Stewarded Pools for Relational Obligations and Unified Trust (SPROUT) License¶
Version 1.0 – May 19 2025
© 2025 Grassroots Economics Foundation
This license governs the creation, operation, and federation of digital Commitment Pools.
1.0 Preamble¶
This license affirms that commitment pools are living commons — not markets. They are tools for mutual aid, peer-trust, and voluntary reciprocity rooted in care, not commerce. By creating a pool under this license, you affirm that the pool will not be used for wage replacement, speculation, or hidden monetization of service labor.
2.0 License Affirmations and Definitions¶
By adopting the SPROUT License (Stewarded Pools for Relational Obligations and Unified Trust), the Pool Creator (hereinafter referred to as the "Steward") affirms the following legal and operational declarations:
2.1 Non-Commercial Intent¶
The Pool established under this License shall not operate as a for-profit enterprise, commercial business, or financial services provider. The Pool shall not: - Generate income or revenue for any individual or organization; - Offer services or goods in exchange for currency; - Engage in speculative trading, token sales, or other capital market activities.
Definition:
“Business” refers to any organized activity undertaken with the intent to make a profit or financial return, including wage disbursement, contracting, or resale of commitments.
2.2 Voluntary and Peer-Curated Participation¶
Participation in the Pool shall be strictly voluntary and limited to individuals or groups who have been invited, approved, or validated through a transparent, peer-based governance process.
Definition:
“Peer-curated” means access to the Pool is granted through a trust-based system of community evaluation or consensus, rather than open market or anonymous access.
2.3 Symbolic Commitments, Not Enforceable Debts¶
All tokens, vouchers, or instruments entered into the Pool represent symbolic, non-enforceable commitments to contribute care, labor, or other community-recognized value. These instruments shall not be construed as contractual debts, IOUs, promissory notes, or securities.
Definition:
“Symbolic commitment” refers to a voluntary promise or expression of intent to provide goods or services, not backed by legal enforcement or monetary guarantee.
2.4 Mutual Aid Commons, Not Automated Vending or Payroll Mechanism¶
The Pool operates as a commons-based system of mutual aid and community trust. It shall not function as: - A payroll or salary disbursement mechanism; - A contract delivery platform; - An automated financial vending machine; - A marketplace for wage-equivalent or fixed-price service exchange.
Definition:
“Commons of care” means a resource system collectively maintained and governed by a defined group for mutual benefit, without the intention of private ownership or profit extraction.
3.0 Core Principles of the SPROUT License¶
The following principles shall be binding for all Pools operating under this License. These principles define the legal and ethical boundaries of pool design, acceptance of commitments, and inter-pool cooperation.
3.1 Principle of Care over Commerce¶
Pools shall operate as systems of care, reciprocity, and mutual recognition. Under no circumstance shall a Pool be designed or utilized for commercial purposes, speculative gains, or personal profit.
Interpretation:
Trust, not money, is the core unit of value. All tokenized activity must reflect contribution, not compensation.
3.2 Voluntary and Non-Coercive Participation¶
All exchanges, redemptions, and contributions within the Pool must be strictly voluntary. No participant shall be contractually obligated to fulfill any specific service or deliverable.
3.3 Transparent Purpose-Linked Tracking¶
All token swaps and redemptions shall be recorded on a verifiable ledger with a declared, non-generic purpose (e.g., “recognition for composting,” “seed-sharing rotation”).
Requirement:
Every transaction must include metadata linking it to the contributor’s claimed commitment.
3.4 Prohibition on Wage Substitution¶
Pools may not simulate payroll structures, distribute tokens in fixed intervals for time-based work, or replace wage labor under another guise. Any behavior approximating salaried or freelance contracting may be grounds for license revocation.
3.5 Peer-Curated Acceptance¶
Only known, verified, and trusted members of the Pool may have their vouchers accepted in the Pool. The Pool must maintain documented governance procedures for who may issue, and under what limits.
3.6 Symbolic, Non-Enforceable Commitments¶
Vouchers are to be treated as symbolic representations of intent to contribute, not legally enforceable IOUs. They do not constitute financial claims, debts, or instruments of exchange under banking or securities law.
3.7 Prohibition on Fiat Redemption¶
No Pool may offer direct fiat, e-money, or cryptocurrency redemption services. Swaps must occur within the bounded mutual aid network.
3.8 Endowment Integrity¶
All resource injections into the Pool (e.g., stablecoins, airtime, food) must be classified as gifts or irrevocable endowments. They shall not accrue interest, create claims of ownership, or imply investor rights.
3.9 Federated Governance Respect¶
When federated with other Pools, each Pool must honor the local rules, curation logic, and trust boundaries of the partner Pools. No bypassing of peer control mechanisms is permitted.
4.0 Responsibilities of Pool Stewards¶
All individuals or entities creating or operating a Pool under this License (“Stewards”) agree to:
- Maintain a publicly accessible written Charter aligning with this License.
- Document all swaps and redemptions on a permanent, auditable ledger.
- Clearly define and display all roles, voucher issuers, and operating logic.
- Provide provenance documentation for any seeded assets or external inputs.
- Prohibit anonymous or uncurated token acceptance or participation.
- Utilize digital or analog systems (e.g., Sarafu.Network) that support transparent and permissioned pooling.
5.0 Violations and Enforcement¶
Any Pool found to be in violation of this License, including but not limited to the following actions, may have its SPROUT License status revoked by Grassroots Economics Foundation:
- Engaging in disguised wage disbursement or payroll simulation.
- Misleading participants regarding the redeemability or liquidity of tokens.
- Facilitating speculative trading or enabling anonymous token swaps.
- Violating the federation logic or consent of linked Pools.
Upon substantiated violation, the Pool may be:
- Flagged for audit and publicly reviewed;
- Temporarily suspended from federation networks;
- Required to issue a remediation report and governance reform.
Grassroots Economics Foundation reserves the right to enforce these conditions in accordance with documented governance processes and community consensus.
6.0 Licensing Notice (Mandatory for Sarafu.Network and Affiliates)¶
By accepting this License, the Steward affirms compliance with these foundational conditions and agrees to maintain the Pool’s operations in accordance with the spirit and legal framework of the SPROUT License.
Each Pool must include the following text (or equivalent) on its public page, dashboard, or registry:
This Pool operates under the SPROUT License (v1.0): Stewarded Pools for Relational Obligations and Unified Trust. It circulates symbolic commitments, not enforceable payments or contractual wages. Participation is voluntary, curated, and governed by peer trust.
License: https://docs.grassecon.org/commons/sprout Charter: [Insert link to Pool’s Charter text]