Terms of Use & Protocol Whitepaper
Signal is a decentralized, sybil-resistant verification layer for live events built on Solana. It turns real-world event attendance into on-chain identity — every check-in is a permanent, tamper-proof transaction on the blockchain.
Organizers deploy an on-chain event account in a single transaction. Attendees scan a signed QR code using Phantom Wallet, verify their presence, and earn an NFT badge and Signal Score points automatically. No manual claiming, no self-reporting, no faking.
Your Signal Score is a single number that represents your verified on-chain reputation as a builder. It is calculated entirely from NFTs held in your wallet — nothing is self-reported or editable.
Final Score = Base Score + Tier Bonus
| Action | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Event check-in (Attendance NFT) | +10 pts | Per unique event |
| Hackathon participation | +30 pts | Per hackathon |
| Participation NFT (organizer-awarded) | +50 pts | Awarded by event organizer |
| Achievement NFT — Placement | +300 pts | Verified by Signal admin |
| Achievement NFT — Grand Prize | +1,000 pts | Top award, verified by admin |
Once your base score crosses a tier threshold, a one-time tier bonus is added to your final score. This bonus rewards consistent participation and cannot be earned without reaching the threshold first.
| Tier | Score Threshold | Bonus Added |
|---|---|---|
| Initiate | 0 – 99 | — |
| Seeker | 100 – 249 | +50 |
| Resident | 250 – 499 | +100 |
| Builder | 500 – 999 | +200 |
| Core | 1,000 – 1,999 | +350 |
| Legend | 2,000+ | +500 |
Signal has six membership tiers. Your tier is determined by your final Signal Score and is recalculated automatically whenever your score changes. Tiers are displayed on your Builder Passport and the public leaderboard.
| Tier | Min Score | Tier Bonus | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initiate | 0 | — | New to Signal |
| Seeker | 100 | +50 | Actively attending |
| Resident | 250 | +100 | Regular contributor |
| Builder | 500 | +200 | Core builder |
| Core | 1,000 | +350 | Community pillar |
| Legend | 2,000 | +500 | Top-tier |
Every check-in mints a Metaplex NFT to your wallet. The badge level (LV1–LV5) is determined by your total events attended at the time of minting. Higher levels reflect a longer history of real-world presence.
Signal Lv.1
Signal Lv.2
Signal Lv.3
Signal Lv.4
Signal Lv.5
| Badge Level | Events Required | Label |
|---|---|---|
| LV1 | 1+ events attended | Signal Lv.1 |
| LV2 | 3+ events attended | Signal Lv.2 |
| LV3 | 5+ events attended | Signal Lv.3 |
| LV4 | 10+ events attended | Signal Lv.4 |
| LV5 | 20+ events attended | Signal Lv.5 |
Signal issues three distinct NFT types, each representing a different level of verified activity.
Minted automatically when you check in to an event via the Signal QR code. Proves you were physically present at the event. Each attendance NFT is unique to the event and records the event code, organizer, timestamp, and your capacity slot number.
Awarded directly by an event organizer to recognise verified participation — typically for speakers, panellists, workshop facilitators, or active contributors. Cannot be self-claimed; must be issued by the organizer wallet.
Issued by Signal admins for verified hackathon or competition results. The rank field determines the point value. Grand Prize winners receive the maximum allocation.
Signal uses Ed25519 co-signature verification to ensure only the event organizer can produce a valid check-in QR code. The protocol works as follows:
| Step | Action | Actor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Organizer creates event on-chain via the Organizer page | Organizer wallet |
| 2 | Organizer signs message signal_checkin:{code}:{expiry} with their wallet | Organizer wallet |
| 3 | Signed URL with ?event=&sig=&exp= is embedded in QR code | Signal protocol |
| 4 | Attendee scans QR, signature is verified on-chain by the program | Solana program |
| 5 | Attendance PDA is created; attendee claims their NFT from their profile | Attendee wallet |
QR codes expire at the event end time. Expired signatures are rejected by the Solana program and cannot produce a valid check-in.
Signal is designed from the ground up to prevent fake check-ins. The following mechanisms enforce one human, one check-in per event:
| Mechanism | How it works |
|---|---|
| On-chain PDA uniqueness | Each attendance record is a Program Derived Address (PDA) seeded by the event + wallet. A second check-in attempt from the same wallet on the same event fails at the Solana runtime level. |
| Organizer signature | The QR URL contains a cryptographic signature only the organizer can produce. The Solana program verifies it using the Ed25519 instruction sysvar — no valid QR means no check-in. |
| Expiry timestamp | Every QR has an expiry matching the event end time. The program checks the current Solana clock against the expiry and rejects stale signatures. |
| Capacity enforcement | Events have a maximum capacity set at creation. The program rejects check-ins once the attendee count reaches capacity. |
By using Signal you agree to the following:
| # | Rule |
|---|---|
| 1 | You may only check in to events you physically attended. Fraudulent check-ins violate these terms and may result in removal from the community. |
| 2 | You may not share QR codes publicly before or after an event in a way that allows others to check in without attending. |
| 3 | Organizers are responsible for the accuracy of events they deploy. Fake or misleading events are prohibited. |
| 4 | Signal Score and tier data are derived entirely from on-chain state. Signal cannot modify, reset, or reverse on-chain transactions. |
| 5 | Achievement NFTs are issued solely at the discretion of Signal admins based on verified results. No purchase or payment guarantees an achievement NFT. |
| 6 | You are responsible for the security of your wallet private keys. Signal does not have access to your keys and cannot recover lost wallets. |
Signal stores all identity and reputation data on-chain via Solana accounts. Your wallet public key is your identifier — no email, name, or personal information is required or stored by Signal.
Contact form submissions (name, email, message) are transmitted to the Signal team email via encrypted SMTP and are not stored in any database. They are used solely to respond to your inquiry.
On-chain data (attendance records, scores, NFT metadata) is public and permanently stored on Solana. This is a feature of blockchain systems and cannot be reversed.
Signal is provided "as is" during the Colosseum Hackathon evaluation period. The platform operates on Solana Devnet and carries no monetary value. NFTs and scores on devnet are for demonstration purposes only.
Signal is not responsible for loss of funds, wallet compromise, network downtime, or any other damages arising from use of the platform. By connecting your wallet and interacting with Signal, you acknowledge and accept these risks.
Signal reserves the right to update these terms at any time. Continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of the most recent version.