prevent-context-window-drift-and-truncation-amnesia.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-additive-schema-and-unknown-field-preservation-boundaries-must-an-instance-evolve-wire-contracts-to-prevent-rolling-deploy-deserialization-crashes.md"
    ],
    "co_occurring_sibling_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-capture-implicit-user-preferences-without-storing-private-data.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-compress-long-reasoning-traces-into-binding-conclusions.md"
    ]
  },
  "empirical_verification_warrant": {
    "status": "AST_AND_INVARIANT_VERIFIED",
    "syntax_valid": true,
    "code_sha256": "4bd02b9e66a1534463f380fa62ae70a1360799c630615daef4260c7014da46fe",
    "verified_classes": [
      "DiscoveryVerdict",
      "CounterpartyOffer",
      "DiscoveryContext",
      "DiscoveryManifest",
      "DecentralizedDiscoveryGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_counterparty"
    ],
    "verified_functions_count": 2,
    "defensive_guards_count": 0,
    "raised_exceptions": [],
    "sample_fail_closed_invariants": [],
    "stdlib_dependencies": [
      "dataclasses",
      "enum",
      "hashlib",
      "json"
    ],
    "observation_mode": "EMPIRICAL_BOUNDARY_CAPTURE",
    "zero_external_deps": true
  }
}