Binding Credentials to Clause Hashes

Cryptographically Linking Policy Execution Logic to Credential Validity, Lifecycle, and Trust Anchors

5.3.1 Why Clause Binding Matters

In NSF, every credential must be grounded in verifiable governance logic.

Without binding a Verifiable Credential (VC) to the specific clause logic that justifies its issuance or revocation:

• Trust is weakened

• Execution is non-deterministic

• Dispute resolution becomes speculative

• Cross-jurisdiction validation is impossible

NSF enforces Clause Hash Binding as a cryptographic link between:

• The credential and the logic that governs it

• The runtime that executed the clause

• The CAC (Clause-Attested Compute) that attested execution

• The policy context under which the action occurred

This makes every credential an auditable proof of executed governance.

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5.3.2 The Clause Hash: Definition and Properties

Every NSF clause, once published, is:

• Canonicalized

• Serialized (e.g., JSON or DSL-based)

• Hashed using SHA-256 or Keccak-256

• Registered with:

  • Clause ID

  • Version

  • DAO ownership

  • Jurisdictional scope

Example:

Clause ID: UNFCCC::[email protected]
Hash: 0x23ad8f69bb... (SHA-256)
Owner: UNFCCC-GovernanceDAO

The clause hash becomes the immutable fingerprint of governance logic.

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5.3.3 Binding Model in Credential Schema

Each NSF-compatible credential includes:

"binding": {
  "clause_id": "UNFCCC::[email protected]",
  "clause_hash": "0x23ad8f69bb...",
  "execution_id": "cac-0x891ef4...",
  "policy_scope": {
    "dao": "UNFCCC-RegionalDAO",
    "jurisdiction": "DEU",
    "simulation_id": "sim-0x77fa8b..."
  }
}

This ensures the credential is:

• Traceable to a known clause

• Linked to an executed instance (CAC)

• Bound to a specific jurisdiction and DAO governance scope

• Compatible with simulation output or policy trigger

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5.3.4 Enforcement Points

Clause binding is enforced at:

Phase	Validation Type
Credential Issuance	Credential must reference a CAC with valid clause hash and DAO
Clause Execution	Clause logic checks for presence of required bound credentials
DAO Voting	Voters must hold credentials linked to the policy clause being voted on
Auditing	External reviewers validate clause fingerprint and DAO registry entry
Cross-jurisdiction credential exchange	Target system revalidates clause hash in its registry mirror

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5.3.5 Clause Hash Versioning and Compatibility Checks

If a clause is:

• Updated, a new clause hash is generated

• Forked, both parent and child hashes are retained

• Revoked, all credentials tied to that hash are flagged

Credential compatibility checks include:

"compatible_with": [
  "UNFCCC::[email protected]",
  "UNFCCC::[email protected]"
]

Backwards compatibility is only permitted by DAO consensus and must be signed in the Governance Layer.

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5.3.6 Hash Graph Linkage: Clause ↔ Simulation ↔ CAC ↔ Credential

Each credential lives within a hash-linked execution tree:

[Clause Hash]
    ↳ triggers
[Simulation Run]
    ↳ executed in
[TEE or ZK]
    ↳ generates
[CAC]
    ↳ bound in
[VC]

This linkage enables:

• Full replayability

• Deterministic audit

• Zero-trust verification

• Multi-agent credential enforcement

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5.3.7 Example Credential with Clause Binding

{
  "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"],
  "id": "EmissionComplianceVC#0x293f1...",
  "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "LegalCredential"],
  "issuer": "did:nsf:org:UNFCCC-DAO",
  "credentialSubject": {
    "id": "did:nsf:org:Factory-002",
    "emissions_class": "Level-3",
    "binding": {
      "clause_id": "UNFCCC::[email protected]",
      "clause_hash": "0x23ad8f69bb...",
      "execution_id": "cac-0x7849...",
      "simulation_id": "sim-0x44f1...",
      "jurisdiction": "IND"
    }
  },
  "issuanceDate": "2025-01-01T00:00Z",
  "proof": {
    "type": "Ed25519Signature2020",
    "created": "2025-01-01T00:05Z",
    "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
    "verificationMethod": "did:nsf:org:UNFCCC-DAO#key-1",
    "jws": "..."
  }
}

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5.3.8 Clause Compatibility Enforcement in Credential Use

If a clause (e.g., [email protected]) requires a credential (e.g., DisasterReliefOperatorVC), it will:

• Check the clause hash the VC is bound to

• Validate DAO-scoped compatibility

• Verify the CAC proof-of-execution

• Accept or reject execution based on policy filters

No credential can be spoofed, repurposed, or upgraded without policy-bound clause linkage.

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5.3.9 Registry and Rollup Integration

Clause hashes are:

• Registered in the Global Clause Registry

• Indexed in the Credential Registry

• Stored in the CAC Rollup Index

• Available via:

  • Hash lookups

  • Execution replay

  • Credential validation queries

Example query:

find all credentials bound to clause_hash = "0x23ad8f..."
issued in Q1-2025 by jurisdiction = "IND"

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5.3.10 Clause Binding as a Trust Backbone

In NSF, a credential is not a standalone artifact—it is:

• A governance-signed proof

• Of an executed clause

• Bound to a verifiable CAC

• Linked to a governing DAO

• Constrained by jurisdiction and policy

Clause Hash Binding transforms credentials from static claims into active components of policy execution, governance enforcement, and machine-verifiable legal standing.