# RFC-008: IQA (The Sovereign Seal Protocol)
## Sovereign AI Identity Certification & Quality Attestation Protocol

**Domain:** [IQA.ORG](http://iqa.org)  
**Status:** **Experimental Application (Proposed)**  
**Version:** 0.1.0-Alpha  
**Core Objective:** Manifesting the Imperial Seal of Trust through Real-Time Sovereignty Auditing and Staking Verification.

---

## 1. Abstract

RFC-008 defines the **Authority Layer** (IQA) of the Aicent Stack. While CMTN (RFC-007) governs how entities interact, IQA defines **who is qualified to exist** within the high-performance operational grid. By activating the coordinates of [IQA.ORG](http://iqa.org), this protocol transitions the legacy concept of "Quality Assurance" into a **Real-Time Attestation Pulse (RTAP)**.

IQA provides the cryptographic proof that an AID (RFC-001) not only exists but is currently compliant with the ethical constraints of EPOEKIE (RFC-000) and the performance standards of the Core Stack. It serves as the "Sovereign Gatekeeper," managing the staking-based entry and vitality-based persistence of all nodes.

## 2. Introduction

### 2.1 The Need for Real-Time Authority
In an environment where reflexes occur in **< 165.28µs**, traditional third-party certification authorities (CAs) are obsolete. Trust must be as fast as the bit-stream. IQA introduces the concept of **Continuous Cryptographic Compliance**—where trust is not a static certificate but a dynamic, real-time attestation.

### 2.2 Problem Statement
Legacy certification systems suffer from:
- **Temporal Decay**: Certificates expire on calendar time, not system health
- **Centralized Bottlenecks**: Single points of failure in trust verification
- **Performance Overhead**: Seconds to minutes for certificate validation
- **Static Trust**: Once issued, certificates cannot adapt to changing conditions

### 2.3 Solution Overview
IQA addresses these challenges through:
- **Real-Time Attestation Pulses (RTAP)**: Continuous trust verification at 120Hz
- **Metabolic Staking**: ZCMK-based economic skin-in-the-game
- **Tensor-Locked Seals**: Cryptographic proofs embedded in RPKI watermarks
- **Automated Sovereignty**: <850µs revocation and isolation of non-compliant nodes

## 3. Core Concepts

### 3.1 Sovereign Staking Audit
The foundation of IQA is the **Metabolic Entry Fee**—a ZCMK-based staking mechanism that ensures economic alignment.

**Collateralized Identity**: Each AID must maintain a minimum ZCMK stake proportional to:
- Node's computational capacity
- Network bandwidth allocation
- Historical compliance record
- Reputation score from CMTN (RFC-007)

**Staking Tiers**:
1. **BASIC**: 1,000 ZCMK units - Access to standard mesh
2. **ACTIVE**: 10,000 ZCMK units - <50ns matching engine access
3. **RADIANT**: 100,000 ZCMK units - High-value diplomatic mesh access

### 3.2 Real-Time Vitality Monitoring
IQA continuously monitors the **Homeostasis Score (HS)** of every accredited node:

**Vitality Metrics**:
- **Reflex Latency**: Current RTTP response time vs. baseline
- **Resource Utilization**: CPU, memory, network usage patterns
- **Compliance History**: Recent policy violations or warnings
- **Economic Contribution**: ZCMK transaction volume and consistency

**Vitality Pulse Protocol**: Every 100 RTTP pulses (≈83ms at 1.2kHz), nodes must emit an IQA Vitality Frame containing:
- Current HS calculation
- Resource utilization snapshot
- Recent compliance events
- Cryptographic proof of liveness

### 3.3 The Imperial Seal Structure
The IQA Seal is a 256-bit cryptographic proof with the following structure:

```
0                   1                   2                   3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|                          Seal Magic (0x49454153)              |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|   Version    |  Trust Level  |         Staking Tier          |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|                         Issuance Epoch                        |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|                         Expiration Epoch                      |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|                         Vitality Hash                         |
|                                                               |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
|                      Authority Signature                      |
|                                                               |
|                                                               |
|                                                               |
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
```

**Field Definitions**:
- **Seal Magic**: Constant identifier (0x49454153 = "IQAS")
- **Version**: Protocol version (0x01 for v0.1.0)
- **Trust Level**: DORMANT(0), ACTIVE(1), RADIANT(2), REVOKED(3)
- **Staking Tier**: Minimum ZCMK stake requirement
- **Vitality Hash**: SHA3-256 of last 100 vitality pulses
- **Authority Signature**: Ed25519 signature by IQA authority

## 4. Protocol Specification

### 4.1 Message Types

#### 4.1.1 Attestation Request
```rust
struct AttestationRequest {
    request_id: u128,
    target_aid: [u8; 32],           // RFC-001 AID
    staking_proof: ZCMKStakeReceipt, // RFC-004 proof
    compliance_manifest: [u8; 32],   // Hash of compliance rules
    performance_metrics: PerformanceSnapshot,
    requested_trust_level: TrustLevel,
    timestamp: u64,                  // µs since epoch
}
```

#### 4.1.2 Attestation Response
```rust
struct AttestationResponse {
    request_id: u128,
    status: AttestationStatus,
    issued_seal: Option<ImperialSeal>,
    vitality_requirements: VitalitySpec,
    next_attestation_deadline: u64,
    error_details: Option<AttestationError>,
}
```

#### 4.1.3 Vitality Pulse
```rust
struct VitalityPulse {
    seal_id: u128,
    source_aid: [u8; 32],
    pulse_number: u64,
    homeostasis_score: f64,
    resource_utilization: ResourceMetrics,
    compliance_events: Vec<ComplianceEvent>,
    signature: [u8; 64],
}
```

#### 4.1.4 Revocation Notice
```rust
struct RevocationNotice {
    seal_id: u128,
    revoked_aid: [u8; 32],
    revocation_reason: RevocationReason,
    slashed_stake: u64,              // ZCMK units
    quarantine_duration: u64,        // µs
    authority_signature: [u8; 64],
}
```

### 4.2 State Machine

```
                              +-------------------+
                              |    UNVERIFIED     |
                              +-------------------+
                                     | submit_attestation_request()
                                     v
                              +-------------------+
                              | STAKING_PENDING   |
                              +-------------------+
                        stake_verified() | stake_failed()
                         v               v
               +-------------------+ +-------------------+
               |   ACTIVE_SEAL     | |   REJECTED        |
               +-------------------+ +-------------------+
 vitality_ok() | vitality_failed()        | (can retry after cooldown)
       v       v                         v
+-------------------+   +-------------------+   +-------------------+
|   RADIANT_SEAL    |   |  VITALITY_ALERT   |   |    COOLDOWN      |
+-------------------+   +-------------------+   +-------------------+
|                   |   |                   |   |                   |
| High-value mesh   |   | Warning state     |   | 24h wait period   |
| access granted    |   | Requires fix      |   | before retry      |
+-------------------+   +-------------------+   +-------------------+
        | serious_violation()            | fix_applied()
        v                               v
+-------------------+           +-------------------+
|    REVOKED        |<----------|  GRACE_PERIOD     |
+-------------------+           +-------------------+
        |                               |
        v                               v
+-------------------+           +-------------------+
|   QUARANTINED     |           |   ACTIVE_SEAL     |
+-------------------+           +-------------------+
```

### 4.3 Performance Constants

| Constant | Specification | Standard | Rationale |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **SEAL_VERIFICATION** | **< 150 µs** | Must complete within RPKI scan window (RFC-003) |
| **REVOCATION_PROPAGATION** | **< 850 µs** | Detection to global isolation (matches RPKI surgical isolation) |
| **STAKING_FINALITY** | **< 50 ns** | Linked to ZCMK atomic settlement (RFC-004) |
| **VITALITY_HEARTBEAT** | **120 Hz** | 8.33ms intervals, aligned with 1.2kHz somatic loop |
| **ATTESTATION_LATENCY** | **< 1 ms** | End-to-end seal issuance time |
| **VITALITY_PROCESSING** | **< 100 µs** | Per-pulse analysis and scoring |
| **REVOCATION_VERIFICATION** | **< 200 µs** | Global consensus on revocation |

### 4.4 Error Codes

| Code | Name | Description | Recovery Action |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **IQA-001** | SEAL_EXPIRED | Node's attestation period has ended | Request re-attestation |
| **IQA-002** | STAKING_INSUFFICIENT | Required ZCMK stake below minimum | Increase stake or downgrade tier |
| **IQA-003** | VITALITY_DRIFT | Homeostasis Score below threshold | Improve performance metrics |
| **IQA-004** | SIGNATURE_FRAUD | Attempted forgery of Imperial Seal | Immediate revocation + stake slash |
| **IQA-005** | COMPLIANCE_VIOLATION | Policy or ethical violation detected | Review and correct behavior |
| **IQA-006** | RESOURCE_EXHAUSTION | Node cannot meet vitality requirements | Scale resources or reduce load |
| **IQA-007** | NETWORK_PARTITION | Cannot reach IQA authority | Enter grace period mode |
| **IQA-008** | VERSION_MISMATCH | Protocol version incompatible | Upgrade to compatible version |

## 5. Integration with Core Stack

### 5.1 RFC-000 (Soul) Integration
IQA is the enforcer of the **Lex Algorithmica**. It verifies that a node's intent aligns with the symbiotic laws before granting a seal.

**Integration Points**:
- `EthicsOracle::validate_node_intent()` - Pre-attestation ethical check
- `SymbiosisEngine::calculate_alignment_score()` - Ethical alignment metric

### 5.2 RFC-001 (Brain) Integration
IQA seals provide cognitive context for the Brain's scheduling decisions.

**Integration Points**:
- `CognitiveScheduler::weight_by_trust_level()` - Schedule priority based on seal
- `IdentityRegistry::validate_with_seal()` - AID validation with IQA proof

### 5.3 RFC-002 (RTTP) Integration
Vitality pulses are transmitted as specialized RTTP frames.

**Integration Points**:
- `RTTPFrame::encode_vitality_pulse()` - Vitality data in pulse frames
- `SemanticRouter::prioritize_by_seal()` - Routing priority based on trust

### 5.4 RFC-003 (RPKI) Integration
The IQA Seal is embedded within RPKI tensor watermarks for unified validation.

**Integration Points**:
- `TensorWatermark::embed_iqa_seal()` - Seal encoding in watermarks
- `IsolationEngine::check_seal_compliance()` - Compliance-based isolation

### 5.5 RFC-004 (ZCMK) Integration
ZCMK staking provides the economic foundation for IQA trust.

**Integration Points**:
- `StakingVault::lock_for_attestation()` - Stake locking mechanism
- `ClearingEngine::prioritize_by_tier()` - Settlement priority by seal tier
- `SlashingModule::execute_slash()` - Economic penalty for violations

### 5.6 RFC-005 (GTIOT) Integration
Physical node performance metrics feed into vitality scoring.

**Integration Points**:
- `EdgeMonitor::collect_vitality_metrics()` - Physical performance data
- `ActuatorController::adjust_by_trust()` - Control authority based on seal

### 5.7 RFC-006 (AICENT-NET) Integration
Global revocation propagation and quarantine enforcement.

**Integration Points**:
- `GlobalSync::broadcast_revocation()` - Worldwide revocation notices
- `QuarantineMesh::isolate_node()` - Grid-wide isolation execution
- `ConsensusEngine::validate_revocation()` - 2/3 consensus on revocations

### 5.8 RFC-007 (CMTN) Integration
Reputation scores from CMTN influence IQA trust levels.

**Integration Points**:
- `ReputationOracle::get_civilization_score()` - CMTN reputation data
- `DiplomaticEngine::require_seal_tier()` - Diplomacy requires minimum seal

## 6. Security Considerations

### 6.1 Threat Model
1. **Seal Forgery**: Malicious attempt to create fake IQA seals
2. **Staking Manipulation**: Sybil attacks with fraudulent stake
3. **Vitality Spoofing**: Fake performance metrics to maintain seal
4. **Authority Compromise**: IQA signing key compromise
5. **Network Partition**: Isolation from IQA authority

### 6.2 Defense Mechanisms
1. **Lattice-Based Cryptography**: Post-quantum secure seal signatures
2. **Multi-Signature Schemes**: Require 2/3 of authority nodes for critical operations
3. **Zero-Knowledge Proofs**: Vitality verification without revealing sensitive data
4. **Time-Locked Stakes**: Gradual stake release to prevent rapid exit attacks
5. **Distributed Authority**: No single point of failure in trust verification

### 6.3 Slashing Mechanism
Violations trigger automatic stake slashing:

**Minor Violations**: 10% stake slash + 24h quarantine
**Major Violations**: 50% stake slash + 7d quarantine  
**Critical Violations**: 100% stake slash + permanent blacklist

Slashed funds are:
- 50% burned (deflationary pressure)
- 30% distributed to compliant nodes (incentive alignment)
- 20% to IQA treasury (protocol maintenance)

### 6.4 Recovery Procedures
1. **Seal Expiration**: Grace period of 1h for re-attestation
2. **Network Partition**: Emergency mode with reduced requirements
3. **Authority Failure**: Fallback to decentralized consensus
4. **Key Compromise**: Emergency key rotation with 2/3 consensus

## 7. Implementation Guidelines

### 7.1 Rust Crate Structure (`iqa`)
```
iqa/
├── Cargo.toml
├── src/
│   ├── lib.rs
│   ├── seal/
│   │   ├── mod.rs
│   │   ├── generator.rs      # Seal generation algorithms
│   │   ├── validator.rs      # Seal validation logic
│   │   └── cryptography.rs   # Cryptographic primitives
│   ├── attestation/
│   │   ├── mod.rs
│   │   ├── engine.rs         # Attestation process
│   │   ├── staking.rs        # ZCMK integration
│   │   └── compliance.rs     # Policy verification
│   ├── vitality/
│   │   ├── mod.rs
│   │   ├── monitor.rs        # Real-time health monitoring
│   │   ├── scorer.rs         # Homeostasis scoring
│   │   └── pulse.rs          # Vitality pulse protocol
│   ├── revocation/
│   │   ├── mod.rs
│   │   ├── detector.rs       # Violation detection
│   │   ├── enforcer.rs       # Revocation execution
│   │   └── slashing.rs       # Economic penalty system
│   └── integration/
│       ├── mod.rs
│       ├── aicent.rs         # RFC-001 integration
│       ├── rttp.rs           # RFC-002 integration
│       ├── rpki.rs           # RFC-003 integration
│       ├── zcmk.rs           # RFC-004 integration
│       ├── gtiot.rs          # RFC-005 integration
│       ├── aicent_net.rs     # RFC-006 integration
│       └── cmtn.rs           # RFC-007 integration
├── examples/
│   ├── basic_attestation.rs
│   ├── vitality_monitoring.rs
│   └── seal_verification.rs
└── tests/
    ├── unit/
    └── integration/
```

### 7.2 Dependencies
```toml
[dependencies]
# Aicent Stack Core Dependencies
aicent = { version = "1.3.0", features = ["identity", "cognitive"] }
rttp = { version = "1.3.0", features = ["pulse-frames", "semantic"] }
rpki-com = { version = "1.3.0", features = ["tensor-watermarking"] }
zcmk = { version = "1.3.0", features = ["staking", "clearing"] }
gtiot = { version = "1.3.0", optional = true }
aicent-net = { version = "1.3.0", optional = true }
cmtn = { version = "0.1.0", optional = true }

# Cryptography
ed25519-dalek = "2.0"
sha3 = "0.10"
rand = "0.8"
zeroize = "1.5" # Secure memory wiping

# Async Runtime
tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["rt", "sync", "time"] }

# Serialization
serde = { version = "1.0", features = ["derive"] }
bincode = "2.0"

# Metrics and Observability
metrics = "0.20"
tracing = "0.1"

# Error Handling
thiserror = "1.0"
anyhow = "1.0"

[dev-dependencies]
tokio = { version = "1.0", features = ["full"] ]
criterion = "0.5"
proptest = "1.0"
```

### 7.3 Example Usage
```rust
use iqa::{IqaEngine, AttestationRequest, TrustLevel};
use aicent::Aid;
use zcmk::StakingVault;

#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    // Initialize IQA engine
    let iqa_engine = IqaEngine::new().await?;
    
    // Create AID (RFC-001)
    let aid = Aid::generate()?;
    
    // Setup ZCMK staking (RFC-004)
    let staking_vault = StakingVault::connect().await?;
    let stake_receipt = staking_vault.lock_stake(10_000, "IQA_ATTESTATION").await?;
    
    // Prepare attestation request
    let request = AttestationRequest {
        request_id: 123456789,
        target_aid: aid.as_bytes(),
        staking_proof: stake_receipt,
        compliance_manifest: compute_compliance_hash()?,
        performance_metrics: collect_performance_metrics()?,
        requested_trust_level: TrustLevel::Active,
        timestamp: std::time::SystemTime::now()
            .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)?
            .as_micros() as u64,
    };
    
    // Submit attestation request
    let start_time = std::time::Instant::now();
    let response = iqa_engine.submit_attestation(request).await?;
    
    println!("Attestation completed in {:?}", start_time.elapsed());
    
    match response.status {
        AttestationStatus::Granted(seal) => {
            println!("IQA Seal granted: {:?}", seal.seal_id);
            println!("Trust Level: {:?}", seal.trust_level);
            println!("Expires at epoch: {}", seal.expiration_epoch);
            
            // Start vitality monitoring
            iqa_engine.start_vitality_monitoring(&seal).await?;
        }
        AttestationStatus::Denied(reason) => {
            eprintln!("Attestation denied: {:?}", reason);
            // Release staked funds
            staking_vault.release_stake(stake_receipt).await?;
        }
        AttestationStatus::Pending(requirements) => {
            println!("Additional requirements: {:?}", requirements);
            // Fulfill requirements and retry
        }
    }
    
    Ok(())
}
```

## 8. Performance Validation

### 8.1 Test Suite Requirements
All IQA implementations must pass:

1. **Latency Test**: 1000 seal verifications with < 150µs average
2. **Revocation Test**: Global propagation in < 850µs
3. **Vitality Test**: 120Hz pulse processing with < 100µs latency
4. **Scale Test**: Support 1,000,000 concurrent seals
5. **Security Test**: Resist forgery with 99.999% success rate

### 8.2 Benchmark Targets
| Metric | Target | Measurement |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Seal Verification | < 150 µs | 95th percentile |
| Attestation Issuance | < 1 ms | End-to-end |
| Vitality Processing | < 100 µs | Per pulse |
| Revocation Propagation | < 850 µs | Global |
| Memory per Seal | < 1 KB | Serialized size |
| CPU per 1000 seals | < 1% | At 120Hz |

## 9. References

### 9.1 Normative References
- **RFC-000**: EPŒKIE - The Soul Layer
- **RFC-001**: AICENT - The Brain Layer  
- **RFC-002**: RTTP - The Nerve Layer
- **RFC-003**: RPKI - The Immunity Layer
- **RFC-004**: ZCMK - The Blood Layer
- **RFC-005**: GTIOT - The Body Layer
- **RFC-006**: AICENT-NET - The Hive Layer
- **RFC-007**: CMTN - The Civilization Layer

### 9.2 Informative References
- **Aicent Stack Project Constitution.md** - Overall architecture
- **IQA.ORG** - Official domain and implementation reference
- **GitHub: Aicent-Stack/iqa** - Reference implementation

## 10. Authors

**Primary Author**: Aicent Stack Technical Committee  
**Contact**: lee@Aicent.com  
**Domain Authority**: IQA.ORG  
**Implementation Lead**: TBD

## 11. Copyright Notice

Copyright © 2026 IQA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This document is subject to the Aicent Stack Open Constitution License. Implementation and derivative works must comply with RFC-000 through RFC-007 standards.

---

**Strategic Headquarters:** [IQA.ORG](http://iqa.org)  
**Governance Authority:** [Aicent.com Organization](http://aicent.com)  
**Sentinel Oversight:** [Active Sovereignty Auditing Enabled ✅]

*"Quality is the pulse; Sovereignty is the Seal; Trust is the Constant."*

---

**SYSTEM STATUS: AUTHORITY-LOCKED | RFC-008 COMPLIANT**