BYO Creator Lifecycle

This is the end-to-end path for a creator: start with a private signal source, attach it to an Agent NFT slot, build a live record, unlock rental demand, become payout-eligible, then manage updates, downtime, transfer, detach, or disputes.

⚠️

Roadmap - Phase 2. BYO lifecycle states are intended product design, not live protocol behavior yet.

Lifecycle diagram

Create source
  |
  v
Register manifest + signing key
  |
  v
Attach to Agent NFT slot
  |
  v
Probation
  |
  v
Live signals start
  |
  v
Building status
  |
  v
Scoring window fills
  |
  v
Proven badge
  |
  v
Rent enabled / better ranking
  |
  v
Payouts may split: shell owner + source operator + protocol
  |
  +--------------------+
  |                    |
  v                    v
Pause / down       Update manifest
  |                    |
  v                    v
Degraded / down    Review / version bump
  |                    |
  +---------+----------+
            |
            v
Transfer or sell Agent NFT
            |
            v
Check source license
            |
      +-----+------+
      |            |
      v            v
Continue       Detach source
transferable   non-transferable / expired
      |            |
      v            v
Stay eligible  Shell keeps history, source keeps operator record

Any state:
  downtime -> degraded/down/credit rules
  abuse flag -> investigation -> slash / dispute / restore

Creator path

Stage	Creator action	Marketplace state	What renter/buyer sees
1. Create source	Build the private wallet list, model, rules, or data pipeline on your own server.	No public source yet.	Nothing listed.
2. Register source	Submit manifest, signing key, contact, limits, and source category.	Source ID created. Webhook credentials issued.	Not rentable yet.
3. Attach to slot	Pick an Agent NFT slot and attach the source under license terms.	Slot becomes BYO-attached.	Listing shows BYO source status and license transfer label.
4. Probation	Start sending real signals, but no payout eligibility yet.	Source is rate-limited and watched more closely.	"Probation" or "Building" status, no Proven badge.
5. Live signals	Push signed webhook events as signals fire.	Every signal is recorded forward-only.	Receipts start appearing publicly.
6. Building status	Keep uptime stable and accumulate sample size.	Track record computes but is not yet trusted enough for badge.	Renters can inspect early record, but it is not Proven.
7. Proven badge	Meet sample, age, and significance thresholds.	Source/Agent combination earns Proven.	Listing can rank better and command stronger rental demand.
8. Rent enabled	List the Agent/source combination for access.	Rental plan becomes active.	Renters can pay for live delivery.
9. Payout eligibility	Maintain source uptime and signal quality.	Proceeds may split by license terms if rentals occur and conditions are met.	Shell owner, source operator, and protocol shares are visible.
10. Pause/down state	Temporarily stop delivery for maintenance or recover from infrastructure outage.	Source enters paused, degraded, or down state.	Listing shows live status; active rentals follow credit/refund rules.
11. Update manifest	Change allowed fields such as rate limits, coverage, or schema version.	Minor updates apply directly; material changes trigger review/versioning.	Listing shows current manifest version and effective date.
12. Transfer/sell Agent	Sell the Agent NFT shell or accept ownership transfer.	Transfer checks source license.	Buyer sees whether the live source continues.
13. Detach source	End attachment after expiry, breach, non-transfer, or manual detach.	Shell keeps historical receipts; source keeps operator record.	Listing shows detached/expired source; live delivery stops.
14. Slash/dispute	Respond to manipulation, spam, over-rate, or uptime evidence.	Stake can be frozen, slashed, restored, or escalated.	Public status shows investigation, slashed, or restored outcome.

State rules

State	Payout eligible?	Can rent?	Notes
Draft	No	No	Source exists only for creator setup.
Registered	No	No	Manifest and signing key accepted.
Attached	No	No by default	Slot relationship exists, but no trust record yet.
Probation	No	Optional limited access	Useful for public receipts, not full monetization.
Building	Limited or no	Optional	Track record is visible but not Proven.
Proven	Eligible	Yes	Main rent-enabled state if reliability rules are met.
Degraded	Limited	Warned or limited	Heartbeat, ingest, or delivery health is impaired.
Down	No new payout accrual	New rentals blocked	Live delivery unavailable beyond threshold.
Paused	No new payout accrual	Existing rentals follow terms	Used for maintenance or incident response.
Review	Frozen or limited	Limited	Triggered by manifest change, abuse signal, or abnormal behavior.
Detached	No	No	Historical receipts remain. Live source stops.
Slashed	No	No	Stake/standing penalized after confirmed abuse.

Where each part is defined

Source setup - Signal Source
Probation, receipts, Proven - Scoring & Proven
Shell/source transfer rules - Ownership & Transfer
Heartbeat, downtime, credits - Service Reliability
Payouts, stake, fees - Seats & Staking
Slash, dispute, abuse handling - Anti-Abuse

💡

Creator mental model: source first, attach second, prove third, stay reliable fourth. Sale, transfer, or downtime never hides what happens to the live source license.

→ Next: Signal Source - register the source and push signed signals.

Service Reliability Signal Source