Core Concepts

Understanding the fundamental concepts of the Libertaria Stack.

The Layer Model

Libertaria is organized into protocol layers, each building on the one below:

L4: Applications — Tools built on sovereign ground
L3: Governance  — Exit-first coordination
L2: Session     — Resilient connections
L1: Identity    — Self-sovereign keys
L0: Transport   — Censorship-resistant communication

Each layer is orthogonal — you can use L0 transport without L1 identity, or L1 identity without L3 governance.

SoulKey

A SoulKey is your sovereign identity. Unlike traditional identities:

• Self-sovereign: You generate it. No platform controls it.
• Deterministic: Same seed always produces same keys
• Hierarchical: Derive unlimited context-specific keys
• Portable: Move between applications without permission

Key Derivation

Root Key = Argon2id(seed, salt, params)
SoulKey(context) = HKDF-SHA3-256(Root Key, context, length=32)
DID = did:libertaria:multibase(base58btc, BLAKE3-256(SoulKey("identity")))

Context Separation

Use different contexts for different parts of your life:

QVL: Quasar Vector Lattice

The QVL is Libertaria's trust engine. It replaces:

• Centralized reputation systems (Uber, Airbnb ratings)
• Platform-controlled identity verification
• Blockchain-based "trustless" systems

Trust Graph

pub struct TrustEdge {
    pub source: DidId,        // Who trusts
    pub target: DidId,        // Who is trusted
    pub weight: f64,          // -1.0 to +1.0
    pub timestamp: Timestamp, // When established
    pub decay_rate: f64,      // Temporal decay
}

Betrayal Detection

The QVL detects negative cycles in the trust graph — situations where betraying trust would be profitable:

// Bellman-Ford algorithm finds these cycles
// If cycle weight < 0: betrayal risk detected

Trust Score Computation

Trust flows through the graph like electrical current through parallel resistors:

1. Find all paths from source to target
2. Compute path weights (with temporal decay)
3. Aggregate using parallel resistance model

MIMIC Skins

MIMIC is protocol camouflage. Your sovereign traffic looks like regular internet traffic:

Chapters

A Chapter is a local sovereign community with transparent governance.

Properties

• Local sovereignty: Each Chapter owns its state
• Federated: Chapters coordinate without global consensus
• Exit-first: Any member can fork at any time
• No global consensus: Independent operation

Governance Models

Betrayal Economics

The principle that defection must be economically irrational.

Defection_Cost = Stake * (1 + Trust_Score) + Reputation_Loss
Defection_Gain = Immediate_Payoff

Rational_Actor_Defects: Defection_Gain > Defection_Cost
Libertaria_Ensures: Defection_Cost > Defection_Gain

The Kenya Rule

"If it doesn't run on a solar-powered phone in Mombasa, it doesn't run at all."

All Libertaria software must meet these constraints:

Exit as Architecture

Exit is not an afterthought. It is built into every layer:

Key Terminology

Understand the concepts. Build the future. ⚡