# Depth Protocol V2: Uncapped Depth Governance (Core Mechanics)

### The Integrity Defense: Math-Backed Commitment

The Depth Protocol is engineered to reward **time and continuous effort** over pure capital injection, making it fundamentally unattractive to short-term speculators. We define commitment with a non-linear, uncapped metric called **Depth**, which determines a user's governance influence and staking rewards.

The Depth formula is balanced to align with principles of sustainability and integrity by prioritizing **Long-Term Lock Time** (Tm​) and introducing steep **Diminishing Returns** (Qb​) for token quantity.

### 1. The Final Depth Formula

The Depth score is the product of three variables: the Staked Amount, the Time Multiplier (Tm​), and the Quantity Bonus (Qb​).

Depth=Staked Amount×Tm​×Qb​

#### A. The Time Multiplier (Tm​): Rewarding Duration

This component aggressively rewards the **Lock Time** commitment, directly matching the "Bloom of Depth" NFT, which represents 65+ days of verifiable commitment.

Tm​=1+M×(5Lock Time in Years​)

| Variable                    | Value                                                | Rationale (Sustainability)                                                                                                                                                       |
| --------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **M (Max Time Multiplier)** | **4.0**                                              | A 5-year lock yields **5x** the Depth of a 0-year lock. This creates a massive incentive for long-term commitment, securing the protocol's governance against mercenary capital. |
| **Lock Time in Years**      | Ranging from 0.5 to 5 years (6 months to 60 months). | Users are encouraged to maximize their time commitment for maximum influence.                                                                                                    |

#### B. The Quantity Bonus (Qb​): Sustaining the Community

This non-linear component ensures the effort required to gain *more* Depth gets exponentially "heavier" as a user's stake grows.

Qb​=1+(Total Protocol StakedStaked Amount​)k

| Variable                                  | Value                                                  | Rationale (Anti-Speculation)                                                                                                                                             |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **k (Decay Coefficient)**                 | **0.7**                                                | This aggressive setting creates steep **diminishing returns**. Whales cannot simply buy their way to dominance; they are forced to compete on **Time Commitment** (Tm​). |
| **Staked Amount / Total Protocol Staked** | User's percentage ownership of the total locked value. | Ensures the bonus is always relative to the overall community's commitment.                                                                                              |

### 2. Governance & Security

The system uses an **Adaptive Quorum Threshold (**&#x41;), dynamically increasing the number of votes required to pass a proposal as the protocol's Total Value Locked (TVL) grows. This is the security mechanism against high-value governance attacks.

Adaptive Quorum (A)=20%+F×ln(Total Value Locked)

* **Minimum Quorum:** 20%\\

* **Tuning Factor (**&#x46;**):** 2.5\\

### 3. The Verifiable Sprout: NFT Integration

The Depth Protocol rewards user commitment by automatically minting non-transferable NFTs, which visibly represent the user's Depth journey, reinforcing the **Proof of Growth (PoG)** thesis.

| NFT Stage             | Lock Time/Milestone                | Visual Representation (NFT)                      | Strategic Value                                                                                    |
| --------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Seed of Intention** | Initial Lock (0 - 7 Days)          | Dark, anchored core with a glowing data stream.  | Represents the verifiable commitment starting point.                                               |
| **Sprout of Habit**   | 30-60 Day Continuous PoG Check-ins | Geometric tree structure with green/gold growth. | Represents the formation of the habit—the first stage of true growth.                              |
| **Bloom of Depth**    | 66+ Days Continuous PoG Check-ins  | Fully bloomed, intricate, glowing purple flower. | Represents the ultimate achievement: long-term, verifiable commitment and maximum Depth influence. |
