Anti-Spam Bonds

Unknown senders may be required to lock a small bond in USDG or, after launch, NULL.

The objective is to increase the cost of mass unsolicited messaging — not to create a payment requirement for normal conversations.

flowchart TD
    A[Unknown sender creates Knock] --> B[Optional bond locked]
    B --> C[Recipient reviews request]
    C --> D{Recipient decision}
    D -->|Accept| E[Bond returned]
    D -->|Reject| F[Bond returned under normal policy]
    D -->|Verified abuse| G[Penalty under transparent rules]

Bond principles

• existing contacts do not require bonds;
• recipients cannot freely confiscate deposits;
• penalties require defined abuse conditions;
• appeals must be available;
• bond values should adapt to abuse risk;
• free communication must remain possible;
• economic controls should complement, not replace, technical anti-spam systems.