Litepaper — SCU Protocol

§ 1

Abstract

SCU Protocol is an open specification that defines how human contributors validate AI-generated content, how weighted consensus scores are computed, and how contribution value is measured and assigned across distributed networks.

The protocol introduces the Semantic Contribution Unit (SCU) — a protocol-native signal of semantic contribution quality. SCU is not a cryptocurrency, financial instrument, or speculative asset.

§ 2

The Problem

AI-generated content is proliferating at scale. Existing solutions suffer from three core problems:

No standard signal. Each platform invents its own like/dislike mechanism. Signals are not portable, not weighted, and not fraud-resistant.
No contributor identity. Anonymous votes carry no context. A single power user and a bot farm are indistinguishable.
No consensus mechanism. Raw vote counts are easily gamed and provide no measure of how strongly a piece of content has been validated.

§ 3

Protocol Overview

The protocol operates across four cooperating systems:

🔌 SCU Widget

Embeddable script on partner sites. Captures validation actions without interfering with the host auth or layout.

🌐 SCU Connect

Contributor identity layer. Manages OAuth, wallets, API keys, and the site approval pipeline.

⬡ SCU Protocol

This specification. Defines all rules: validation types, consensus formula, trust scoring, and SCU issuance.

🧬 SemanticBit

Core infrastructure. Stores consensus outputs and exposes quality signals as APIs for AI training pipelines.

Signal flow: AI Content → SCU Widget → SCU Connect → SCU Protocol → Consensus Score → SemanticBit Dataset

§ 4

Architecture

4.1 Validation Pipeline

Widget Event — Contributor taps a validation action on a partner page.
Auth Check — JWT credential validated; rate limit enforced; duplicate check run.
Action Record — ValidationAction persisted with type, ContentRef, WebsiteId, and IP hash.
SCU Issuance — Contribution credits calculated via RewardRules × TrustMultiplier and added to wallet.
Score Update — ConsensusScore recalculated. ContributorScores updated.

4.2 Key Data Tables

ContentReviews

ContentRef, WebsiteId, ReviewUserId, Vote, Explanation, CreatedAt

ConsensusScores

PositiveScore, NegativeScore, TotalSignals, ConsensusScore

ContributorScores

TrustScore, ReputationLevel, TotalValidations, AcceptedValidations

ReviewDisputes

ReviewId, FiledByUserId, Reason, Status, UpholdVotes, OverturnVotes

§ 5

Validation Types

Type	Semantic Meaning	SCU	Weight
`like`	Content is semantically accurate	0.010	+1.0
`dislike`	Content contains an error	0.010	+1.0
`context_approval`	Content is appropriate for context	0.020	+1.2×
`verify`	Verified against external reference	0.015	+1.5×
`correction`	Corrected version submitted	0.050	Re-validation

§ 6

Trust & Reputation

6.1 Trust Score

TrustScore(u) = ( AcceptedValidations / TotalValidations ) × 100 // Clamped to [0,100]. Decays if accuracy < 60% in last 30d.

6.2 Reputation Levels

Level	Requirements	Vote Weight
Novice	0–9 validations	0.5×
Contributor	10+, ≥ 60% accuracy	1.0×
Validator	100+, ≥ 75% accuracy	1.5×
Expert	500+, ≥ 85% accuracy	2.0×
Arbiter	Manual grant by admin only	3.0×

§ 7

Consensus Engine

7.1 Consensus Score Formula

CS(c) = Σ( w_i × V_i ) / Σ( w_i ) V_i ∈ {0, 50, 100} // Reject=0, Neutral=50, Approve=100 w_i = TrustScore(u_i) × ActionWeight × ReputationMultiplier // Output: 0–100. Higher = stronger positive consensus.

7.2 Confidence Levels

High

50+ signals, consistent direction. Reliable for production.

Medium

10–49 signals. Directionally valid, treat with caution.

Low

5–9 signals. Early indication only. Not for automated decisions.

Insufficient

Fewer than 5 signals. No production use.

§ 8

SCU — Semantic Contribution Unit

🛡

Legal Notice

SCU is a utility-based contribution credit. It is not an investment product, financial instrument, or cryptocurrency. It has no guaranteed market value and is not designed for speculative trading.

8.1 How SCU is Earned

SCU_earned = BaseReward(action_type) × TrustMultiplier(u) TrustMultiplier = 0.5 + (TrustScore / 100) × 1.5 // Range: 0.5× (new user) to 2.0× (perfect trust score)

8.2 How SCU is Used

Unlocks advanced AI refinement request tiers
Grants premium API access at higher rate limits
Provides semantic processing credits on SemanticBit
Grants priority placement in content review queues

§ 9

Governance

9.1 Admin Council

The protocol is currently governed by an admin council comprising the founding team of Datalucis Research. The council handles site approvals, fraud decisions, reward rule changes, and arbiter appointments.

9.2 Site Approval Process

Applicant submits site domain and use case description at scuconnect.com
Admin council evaluates content type, traffic, and compliance
Approval grants a Site ID and Public API Key
Rejected applicants may reapply after 7 days

9.3 Rule Change Process

Changes to reward rates, reputation thresholds, or consensus weights require a formal admin council vote. All approved changes are announced 7 days before taking effect. Historical SCU rewards are never retroactively adjusted.

§ 10

API Summary

Method	Endpoint	Description	Auth
POST	/api/widget-init.php	Initialize session, get consensus score & JWT	API Key
POST	/api/validate.php	Submit validation action, issue SCU	API Key + JWT
GET	/api/balance.php	Contributor wallet balance & stats	JWT
GET	/api/consensus.php	Public consensus score for a content URL	API Key

Widget Embed (one line)

§ 11

Roadmap

v1.0 — Core Protocol Live

REST API, JS Widget SDK, consensus engine, trust scoring, dispute system, admin governance.

v1.1 — Webhooks + PHP SDK Q2 2026

Real-time webhook events. Composer package for PHP server-side integration.

v1.2 — Python SDK Q3 2026

pip package for AI/ML pipeline integration.

v2.0 — Decentralized Governance Planned

Community governance votes. Optional EVM wallet linkage for SCU portability.

§ 12

Disclaimer

⚠️

This document is a technical specification draft, not a financial prospectus. SCU Protocol and SCU (Semantic Contribution Unit) are utility systems for measuring semantic contribution quality. Nothing in this document constitutes financial advice, an offer of securities, or an invitation to invest.