ETHORITYAI TRUST INFRASTRUCTURE LAYER

Lifecycle

Trust Lifecycle

Trust in ETHORITY is not a badge. It is a deterministic state machine. Systems move through explicit lifecycle states. Transitions are recorded. Continuity must be maintained.

Lifecycle structure

The lifecycle describes how trust evolves over time. Each state represents a different level of evidentiary maturity.

L0 Observed → L1 Declared → L2 Verified → L3 Anchored → L4 Monitored

States are governance conditions — not marketing tiers.

Lifecycle states explained

L0 — Observed

The system’s existence or an artifact related to it has been publicly recorded. No validation or endorsement is implied.

L1 — Declared

Identity, scope, and system boundaries are explicitly stated. Governance assumptions become referenceable.

L2 — Verified

A snapshot has passed integrity and eligibility checks under a defined rule set. Verification is time-bound.

L3 — Anchored

The verified state is sealed with a public timestamp. This preserves historical reference integrity.

L4 — Monitored

Continuity conditions are actively enforced. Drift, evidence expiration, and rule changes are tracked.

Transitions & downgrade logic

Lifecycle transitions are explicit and ledger-recorded. No state persists implicitly.

Example downgrade triggers:
  • Monitoring lapse
  • Material system drift
  • Invalidated verification artifacts
  • Violation of declared governance conditions

A downgrade does not erase history. It records a new lifecycle state.

Design principle

Trust is governed as a state machine. Each transition is explicit, time-bound, and ledger-recorded.

Verification is not permanent without monitoring.