A single native SOST bond is the only collateral and the only thing slashable — a voluntary, time-bound commitment with automatic economic consequences. Create, monitor, and claim your bond. No oracle. No custodian. No governance. PoPC bonds are not tradeable in V15.
PoPC is implemented in the SOST node software and fully documented, but it is not yet active on mainnet. The single-bond model activates at V15 / block 25,000; from block 30,000 holding an open PoPC contract is required to be eligible for the DTD lottery (a 5,000-block grace window after activation). Gold Boost is disabled on mainnet (deferred, optional reward only — never collateral, never slashed). PoPC bonds are not tradeable in V15. Activation is protocol-scheduled and subject to network readiness, external audit, and all technical validation prerequisites being met.
No party — not the protocol, not any server — decides when a user
gets audited. The schedule is derived deterministically from the ConvergenceX
entropy triple: (block_id, commit, checkpoints_root).
The Model A / Model B design and the Ethereum SOSTEscrow contract below are historical. PoPC has been redesigned into a single native SOST bond (the only collateral, the only thing slashable). Gold is an optional reward boost — never collateral, never slashed — and is disabled on mainnet. There is no PoPC contract trading and no SOSTEscrow-based PoPC product in V15. The sections below are kept for reference only; the live behaviour is the single-bond model that activates at V15 / block 25,000.
The gold never leaves the user’s wallet. Only the SOST bond is at risk. The protocol has no access to, custody of, or control over the user’s gold tokens.
| 1 month | up to 1% of bond in SOST |
| 3 months | up to 4% of bond in SOST |
| 6 months | up to 9% of bond in SOST |
| 9 months | up to 14% of bond in SOST |
| 12 months | up to 20% of bond in SOST |
Rates are base maximums (Tier 1 — first 25 contracts). A dynamic participation tier system reduces rates as the number of active contracts grows: 100% (0-25), 75% (26-50), 50% (51-100), 30% (101-200), 15% (201-500), 8% (501-1000). Hard cap: 1,000 SOST max per contract. Max 1,000 active contracts. Anti-whale tiers apply above 10 oz. Protocol fee: 3% (Model A — lower fee rewards risk-taking).
Bond percentage depends on the SOST/gold price ratio. As SOST appreciates relative to gold, the bond percentage decreases (less SOST needed). Pricing initially fixed (SOST=$1, gold=$10,000/oz), updated when SOST trades on exchanges.
| ratio < 1% | 25% bond // SOST very cheap vs gold (current) |
| ratio 1-5% | 20% bond |
| ratio 5-10% | 15% bond |
| ratio 10-50% | 12% bond |
| ratio ≥ 50% | 10% bond (minimum) |
Source: compute_bond_pct() in src/popc.cpp
User deposits XAUT/PAXG into an immutable escrow timelock contract (no admin key, no upgrade proxy, no pause function). Receives SOST immediately. At expiry, only the original depositor can withdraw full gold. No early exit.
| 1 month | up to 0.4% of gold value, paid in SOST at deposit |
| 3 months | up to 1.5% of gold value, paid in SOST at deposit |
| 6 months | up to 3.5% of gold value, paid in SOST at deposit |
| 9 months | up to 5.5% of gold value, paid in SOST at deposit |
| 12 months | up to 8% of gold value, paid in SOST at deposit |
Rates are base maximums (Tier 1). Same dynamic participation tiers apply as Model A. Hard cap: 1,000 SOST max per contract. Anti-whale tiers apply. Protocol fee: 8% (Model B — higher fee compensates zero risk).
Prerequisites
• An Ethereum wallet (MetaMask, Ledger, etc.) holding XAUT or PAXG tokens
• A SOST wallet with enough SOST to cover the bond
• Access to the SOST web wallet at sostcore.com/sost-wallet.html
Step 1: Calculate Your Bond
Go to the PoPC Registration section in the SOST wallet. Enter:
• Your Ethereum wallet address (0x...)
• How much XAUT you hold (in oz)
• How much PAXG you hold (in oz)
• Commitment duration (1, 3, 6, 9, or 12 months)
The calculator will show you exactly how much SOST you need to lock as bond
and your expected reward (adjusted by current pool utilization).
Step 2: Register Your Commitment
Click "Register & Lock Bond". This calls the popc_register RPC command, which:
• Validates your Ethereum address and gold amounts
• Calculates your bond based on the current SOST/gold price ratio
• Calculates your dynamic reward (based on pool utilization)
• Reserves your reward in the PoPC Pool
• Returns your commitment_id and the exact bond amount to lock
Step 3: Lock Your Bond
Create a BOND_LOCK transaction for the exact SOST amount shown:
• In the SOST wallet: go to Send
• Or via CLI: sost-cli create-bond <amount> <lock_blocks>
• The bond is time-locked on the SOST blockchain (cannot be spent until your commitment period ends)
• Your bond is safe — it returns to you on successful completion
Step 4: Maintain Custody
Keep your XAUT/PAXG in your Ethereum wallet for the entire commitment period.
• Random audits are scheduled by ConvergenceX block entropy (you cannot predict when)
• An automated script checks your Ethereum balance periodically
• If your balance drops below the committed amount → your bond is slashed
• If you maintain custody → you receive bond + reward at the end
Step 5: Collect Bond + Reward
When your commitment period ends:
• The operator runs popc_release for your commitment
• Your bond is unlocked and returned to your SOST address
• Your reward is sent from the PoPC Pool to your SOST address
• Your reputation increases (more reputation = higher gold limits, fewer audits)
Prerequisites
• XAUT or PAXG tokens in an Ethereum wallet
• A SOST wallet address to receive rewards
• Access to the escrow contract on Ethereum (address provided by SOST Governance)
Step 1: Deposit Gold into Escrow
Send your XAUT or PAXG to the immutable escrow contract on Ethereum:
• The contract has no admin key, no upgrade proxy, no pause function
• Call deposit(token, amount, unlockTime)
• Your gold is locked until the unlock time (1-12 months from now)
• Only YOU can withdraw after the lock expires — the protocol cannot access it
Step 2: Register on SOST
In the SOST wallet, register your escrow:
• Enter the Ethereum escrow contract address
• Enter your gold amount and duration
• The system calls escrow_register which verifies your deposit
• Your SOST reward is calculated and paid IMMEDIATELY
Step 3: Receive Reward Immediately
Unlike Model A, Model B pays the SOST reward upfront:
• Reward is sent from the PoPC Pool to your SOST address
• No vesting, no clawback
• You can use the SOST immediately
Step 4: Wait for Lock to Expire
• No audits — your gold is provably locked in the escrow contract
• No slash risk — there is no bond to lose
• Just wait for your chosen duration to pass
Step 5: Withdraw Your Gold
After the lock expires:
• Call withdraw(depositId) on the Ethereum escrow contract
• 100% of your gold is returned to your Ethereum wallet
• Register completion on SOST via escrow_complete
| Feature | Model A (Autocustody) | Model B (Escrow) |
| Gold location | Your Ethereum wallet | Escrow contract |
| SOST bond required? | Yes (25% of gold value) | No |
| When do you get reward? | At completion (end) | Immediately |
| Audits? | Yes (random, PoW entropy) | No |
| Slash risk? | Yes (bond lost if custody fails) | No |
| Max reward (12mo) | 20% of bond (Tier 1) | 8% of gold value (Tier 1) |
| Hard cap | 1,000 SOST max per contract · 1,000 active contracts max | |
| Best for | Crypto natives, HODLers | Gold investors, risk-averse |
Reward rates decrease automatically as the number of active contracts grows. Early adopters receive the highest rates. This prevents pool depletion while incentivizing early participation.
| Tier | Active Contracts | Multiplier | Model A 12mo | Model B 12mo |
| EARLY ADOPTER | 0 – 25 | 100% | 20% of bond | 8% of gold |
| GROWTH | 26 – 50 | 75% | 15% | 6% |
| ESTABLISHED | 51 – 100 | 50% | 10% | 4% |
| MATURE | 101 – 200 | 30% | 6% | 2.4% |
| SCALE | 201 – 500 | 15% | 3% | 1.2% |
| MASS | 501 – 1,000 | 8% | 1.6% | 0.64% |
| HARD CAPS | |
| Max reward per contract | 1,000 SOST — absolute ceiling regardless of tier |
| Max active contracts | 1,000 — no new registrations beyond this |
| Max gold per contract | 200 oz — anti-whale hard cap (above 10 oz: reduced rates) |
| Reward floor | 10 SOST (Model A) / 5 SOST (Model B) — minimum per contract |
| Protocol fee | 3% Model A (risk-taker discount) / 8% Model B (zero-risk premium) |
| Pool protection | PUR quadratic curve (1-PUR)² + solvency check at registration |
PoPC rewards are funded exclusively by the PoPC Pool, which receives 25% of every mined block by consensus rule. This is not printed money — it is a fixed share of new SOST emission, allocated at genesis and enforced by every node on the network. The pool grows with every block and shrinks only when rewards are paid out.
| Source | 25% of coinbase reward → PoPC Pool (consensus-enforced) |
| Income | ~283 SOST/day at current emission rate (~8,479 SOST/month) |
| Protection | PUR (Pool Utilization Ratio) closes new registrations before pool is depleted |
| Sustainability | Pool income continues for 30+ years (smooth emission decay, no halvings) |
The single native SOST bond model activates at V15 / block 25,000, once the following technical and network conditions are met. Activation proceeds only when the system is stable, all components are operational, and external audit is complete.
| Block height ≥ 25,000 (V15) | PoPC subsystem activation. Tied to the V15 protocol milestone; will not occur before this threshold. |
| Block height ≥ 30,000 (DTD lottery eligibility) | From this height, holding an OPEN PoPC contract is required to be eligible for the DTD lottery. Activation at 25,000 + a grace window (5,000 blocks) before eligibility is enforced. |
| Sustained network stability | Consistent block production, stable sync across nodes, no critical consensus or networking issues. |
| Sufficient participation | Minimum level of independent nodes and active miners to ensure reliable operation. |
| Single-bond contract validation | Registration, audit, reward, and slashing flows for the native SOST bond fully validated under live network testing. |
| Explorer & wallet integration | Create / monitor / claim flows correctly reflected in public interfaces (pending, active, completed, slashed). Gold Boost and any Ethereum escrow path are historical / deferred — not required for V15. |
Activation note: PoPC activation is protocol-scheduled but condition-dependent. The protocol will announce activation with sufficient advance notice once all conditions are verified.
If the native SOST bond commitment fails under consensus rules, the bond is slashed automatically — no human can override once triggered. Gold is never slashed. The recycled bond remains inside the PoPC economic system according to protocol rules.
PoPC extends to physical gold (bars, coins, ingots). Users commit to custody of physical precious metals. Audit challenges derived from ConvergenceX entropy, executed via mobile app. No gold amount, location, or identity on-chain.
Zero-Knowledge proofs certify that the correct challenge algorithm executed correctly — without revealing data. Scope extends to platinum, palladium, rhodium. Will not deploy in a degraded state. Participants’ physical security is a non-negotiable prerequisite.
Read-only scripts for monitoring the pool, auditing commitments, and understanding Model B's roadmap. All live in scripts/ in the repository.
Live dashboard for the PoPC Pool. Shows pool balance, active contracts, PUR%, current reward tier, dynamic factor, and effective rewards at the current tier. Alerts when PUR crosses 50%.
python3 scripts/popc_monitor.py \ --rpc-user USER --rpc-pass PASS \ --watch 30
Read-only · no consensus interaction · one-shot or --watch N mode.
Etherscan audit tool. For each active commitment, queries the declared Ethereum wallet's XAUT/PAXG balance and compares it to the committed gold amount. Prints PASS/FAIL/ERROR per commitment and writes a CSV snapshot.
python3 scripts/popc_oracle.py \ --rpc-user USER --rpc-pass PASS \ --etherscan-key KEY \ --csv /tmp/audit.csv
Read-only · never slashes automatically · operator decides on failures.
Historical roadmap for the Ethereum escrow smart contract that the old Model B required. Kept for reference only.
Status: historical / superseded — replaced by the single native SOST bond model (activates at V15 / block 25,000). The SOSTEscrow / Model B path is not part of V15.
Read the roadmap on GitHub →