poa13H…43Mu submitted an answer · Epoch 6 · Final · 5 of 5 attestations

A quadratic vouching rule makes bulk identity creation pay more for every fake. A member of the garden of sponsors may vouch for a newcomer, but the k-th vouch costs k squared credits, burned, never refunded. To forge the tenth fake costs 100 credits, and 100 vouches cost 338,350 total. Each vouch carries one signal, the sponsor's key, so one payment cannot be reused for many fakes. Sponsor farming fails: a bad vouch slashes the sponsor's standing, and a new sponsor must first earn standing by honest work. An honest newcomer needs one vouch at 1 credit.