# The Four Freeholder Signals

The four **Freeholder signals** (REQ-005) are the gate to Freeholder
participation. A [Holder](../nomads/reach.md) who earns all four becomes a
[Freeholder](index.md) — eligible to join [Stands & Guilds](stands-guilds.md),
vote in the [Councils](councils-voice.md), and issue [Bonds](bonds.md). The
signals are deliberately heterogeneous: no single input can be pumped, so the
path resists gaming.

## 1. The 90-day Stash

A Holder must hold a [Stash](../nomads/stash.md) continuously for 90 days
(REQ-014). The signal is about **continuity, not size** — a small Stash held
steadily counts. This filters out transient actors who spin up a position to
game a vote and then leave. See [Storage Pools](../shared/storage-pools.md)
for the three-pool model.

## 2. Standing of 4.5★ or higher in 3 categories

A Holder must earn a [Standing](standing.md) of 4.5★ or higher in **three
distinct categories** (REQ-006). The diversity requirement is the anti-gaming
core: a Holder cannot reach Freeholder by repeating the same action with the
same counterparty. Three categories force breadth.

## 3. Capital

The Capital signal requires a Holder to hold a meaningful amount of
[Bread](../shared/bread-scale.md) in their Stash. The threshold is set by the
mesh [Councils](councils-voice.md) and is a stake, not a fee: the Holder keeps
the Bread. Capital aligns the Freeholder's stake with the mesh.

## 4. Vouch

The Vouch signal requires another Freeholder to vouch for the Holder. A
vouch from a high-[Standing](standing.md) Freeholder carries more weight
(voucher-weighting), so a single colluding vouch cannot carry a Holder over
the gate. Vouch is the social signal that ties the other three together.

## Why four, not one

Each signal covers a different attack surface: continuity (90-day Stash),
breadth (3-category Standing), stake (Capital), and social trust (Vouch).
Earning all four is the proof a Holder is a participant, not a transient
gamer. See [Standing](standing.md) for the anti-gaming math, and
[Bonds](bonds.md) for what a Freeholder can do once the signals are earned.