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Key Terms

This page defines the essential terminology and concepts you need to understand the Intuition protocol. Terms are organized by category to help you quickly find what you're looking for.

Quick Navigation​

This page is organized into expandable sections for easy navigation. Click on any section below to explore the terms within that category.

Core Primitives - Fundamental building blocks of the Intuition protocol

Core Primitives​

Atoms​

Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of the Intuition knowledge graph. Each atom represents a unique entity or concept and points to arbitrary data via a URI.

Key Characteristics:

  • Universal Identifiers: Each atom has a unique identifier across the entire system
  • URI References: Atoms point to any arbitrary URI (web pages, IPFS hashes, etc.)
  • Economic Units: Atoms can have economic value through bonding curves
  • Composable: Atoms can be combined to create more complex structures

Examples:

  • A person's profile (points to their social media or personal website)
  • A smart contract address (points to the contract's metadata)
  • A piece of content (points to the actual content file)
  • An organization (points to their official website)

Triples​

Triples represent relationships between atoms, forming the edges of the knowledge graph. Each triple consists of three atoms: a subject, predicate, and object.

Structure:

Subject → Predicate → Object

Key Characteristics:

  • Semantic Relationships: Express meaningful connections between entities
  • Economic Value: Triples can have economic value through bonding curves
  • Verifiable: All relationships are cryptographically verifiable
  • Composable: Triples can be combined to create complex knowledge structures

Examples:

  • Subject: Alice (atom)
  • Predicate: "works for" (atom)
  • Object: Intuition Systems (atom)

This creates the statement: "Alice works for Intuition Systems"

Signals​

Signals represent user attestations or endorsements of atoms and triples. They indicate the strength of belief or support for a particular piece of information.

Key Characteristics:

  • Economic Weight: Signals have economic value and can be traded
  • Subjective: Represent personal beliefs and opinions
  • Aggregatable: Multiple signals can be combined to show collective sentiment
  • Time-Bound: Signals can change over time as opinions evolve

Types of Signals:

  • Positive Signals: Endorsements or agreements
  • Negative Signals: Disagreements or refutations
  • Neutral Signals: Acknowledgment without taking a position

Economic Components - Financial and incentive mechanisms

Economic Components​

Bonding Curves​

Bonding curves are mathematical functions that determine the price of shares in atoms and triples based on supply and demand. They create economic incentives for information quality.

Key Functions:

  • Price Discovery: Automatically determine fair market value
  • Incentive Alignment: Reward early adopters of valuable information
  • Liquidity: Provide continuous trading opportunities
  • Anti-Speculation: Prevent manipulation through mathematical constraints

Curve Types:

  • Pro-Rata Curves: Linear pricing for stable assets
  • Bonding Curves: Dynamic pricing that rewards early adopters
  • Custom Curves: Specialized functions for specific use cases

Vaults​

Vaults are smart contracts that hold the economic value associated with atoms and triples. They manage deposits, redemptions, and share distribution.

Key Functions:

  • Asset Management: Safely store and manage user deposits
  • Share Distribution: Mint and burn shares based on economic activity
  • Fee Collection: Collect small fees to maintain the system
  • Liquidity Provision: Enable users to enter and exit positions

Vault Types:

  • Pro-Rata Vaults: Traditional vaults with stable pricing
  • Bonding Curve Vaults: Dynamic vaults with variable pricing
  • Multi-Curve Vaults: Vaults supporting multiple pricing models

Terms​

Terms are the conceptual representations of atoms and triples that contain multiple vaults. They represent the underlying semantic meaning regardless of economic implementation.

Key Characteristics:

  • Semantic Identity: Maintains the core meaning across different vaults
  • Economic Flexibility: Can have multiple vaults with different curves
  • Market Cap Aggregation: Combines value across all associated vaults
  • Universal Reference: Provides a stable identifier for the concept

Network Components - Protocol infrastructure and governance

Network Components​

Trust Protocol​

The Trust Protocol is the foundational mechanism that enables trustful interactions through cryptoeconomic incentives. It rewards users for contributing valuable information.

Core Principles:

  • Economic Incentives: Users are rewarded for valuable contributions
  • Quality Signals: Economic activity indicates information quality
  • Decentralized Curation: No central authority controls information
  • Transparent Rules: All mechanisms are open and verifiable

Knowledge Graph​

The Knowledge Graph is the collective network of atoms, triples, and signals that represents humanity's shared knowledge. It grows organically through user contributions.

Key Features:

  • Permissionless: Anyone can contribute information
  • Verifiable: All contributions are cryptographically verifiable
  • Composable: Information can be combined and reused
  • Economic: Valuable information is economically rewarded

Attestations​

Attestations are user statements about atoms and triples that contribute to the collective knowledge. They can be positive, negative, or neutral.

Types of Attestations:

  • Factual Claims: Statements about objective reality
  • Opinions: Subjective beliefs and preferences
  • Endorsements: Support for existing information
  • Refutations: Disagreements with existing information

Technical Components - Developer tools and APIs

Technical Components​

GraphQL API​

The GraphQL API provides a unified interface for querying and interacting with the Intuition knowledge graph. It enables efficient data retrieval and real-time updates.

Key Features:

  • Real-Time Queries: Get live data from the knowledge graph
  • Flexible Schema: Query exactly the data you need
  • Subscription Support: Receive updates as data changes
  • Batch Operations: Efficiently process multiple requests

SDKs​

Software Development Kits (SDKs) provide pre-built tools and libraries for integrating with the Intuition protocol. They simplify common development tasks.

Available SDKs:

  • JavaScript/TypeScript SDK: For web applications
  • React Components: Pre-built UI components
  • GraphQL Client: Optimized for Intuition's GraphQL API
  • Smart Contract Interfaces: For direct blockchain interaction

Smart Contracts​

Smart contracts are the on-chain components that handle the economic and governance aspects of the Intuition protocol. They ensure transparency and immutability.

Core Contracts:

  • EthMultiVault: Manages deposits, redemptions, and share distribution
  • AtomWallet: Handles atom and triple creation
  • BondingCurveRegistry: Manages different curve implementations
  • TrustBonding: Implements trust-based economic mechanisms

User Roles - Different ways to participate in the ecosystem

User Roles​

Attestors​

Attestors are users who contribute information to the knowledge graph by creating atoms, triples, and signals. They are rewarded for valuable contributions.

Responsibilities:

  • Information Creation: Add new atoms and triples to the graph
  • Quality Assurance: Provide signals to indicate information quality
  • Community Building: Participate in knowledge curation
  • Economic Participation: Engage with bonding curves and vaults

Curators​

Curators are users who specialize in organizing and validating information within the knowledge graph. They help maintain quality and coherence.

Activities:

  • Signal Provision: Provide economic signals for information quality
  • Relationship Mapping: Create meaningful triples between atoms
  • Quality Assessment: Evaluate and endorse valuable information
  • Community Leadership: Guide discussions and resolve disputes

Developers​

Developers build applications and tools that interact with the Intuition protocol. They create the interfaces and experiences that make the knowledge graph accessible.

Development Areas:

  • Frontend Applications: User interfaces for interacting with the graph
  • Data Analytics: Tools for analyzing knowledge graph data
  • Integration Services: APIs and services that connect to Intuition
  • Mobile Applications: Native mobile experiences

Economic Terms - Financial metrics and market concepts

Economic Terms​

Market Cap​

Market cap represents the total theoretical value of all shares in a term (atom or triple). It is calculated as the product of total shares and current share price.

Calculation:

Market Cap = Total Shares × Current Share Price

Significance:

  • Value Indicator: Shows the perceived value of information
  • Comparison Metric: Allows comparison between different terms
  • Investment Guide: Helps users make informed decisions
  • Quality Signal: Higher market caps often indicate higher quality

Share Price​

Share price is the current cost to purchase one share of a term. It is determined by the bonding curve function based on supply and demand.

Factors Affecting Price:

  • Supply: Number of shares currently in circulation
  • Demand: User interest and willingness to pay
  • Curve Function: Mathematical relationship between supply and price
  • Market Activity: Recent trading volume and patterns

Liquidity​

Liquidity refers to the ease with which shares can be bought or sold without significantly affecting the price. High liquidity enables efficient trading.

Liquidity Factors:

  • Trading Volume: Amount of shares traded regularly
  • Market Depth: Number of buy and sell orders
  • Price Stability: How much price changes with large trades
  • Accessibility: How easy it is for users to participate

Governance Terms - Protocol governance and decision-making

Governance Terms​

Proposals​

Proposals are suggested changes to the Intuition protocol that are voted on by the community. They can include parameter changes, new features, or governance updates.

Proposal Types:

  • Parameter Changes: Adjusting bonding curve parameters
  • Feature Additions: Adding new functionality to the protocol
  • Governance Updates: Changing how decisions are made
  • Emergency Actions: Responding to critical issues

Voting​

Voting is the process by which the community makes decisions about the protocol. Votes are weighted by economic stake and participation.

Voting Mechanisms:

  • Token Weighted: Votes are proportional to token holdings
  • Time Locked: Some proposals require time delays
  • Multi-Sig: Critical decisions require multiple approvals
  • Emergency Powers: Special procedures for urgent situations

Ready to dive deeper? Explore our Architecture Guide to understand how these components work together, or check out our Quick Start Guide to begin building with Intuition.