No outlet can approve its own journalism on PressChain. There is no editorial override, no publisher bypass, no trust level that gets you through without public validation. Every article needs to earn its canonical status through a 72-hour public vote.This isn’t a popularity contest. It’s a structured, weighted, tamper-resistant process designed to reflect informed public judgment - not raw click volume.
Both must be true at the end of the 72-hour window:
60% Weighted Approval
At least 60% of all weighted votes must be “Yes.” Not raw votes - weighted votes. A verified journalist’s vote counts for more than a brand-new citizen’s.
5% Quorum
At least 5% of the total eligible weighted supply must participate. This prevents a tiny group from quietly approving content during off-hours.
If quorum isn’t met, the Capsule is rejected automatically - even if every single vote cast was “Yes.” This is the protocol’s protection against off-hours manipulation.
Votes are weighted based on three things:1. Your Role
Role
Base Weight
Citizen
1
Contributor
2
Reporter
3
Verified Author or Media Validator
4
2. Your Reputation (0.5× to 2.0×)Your reputation multiplier grows when:
You vote consistently over time
Your votes align with final court verdicts
You avoid spam behavior and inactivity
It shrinks when:
You disappear for long periods
Your votes frequently contradict court outcomes
You’re flagged for coordinated voting behavior
3. Your Bond Stability (1.0× to 1.15×)A small bonus for long-term bonded participants. This prevents someone from bonding PRESS specifically to influence one vote, then leaving. Short-term bonders get no stability premium.
Two voters both vote “Yes” on Maya’s article about the city council.
Voter
Role
Base
Reputation
Stability
Effective Weight
New Citizen
Citizen
1
1.0×
1.0×
1.0
Established Reporter
Reporter
3
1.8×
1.12×
6.05
The experienced Reporter’s vote counts for about 6× more than the new Citizen’s. This reflects the reality that not all judgment is equal - experience and track record matter.
The window closes automatically. No one pushes a button.
If weighted approval ≥ 60% AND quorum ≥ 5%: → Capsule ACCEPTED → Canonical → Distribution active → Badge appears on article: "✓ Canonical on PressChain"If either threshold not met: → Capsule REJECTED → Not Canonical → Article stays live on your site without the badge
Finalization is recorded on-chain. The outcome is public and permanent.
Every vote you cast becomes part of your reputation record. Specifically:
Consistent participation increases your reputation multiplier
Votes that align with court verdicts are scored positively after the fact
Inactivity causes slow decay
Spam patterns reduce your multiplier
Over time, voters with good judgment and consistent participation earn higher effective weight - which makes their votes matter more. This is the protocol’s way of rewarding good epistemic citizenship.
