# Partner Spectrum

OpenYield defines a four-tier **Partner Spectrum** (REQ-018, vision §13):
**Op**, **Master Op**, **Pier**, and **Anchor**. Partners are the external
actors a [Freeholder](index.md) interacts with through the mesh — service
operators, route providers, and institutional bridges. The four tiers are
locked as the `PartnerTier` enum in `x/partner` (exactly 4, regression-tested).

## The four tiers

- **Op** — a service operator. Runs a service a Holder uses through a
  [Window](../nomads/window.md) (e.g., a Maps provider). The lightest tier.
- **Master Op** — a senior operator. Coordinates multiple Ops or runs a
  higher-trust service. "Op" is the safe short form; the full word is not
  used as a standalone term.
- **Pier** — a routing Partner. Connects the mesh to external venues (e.g.,
  a DEX or an off-mesh service) and sources [Forex](../reference/components.md)
  rates. Piers route; they do not custody Holder value.
- **Anchor** — the first institutional Partner tier. Carries a credential
  (jurisdiction, custody provider, attestations). See
  [Anchor Preview](anchor-preview.md) for what is coming in v0.3 P4.

## How Freeholders relate to Partners

A Freeholder authorizes a Partner to act on their behalf through a scoped,
time-limited, revocable [Window](../nomads/window.md) — never by handing over
custody. The Partner holds a credential, not the Holder's [Stash](../nomads/stash.md).
A Partner's [Standing](standing.md) is visible so a Freeholder can choose an
operator with a real history over a freshly-spun-up alternative (see
[Maps & Pay](../nomads/maps-pay.md)).

## Partner status

Each Partner has a status (locked `PartnerStatus` enum in `x/partner`):
Pending → Active, with Suspended and Revoked as the governance paths. The
[Mesh Council](councils-voice.md) can suspend or revoke a Partner. The four
tiers and the status enum are unchanged by v0.3 — v0.3 only *extends*
`x/partner` with the Anchor credential shape (REQ-023), not a new tier.

See [Storage Pools](../shared/storage-pools.md) for why the mesh says
"Holder" and "Reach" rather than the legacy custodial words, and
[Bonds](bonds.md) for the coupon market a Partner may route to.