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openyield/docs/nomads/reach.md
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cloudinit-bot d09c6132b1 docs(P02): complete nomads docs phase
P2 complete. 8 docs/nomads/ pages: index, reach, stash, bearers, maps-pay,
pacts, standing, window. Docs firewall green (scans new nomads pages),
no regression. All pages cross-reference docs/shared/.

---ci---
project: oy
phase: 2
milestone: v0.3
status: complete
tag_base: v0.2.x
phase_role: execution
requirements:
  covered: []
  partial: [REQ-027]
---/ci---
2026-08-17 22:14:53 +00:00

2.1 KiB

Reach

A Nomad is a person using the OpenYield mesh through a Reach — the protocol-level identity that lets a Holder act on the mesh without a custodian, a gatekeeper, or a legacy financial position. The Reach is the first of the four Freeholder signals (REQ-005), and it is the baseline every Nomad starts from: a Nomad is a Holder who has a Reach and a Stash but has not yet earned all four Freeholder signals.

What a Reach is

A Reach is an identity, not a custodial position. It is the by-ID-string a Holder uses to receive value, open a Window, join a Stand, or pay for a service. The protocol does not require KYC at the protocol layer; the Reach is the unit of self-service (see Six Principles).

How a Nomad starts

A Nomad starts with two things:

  1. A Reach — the identity.
  2. A Stash — the personal Storage Pool where the Holder holds Bread.

That pair is enough to begin. From there a Nomad can use the bearers to reach the mesh, find services on Maps & Pay, authorize a Window to a partner, and accrue Standing.

Geographic proximity

The mesh processes actions first-come, first-served with a geographic-proximity preference (REQ-007) — a Nomad physically closer to a service or a Stand's region is served first. The Reach is how the mesh identifies the Nomad for that ordering; there is no separate tier to buy into.

The four Freeholder signals

The Reach is the first Freeholder signal. The four signals (REQ-005) are earned over time: the 90-day Stash signal, the Standing threshold, the Capital signal, and the Vouch signal. A Nomad who earns all four becomes a Freeholder (see the Freeholders section). The pages here cover the Nomad path — everything up to that point.

See Stash for the Storage Pool a Reach holds Bread in, Bearers for how to reach the mesh, and Standing for the anti-gaming metric that accrues as a Nomad acts on the mesh.