# VC Types: Operational, Legal, Simulation, Credentialal

#### **5.2.1 Why VC Typing Matters**

The NSF Protocol uses Verifiable Credentials (VCs) to authorize actions, enforce policy, and prove trust in a zero-trust, decentralized environment.\
Different types of VCs serve different functions:

* **Operational VCs**: authorize task-level actions (e.g., disaster deployment)
* **Legal VCs**: bind agents to treaty, jurisdictional, or contractual compliance
* **Simulation VCs**: certify forecasting models and outputs used in policy decisions
* **Credentialal VCs**: attest to the validity of other credentials (meta-credentials)

Each type must follow strict schemas, revocation protocols, and lifecycle rules to maintain **trust, traceability, and accountability** across NSF's execution architecture.

***

#### **5.2.2 VC Type Overview**

| VC Type          | Primary Use                                                      | Examples                                                                  |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Operational**  | Grants authority to execute or supervise specific policy actions | `DisasterReliefOperatorVC`, `ClausePublisherVC`, `SimulationExecutorVC`   |
| **Legal**        | Confirms binding under legal, regulatory, or treaty frameworks   | `TreatySignatoryVC`, `ExportComplianceVC`, `DAOJurisdictionVC`            |
| **Simulation**   | Verifies a model’s provenance, versioning, and approved use      | `ForecastModelVC`, `SimulationOutputAttestationVC`, `AIModelCredentialVC` |
| **Credentialal** | Certifies issuance, quality, or revocation status of other VCs   | `CredentialIssuerVC`, `RevocationAuthorityVC`, `AuditorAccreditationVC`   |

***

#### **5.2.3 Operational Credentials**

**Operational VCs** are the most common credential type. They:

* Enable real-time access control
* Are checked during clause execution, CAC signing, and simulation submission
* May include geographic, temporal, and DAO-scoped constraints

Example schema:

```json
{
  "id": "DisasterReliefOperatorVC#0x7ad1",
  "issuer": "WFP-DAO",
  "subject": "did:nsf:human:0x83e1...",
  "valid_from": "2025-01-01",
  "expires": "2025-06-01",
  "jurisdiction": "PHL",
  "roles": ["ResourceDeployer", "EarlyWarningSubscriber"]
}
```

Operational VCs may be **time-limited**, **revocable**, and **linked to CAC execution history**.

***

#### **5.2.4 Legal Credentials**

Legal VCs bind a DID to:

* Treaty participation
* Regulatory compliance
* Export, tax, or audit alignment
* Multilateral agreement roles

These credentials are often **non-revocable except through dispute protocols**, and must include:

* Legal basis reference
* Jurisdiction scope
* Authority that issued the credential
* Any dispute resolution mechanism

Example:

```json
{
  "id": "TreatySignatoryVC#0x3ed1",
  "issuer": "UNFCCC",
  "subject": "did:nsf:org:0x9991...",
  "treaty": "ParisAgreement",
  "binding_clause": "UNFCCC::EmissionTargets@2.1.3",
  "jurisdiction": "FRA",
  "dispute_policy": "IntlArbCourt-v2"
}
```

***

#### **5.2.5 Simulation Credentials**

These VCs govern the **entire forecasting and modeling stack**, allowing simulation results to be:

* Proven
* Reproducible
* Auditable
* Traceable across multiple policy executions

Simulation VCs include:

| Credential            | Use                                                             |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `ForecastModelVC`     | Declares model origin, authorship, version, dataset scope       |
| `SimulationRunVC`     | Binds a specific execution with output range, governance scope  |
| `AIModelCredentialVC` | For AI agents used in predictive clauses (must be audit-linked) |

They may also reference:

* Clause hash
* Run parameters
* Dataset lineage
* Enclave or ZK execution hash

***

#### **5.2.6 Credentialal VCs (Meta-Credentials)**

These credentials verify the **trustworthiness of credentialing infrastructure** itself:

* Certify that a given issuer is recognized by a DAO or treaty
* Approve use of a revocation registry
* Authorize root key rotation
* Accredit simulation auditors, DAO policy boards, or dispute councils

Examples:

```json
{
  "id": "CredentialIssuerVC#0x991f",
  "issuer": "GCRI-CentralDAO",
  "subject": "did:nsf:org:0x7a9c...",
  "credential_types": ["DisasterReliefOperatorVC", "ForecastModelVC"],
  "audit_interval": "90 days",
  "revocable_by": "UNDRR-GovDAO"
}
```

These are critical to avoid fragmentation and misuse in decentralized credential networks.

***

#### **5.2.7 VC Schema Compatibility and Signatures**

All VCs in NSF must:

* Conform to **JSON-LD / W3C VC** spec
* Use **DID-based subject and issuer fields**
* Be **cryptographically signed** with DAO or enclave key
* Optionally include:
  * CAC reference
  * Simulation output hash
  * Clause binding ID
  * Revocation registry pointer

Signatures must support Ed25519 or BLS12-381 (for threshold or aggregate verification).

***

#### **5.2.8 Validity, Revocation, and Overlap Handling**

Each VC must specify:

* `valid_from`, `expires`
* `revocation_authority` (a DID or DAO policy clause)
* `reissuance_policy` (e.g., retraining required, CAC trigger)

NSF handles:

* Overlapping credentials via **execution policy precedence rules**
* Revoked credentials via sparse Merkle proofs
* Credential updates via **VC Lifecycle Hooks** (see 5.9)

***

#### **5.2.9 Registry and Audit Layer Integration**

All VCs are:

* Stored in the **Credential Registry**
* Linked to their **CAC source**
* Indexed for:
  * Time
  * Scope
  * DID
  * Clause
  * DAO

Queries like:

```json
show all active DisasterReliefOperatorVCs in jurisdiction = "COL"  
issued by DAO = "RedCross-LatAm"
```

are supported by the **Audit Layer**, with links to simulation triggers and clause execution logs.

***

#### **5.2.10 Typed VCs as the Nervous System of NSF Trust**

In NSF:

* Operational VCs grant **action**
* Legal VCs grant **standing**
* Simulation VCs prove **forecast fidelity**
* Credentialal VCs ensure **governance integrity**

This structured model allows human, machine, and institutional agents to:

* Operate safely
* Execute predictably
* Audit trust lines
* Scale governance across jurisdictions and treaties


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