Purpose
Certification Signals provide a common discovery model for surfacing certification-related information while preserving the authority, identifiers, provenance, and lifecycle of referenced canonical objects.
Beacon · Certification Signals
Satoshium Beacon Certification Signals
Certification Signals are Beacon-owned Discovery Signals that identify certification-related information as potentially relevant for discovery.
Beacon does not certify. It publishes Discovery Signals and discovery metadata that reference certification information while Certifier retains certification and verification authority.
Core Distinction
Certification Packages and certification status belong to Certifier. SREG records and Registry lifecycle status belong to Registry. Discovery Signals and discovery metadata belong to Beacon.
Discovery Signal
A Discovery Signal is a Beacon-owned object that points users, tools, or workflows toward potentially relevant Certification Packages, SREG records, events, evidence references, or certification metadata.
Not Authority
A Beacon signal does not create certification authority, modify an SREG record, create Chronicle authority, establish an Integrity Reference, or issue a Trust Statement. It points back to the institution that owns the referenced responsibility.
Signal Types
Beacon may publish several certification-related signal types so users and systems can discover relevant certification states.
Certified · Expired · Revoked · Updated · Pending
Certified
A Certified signal indicates that Beacon has observed an authoritative Certifier source showing the referenced subject or Certification Package in a certified state.
Expired
An Expired signal indicates that Beacon has observed an authoritative Certifier source showing the referenced certification in an expired state.
Revoked
A Revoked signal indicates that Beacon has observed an authoritative Certifier source showing the referenced certification in a revoked, withdrawn, or otherwise invalidated state.
Updated
An Updated signal indicates that Beacon has observed a change in certification-related information, metadata, references, or authoritative status that may warrant renewed attention.
Pending
A Pending signal indicates that Beacon has observed an authoritative certification source showing a certification process or review that has not yet reached a final certification state.
Future Signals
Future certification-related signals may include renewed, suspended, superseded, challenged, corrected, or other states supported by authoritative Certifier lifecycle semantics. Integrity- and trust-related states remain within Anchor and Attestor authority respectively.
What a Signal Contains
A certification signal should preserve enough context to help users discover the relevant certification information while still pointing back to the authoritative system.
Discovery Signal ID · Signal Type · Source Institution · Certification Package ID ·
Related SREG ID · Provenance · Public Reference · Signal Date · Last Observed · Version
Relationship to Certifier
Certifier remains authoritative for Certification Packages, certification outcomes, certification status, evidence review, scoring, and verification.
Beacon may publish a Certified signal. Certifier determines and records the authoritative certification state.
Relationship to Registry
Registry remains authoritative for SREG records and their lifecycle. Beacon may reference an SREG record when it is relevant to certification discovery without duplicating or modifying that record.
Beacon may reference an SREG record. Registry retains authority for SREG.
Certification Signal Authority Boundary
Beacon owns the Certification Signal as a Discovery Signal and owns its discovery metadata. Certifier remains authoritative for the Certification Package and certification state being referenced. Registry remains authoritative for any referenced SREG record.
The signal may reflect an authoritative state.
It does not independently create that state.
Reference does not transfer authority.
It does not independently create that state.
Reference does not transfer authority.
Signal Interpretation
Signals are indicators, not independent certification conclusions. Users, systems, and workflows should interpret a Certification Signal by following its references to the authoritative Certification Package, SREG record, supporting evidence, or other relevant canonical object.
A signal helps something be found. It does not replace the canonical object it references.
Reference does not transfer authority.
Reference does not transfer authority.
Signal Philosophy
Beacon makes certification-related information discoverable without becoming the certification authority. Its role is to publish Discovery Signals, preserve canonical references and provenance, and improve visibility.
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