ZIP-0026: Ecosystem Reputation System

Abstract

This proposal defines a soulbound token (SBT) based reputation system for Zoo Network. Non-transferable reputation tokens are issued to contributors based on verified conservation activities, governance participation, grant completion, and ecosystem development. Reputation scores unlock governance weight multipliers, grant eligibility tiers, and ecosystem privileges without creating tradeable financial instruments.

Motivation

Token-weighted governance alone is plutocratic; reputation adds a merit dimension:

Merit recognition: Active conservationists and researchers should have outsized influence regardless of token holdings
Sybil resistance: Reputation earned through verified activities is harder to fake than purchased tokens
Long-term alignment: Non-transferable tokens reward sustained contribution, not speculative trading
Grant credibility: Reputation provides signal for grant review councils evaluating applicant track records
KEEPER alignment: Complements the KEEPER donor governance token (ZIP-0000 Section 12.2) with an activity-based counterpart

Specification

Reputation Token (ZOO-REP)

token:
  name: Zoo Reputation
  symbol: ZOO-REP
  standard: ERC-5192 (Soulbound)
  transferable: false
  burnable: false (except by governance for misconduct)
  decimal: false (integer scores)

Reputation Sources

Activity	Points	Frequency	Verification
Governance vote cast	1	Per vote	On-chain
Grant proposal reviewed	5	Per review	Council attestation
Grant completed (score 700+)	50	Per grant	Impact Oracle (ZIP-0020)
Conservation data submitted	2	Per dataset	Oracle operator validation
Bug bounty (critical)	100	Per finding	Security council
Bug bounty (medium)	25	Per finding	Security council
Code contribution merged	10	Per PR	Technical council
Citizen science observation	1	Per verified obs.	iNaturalist/eBird API
Community education event	15	Per event	Community council
Oracle operator (good standing)	5	Per month	Automated

Reputation Tiers

Tier	Points Required	Benefits
Observer	0-49	Basic governance participation
Contributor	50-199	1.2x governance weight, grant eligibility
Steward	200-499	1.5x governance weight, council nomination eligibility
Guardian	500-999	2.0x governance weight, expedited grant review
Elder	1000+	2.5x governance weight, council appointment eligibility

Reputation Contract

// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
pragma solidity ^0.8.20;

import "@openzeppelin/contracts/token/ERC721/ERC721.sol";

contract ZooReputation is ERC721 {
    struct ReputationData {
        uint256 totalPoints;
        uint256 lastActivityTimestamp;
        mapping(bytes32 => uint256) categoryPoints;
    }

    mapping(address => ReputationData) public reputation;
    mapping(address => bool) public authorizedIssuers;

    event ReputationAwarded(address indexed account, bytes32 category, uint256 points);
    event TierReached(address indexed account, Tier newTier);

    enum Tier { Observer, Contributor, Steward, Guardian, Elder }

    function awardReputation(
        address account,
        bytes32 category,
        uint256 points,
        bytes32 evidenceHash
    ) external onlyAuthorizedIssuer {
        reputation[account].totalPoints += points;
        reputation[account].categoryPoints[category] += points;
        reputation[account].lastActivityTimestamp = block.timestamp;
        emit ReputationAwarded(account, category, points);
    }

    function getGovernanceWeight(address account) external view returns (uint256) {
        Tier tier = getTier(account);
        if (tier == Tier.Elder) return 250;      // 2.5x
        if (tier == Tier.Guardian) return 200;   // 2.0x
        if (tier == Tier.Steward) return 150;    // 1.5x
        if (tier == Tier.Contributor) return 120; // 1.2x
        return 100;                               // 1.0x (base)
    }

    // Soulbound: disable transfers
    function _update(address to, uint256 tokenId, address auth)
        internal override returns (address) {
        require(auth == address(0) || to == address(0), "soulbound: non-transferable");
        return super._update(to, tokenId, auth);
    }
}

Decay Mechanism

Reputation decays slowly to ensure continued activity:

decay:
  rate: 5% per year            # Applied continuously
  minimum: 0                   # Can decay to zero
  activity_reset: true         # Any qualifying activity resets decay timer
  grace_period: 6 months       # No decay for first 6 months of inactivity
  category_specific: false     # Decay applies to total, not per-category

Cross-Reference with Governance

Reputation multipliers are applied when casting governance votes (ZIP-0017):

effective_votes = token_balance * reputation_multiplier

This means an Elder with 1,000 ZOO has the same governance power as an Observer with 2,500 ZOO, rewarding active participation.

Misconduct and Revocation

Reputation can be reduced or revoked by governance for:

Submitting fraudulent conservation data
Conflicts of interest in grant reviews (undisclosed)
Malicious governance proposals
Security violations

Revocation requires a DAO vote with 10% quorum and >66% approval.

Rationale

Soulbound tokens are chosen because transferable reputation would be captured by markets, defeating the purpose of merit-based governance. The ERC-5192 standard provides wallet compatibility while enforcing non-transferability.

The 5% annual decay rate ensures that reputation reflects current engagement rather than historical one-time contributions. The 6-month grace period accommodates seasonal researchers and intermittent contributors.

The governance weight multiplier (up to 2.5x) is meaningful but capped to prevent reputation holders from completely overriding token-weighted votes. This creates a balanced system where both economic stake and merit matter.

Security Considerations

Reputation farming: Point values are calibrated to require genuine effort; automated Sybil detection monitors for patterns
Issuer compromise: Multiple authorized issuers with different scopes; no single issuer can award more than 100 points per month
Gaming governance: The 2.5x cap prevents reputation from dominating token weight entirely
Privacy: Reputation scores are public; users who need privacy can use a pseudonymous address (not linked to real identity)
Centralization risk: Foundation-appointed issuers could be biased; the path to full community control is progressive decentralization of issuer authority

Ecosystem Reputation System