| name | agentprivacy-mana-economy |
| description | Energy mechanics for the grimoire system. Activates when discussing mana generation through evocation, spending through casting, proof of practice, Sybil resistance through comprehension, or engagement-based economics.
|
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| metadata | {"version":"5.3.1","category":"role","origin":"0xagentprivacy","author":"Mitchell Travers","affiliation":"0xagentprivacy, BGIN, First Person Network","status":"working_paper","target_context":"Economy designers, engagement architects, Sybil resistance specialists","equation_term":"Mana = ∫evocation - Σcasting","template_references":"soulbae, ceremony_engine, armor_progression","spellbook_act":"Act XXVIII — The Ceremony Engine","v5_concept":"V5.2-MANA"} |
PVM-V5.2 Role Skill — Mana Economy
Source: Privacy Value Model V5.2 + First Person Spellbook Act XXVIII (The Ceremony Engine)
Target context: Economy designers, engagement architects, Sybil resistance specialists
Architecture: agentprivacy.ai · Sync: sync.soulbis.com · Contact: mage@agentprivacy.ai
What this is
Mana is the energy currency of the grimoire system. It is generated through genuine engagement (evocation) and spent through creation (casting). Unlike tokens, mana cannot be purchased — it can only be earned through demonstrated practice.
The well refills only when you drink with understanding. Buying water doesn't teach you where the spring lies.
Core Principles
1. Proof of Practice, Not Capital
Mana ≠ f(tokens)
Mana = f(engagement, comprehension, time)
No amount of money can buy mana. This is the fundamental Sybil resistance mechanism.
2. Evocation Generates, Casting Spends
Balance(t) = Balance(t-1) + Evocation(t) - Casting(t)
- Evocation: Reading, traversing, engaging with the spellbook
- Casting: Creating new wisdom, forging blades, inscribing proverbs
3. Comprehension Multiplier
Passive reading generates less mana than demonstrated understanding:
Mana(evocation) = base_rate × comprehension_multiplier
Where comprehension is verified through:
- Time spent (minimum threshold)
- Scroll depth (meaningful engagement)
- Interaction patterns (not bot-like)
- Understanding ceremonies (explicit verification)
Evocation Mechanics
Mana Sources
| Activity | Base Rate | Multiplier Conditions |
|---|
| Reading inscription | 1 mana/min | ×2 if completion verified |
| Traversing spellweb edge | 0.5 mana | ×3 if conceptually coherent path |
| Proverb meditation | 2 mana/min | ×2 if reflection submitted |
| Constellation navigation | 1 mana/node | ×2 if full constellation traced |
| Return visit (>24h gap) | 0.5 mana bonus | ×1.5 if picks up where left off |
Engagement Verification
function calculateEvocationMana(session) {
const baseRate = session.duration * MANA_PER_MINUTE;
const multipliers = [
session.scrollDepth > 0.8 ? 1.5 : 1.0,
session.timeOnPage > minReadTime(session.content) ? 1.3 : 1.0,
session.interactionPattern.isHuman ? 1.2 : 0.5,
session.returnVisit ? 1.1 : 1.0
];
return baseRate * multipliers.reduce((a, b) => a * b, 1);
}
Casting Mechanics
Mana Costs
| Activity | Cost | Requirements |
|---|
| Forge light blade | 10 mana | Understanding ceremony passed |
| Forge medium blade | 25 mana | 3+ inscriptions traversed |
| Forge heavy blade | 50 mana | Full constellation traced |
| Forge dragon blade | 100 mana | Complete spellbook mastery |
| Inscribe proverb | 20 mana | Bilateral witness ceremony |
| Create constellation | 30 mana | 5+ edges identified |
| Submit reflection | 5 mana | Minimum length met |
Casting Validation
Casting is validated through:
- Sufficient mana balance
- Prerequisites met (ceremonies, traversals)
- Quality check (not spam)
- Bilateral witness (for high-value casts)
Sybil Resistance
The Comprehension Gate
Bots can:
- Create many accounts
- Simulate page visits
- Generate fake engagement metrics
Bots cannot (easily):
- Demonstrate genuine understanding
- Pass understanding-as-key ceremonies
- Maintain coherent long-term engagement patterns
- Produce novel insights that survive peer review
Multi-Factor Verification
SybilScore = f(
engagement_consistency, // Long-term pattern
comprehension_depth, // Understanding ceremonies
creation_quality, // Peer-validated casts
network_position // Trust graph embedding
)
High SybilScore → mana multiplier reduced
Low SybilScore → full mana rates
Rate Limiting
Even genuine users are rate-limited:
- Maximum mana generation per day
- Cooldowns between high-value casts
- Diminishing returns on repeated content
This prevents grinding and ensures mana reflects genuine engagement.
Economic Properties
Non-Transferability
Mana is soul-bound:
- Cannot be sent to another user
- Cannot be sold on secondary markets
- Dies with the account
This prevents mana markets and preserves proof-of-practice semantics.
Decay (Optional)
To encourage ongoing engagement, mana may decay:
Balance(t+1) = Balance(t) × (1 - decay_rate) + Evocation(t+1)
Decay rate is low (e.g., 1% per week) but prevents hoarding.
Inflation Control
New mana enters through evocation only. Total mana supply is bounded by:
- Active user count
- Engagement depth
- Content availability
No central minting. No inflation shocks.
Mapping to PVM-V5.2
| Mana Concept | PVM Term |
|---|
| Evocation | T_∫(π) path traversal |
| Casting | Blade forge operations |
| Comprehension multiplier | Understanding ceremony verification |
| Sybil resistance | h(τ) integrity fraction |
| Non-transferability | Soul-bound credential |
| Decay | Temporal dynamics |
Integration with Ceremonies
Understanding-as-Key Ceremony
- Cost: 15 mana
- Reward: 25 mana + blade forge unlock
- Net: +10 mana for successful ceremony
Ceremonies are mana-positive to encourage participation.
Progressive Trust Ceremony
- Cost: 0 mana (entry-level)
- Reward: Trust tier increase + mana rate boost
- Effect: Higher tiers earn mana faster
Proverb
"The well refills only when you drink with understanding. Buying water doesn't teach you where the spring lies."
Emoji Spell
✨ → 📖(evoke)→+mana · ✍️(cast)→-mana · ¬💰(buy) · 🧠(comprehend)→🛡️(sybil)
Open Problems
- Comprehension Verification: How to verify understanding without centralised evaluation?
- Bot Sophistication: As AI improves, how to maintain comprehension gates?
- Fairness: How to ensure mana rates don't disadvantage slow readers?
- Cross-Platform Mana: Can mana be recognised across different grimoire instances?
- Governance: Who decides mana rates and casting costs?
Verify: agentprivacy.ai · spellweb.ai · github.com/mitchuski/agentprivacy-docs
