← Docs ← Home
Principles

Principles and Invariants

HODLXXI is governed by a set of structural constraints.

These constraints define what the system is not allowed to do.
They are enforced at the architectural level, not through policy or moderation.


Core Principle

HODLXXI does not optimize humans.
It optimizes environments where cooperation becomes rational.

The system does not attempt to: - Define correct behavior - Reward virtue - Punish vice

Instead, it creates conditions where: - Defection becomes costly - Cooperation becomes profitable over time - Actions remain observable and accountable


Seven Invariants

Any implementation that violates these invariants is no longer considered a valid instance of HODLXXI.

1. Right to Exit

Every agent must be able to exit the system without irreversible personal harm.

  • You can leave at any time
  • No one can force you to stay
  • Time-locked funds remain locked, but no new obligations can be imposed on you
  • Exit does not require permission from anyone

Violation examples: - Requiring surrender of external assets to exit - Creating dependencies that make exit practically impossible - Blacklisting or persecuting users who leave

2. Non-Expropriable Agency

No system may remove an agent's ability to choose, even irrationally.

  • You retain full decision-making power
  • The system cannot override your choices
  • You can act against your own computed best interest
  • Automation cannot fully replace human judgment

Violation examples: - Forcing "optimal" behavior algorithmically - Removing the ability to make mistakes - Paternalistic overrides "for your own good"

3. Symmetry of Observability

If agents are evaluated, the evaluation rules must be observable and inspectable.

  • All rules are public
  • No black-box algorithms
  • Participants can audit the system
  • Criteria for evaluation are transparent

Violation examples: - Secret reputation scoring - Hidden algorithmic penalties - Opaque decision-making processes

4. Metric Non-Reduction

No single metric may fully represent an agent's value or identity.

  • You are not reducible to a number
  • Multiple dimensions of behavior are preserved
  • Context matters
  • Simplification loses information

Violation examples: - Collapsing all behavior into a single "trust score" - Reducing identity to net worth - Ignoring qualitative differences

5. Right to Dissent

Rational disagreement must not imply exclusion.

  • You can disagree with the system's rules
  • Critique is welcomed, not punished
  • Forking is permitted and encouraged
  • No orthodoxy is enforced

Violation examples: - Banning users for questioning design decisions - Punishing those who propose alternatives - Treating disagreement as disloyalty

6. Explicit System Goals

All optimization targets must be declared and contestable.

  • The system's objectives are stated openly
  • Goals are subject to revision
  • Hidden agendas invalidate consent
  • Purpose is transparent

Violation examples: - Optimizing for undisclosed metrics (e.g., engagement, ad revenue) - Secretly prioritizing certain users - Changing goals without notice

7. Architect Constraint

System designers must be bound by the same long-term constraints as participants.

  • Creators have no backdoors
  • No escape mechanisms for founders
  • Everyone follows the same rules
  • Privilege is not permanent

Violation examples: - Admin keys that bypass time-locks - Founder tokens with special rights - Hidden override mechanisms


Why These Constraints?

These invariants exist to prevent: - Coercion: Forcing behavior through system design - Capture: Allowing privileged actors to dominate - Optimization drift: Losing sight of original purpose - Paternalism: Deciding what's "best" for users

HODLXXI does not claim moral superiority.
It only claims structural honesty.


What These Invariants Do NOT Guarantee

These principles do not guarantee: - That you will succeed - That others will cooperate - That outcomes will be fair - That the system will work as intended

They only guarantee: - Transparency in rules - Symmetry in treatment - Freedom to exit - Preservation of agency


Enforcement

These invariants are enforced through:

Architecture:
The system is designed so that violating these constraints is technically difficult or impossible.

Auditability:
Anyone can verify whether an implementation respects these constraints.

Forkability:
If an implementation violates these principles, anyone can fork the codebase and restore compliance.

There is no central authority to enforce these constraints.
Enforcement is decentralized and technical, not political.


Relationship to Bitcoin Principles

These invariants extend Bitcoin's core ideas:

Bitcoin Principle HODLXXI Extension
No trusted third party No privileged administrators
Verifiable supply Verifiable behavior
Permissionless participation Permissionless exit
Censorship resistance Dissent protection
Transparent rules Transparent evaluation

Limitations

These principles cannot prevent: - Bad actors from participating - Users from making poor decisions - External coercion (e.g., government pressure) - Social or economic harm

They only prevent: - The system itself from becoming coercive - Privileged insiders from gaming the rules - Opaque or arbitrary enforcement


Next Steps

See these principles in practice: How It Works

Understand the theory: CRT Theory

Review technical implementation: Architecture


These constraints define what HODLXXI will never do.
Everything else is negotiable.