3.1 The Core Mental Model

PTERI is intentionally built on five strict rules.

These rules are not guidelines. They are constraints.

They limit what the system can do — and that is what makes it secure.

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Rule 1 — Wallet = Identity

In PTERI, identity is not an account.

There is no:

• Username

• Email-based identity

• Database-backed user record

Identity exists only as a wallet.

If you control the wallet, you are the identity.

Lose access to the wallet, and the identity is gone — just like losing a physical key.

There is no backdoor recovery by Kakr.

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Rule 2 — Private Key = Authority

Authority is not granted by servers.

Authority is not assigned by roles.

Authority is proven by private key control.

If you can sign, you have authority. If you cannot sign, you do not.

This rule eliminates:

• Privilege escalation

• Implicit trust

• Admin overrides

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Rule 3 — Signature = Intent

A signature in PTERI is not a login artifact.

It is a statement of intent.

When a wallet signs something, it means:

“This authority approves this exact action, at this time.”

Because signatures are:

• Cryptographically bound to the message

• Non-replayable

• Verifiable by anyone

Intent becomes provable, not assumed.

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Rule 4 — Litecoin = Verification & Settlement

Litecoin plays two roles in PTERI:

1. Verification layer

2. Settlement layer

It provides:

• A public, immutable record

• A global ordering of events

• Proof-of-work security

• Optional privacy via MWEB

Litecoin is not used for:

• Identity storage

• Metadata broadcasting

• Smart contract logic

Litecoin is the system’s public clock and court of record.

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Rule 5 — Server = Verifier, Not Custodian

Servers in PTERI are deliberately constrained.

They may:

• Issue challenges

• Verify signatures

• Observe blockchain state

• Enforce rate limits and policies

They may never:

• Hold private keys

• Sign on behalf of users

• Recover identities

• Move funds

If a server can steal, the system is broken. PTERI prevents this structurally.

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🚫 No Alternate Trust Paths

There are no fallback mechanisms such as:

• Email recovery

• SMS overrides

• Manual admin resets

• Secret API keys

Every action flows through the same path:

Wallet → Signature → Verification