This is a plain-English step-by-step guide for first-time PoPC participants. No prior SOST experience assumed. If you hold XAUT or PAXG in an Ethereum wallet and want to earn SOST rewards for keeping it there, you are in the right place.
Run this command and check the output:
curl --user YOUR_RPC_USER:YOUR_RPC_PASS -s \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"method":"getinfo","params":[],"id":1}' \
http://127.0.0.1:18232
You should see a JSON response with blocks matching the current tip shown on
sost-explorer.html.
If blocks is more than 10 behind the explorer, wait for the node to sync before continuing.
Decide:
XAUT or PAXGThe bond amount and reward are calculated automatically by the node from the current SOST/gold price ratio.
| Duration | Base reward | At Tier 1 (early adopter) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | 1.0% of bond | 1.0% effective |
| 3 months | 4.0% of bond | 4.0% effective |
| 6 months | 9.0% of bond | 9.0% effective |
| 9 months | 15.0% of bond | 15.0% effective |
| 12 months | 22.0% of bond | 22.0% effective |
Use the sost-cli popc register command with human-readable flags:
./build/sost-cli popc register \ --sost-address sost1YOUR_SOST_ADDRESS \ --eth-wallet 0xYOUR_ETH_WALLET_WITH_XAUT_OR_PAXG \ --token XAUT \ --gold-mg 31103 \ --duration 12
Flag meaning:
| --sost-address | Your SOST address where the reward will be paid |
| --eth-wallet | Ethereum wallet (0x...) holding the gold tokens |
| --token | XAUT or PAXG (case-sensitive) |
| --gold-mg | Gold amount in milligrams (31103 = 1 troy ounce) |
| --duration | 1, 3, 6, 9 or 12 (months) |
The node returns a commitment_id. Save it — you will need it to check status later.
At any time you can see all active commitments:
./build/sost-cli popc status
Or check a specific commitment by ID:
./build/sost-cli popc check YOUR_COMMITMENT_ID
Possible statuses:
ACTIVE — the commitment is running. Keep holding your gold.COMPLETED — the period finished successfully. Your reward is pending release.SLASHED — an audit failed. Your bond has been partially taken.EXPIRED — the period ended without a release call (the operator will release it).When your commitment period ends, the operator will verify that your gold was held and broadcast a reward transaction from the PoPC Pool to your SOST address. This happens automatically within 24 hours of the period ending.
You can verify the payment landed by checking your wallet balance or searching for the tx on the explorer. The bond is unlocked at the same time — the full amount is spendable again.
popc_auto_distribute.sh cron daemon already
committed to the repository. You do not have to do anything for this transition — you simply
keep receiving rewards.
PoPC audits are derived from ConvergenceX block entropy, so no one — not even the operator — can predict or bias them. For each active commitment period, there is a certain probability of being selected for audit:
| Reputation tier | Audit probability | Max gold allowed |
|---|---|---|
| NEW (0 ★) | 30% per period | 0.5 oz |
| ESTABLISHED (1 ★) | 20% | 1 oz |
| TRUSTED (3 ★) | 10% | 3 oz |
| VETERAN (5 ★) | 5% | 10 oz |
When an audit fires, the operator runs
scripts/popc_oracle.py against your declared Ethereum wallet and checks that the
token balance still meets or exceeds your committed amount. If yes, audit passes silently. If no,
the bond is slashed.
XAUT or PAXG,
uppercase, no quotes in the actual value.
Two read-only scripts in scripts/ help you and operators verify everything:
python3 scripts/popc_monitor.py \ --rpc-user USER --rpc-pass PASS --watch 30
Shows pool balance, active contracts, PUR (Pool Utilization Ratio), current reward tier, and
effective rewards at the current tier. Alerts when PUR crosses 50%. Refreshes every 30 seconds
with --watch.
python3 scripts/popc_oracle.py \ --rpc-user USER --rpc-pass PASS \ --etherscan-key YOUR_FREE_API_KEY \ --csv /tmp/popc_audit.csv
Queries Etherscan for every active commitment's declared wallet and checks that the XAUT/PAXG balance still covers the committed amount. Prints PASS/FAIL/ERROR per commitment. Read-only — does not call popc_slash automatically. Get a free Etherscan API key at etherscan.io/apis.
No. The gold never leaves your Ethereum wallet. PoPC only verifies that you are holding it. The only thing at risk is the SOST bond, and only if you voluntarily move the gold out before the commitment period ends.
The bond amount is frozen in SOST at registration time. If SOST appreciates, your bond becomes more valuable in USD — good for you. If SOST depreciates, the bond is worth less — but the reward percentage is unchanged, so you still receive the same fraction of the bond you locked.
Yes, as many as your reputation tier allows. Each commitment is independent. Veterans (5 ★) can run several simultaneous 10 oz commitments.
Model B requires an Ethereum smart contract that has not been deployed yet. The target activation is Q3 2026, pending security audit. The full roadmap is at docs/popc_model_b_roadmap.md. For now, use Model A.
Not yet. During the first 4 weeks after block 5,000 activation, reward releases are processed semi-manually as a safety measure. After that window, an automatic cron daemon handles them without operator intervention. The long-term goal — explicitly stated — is 100% autonomous operation with no operator in the loop. Every component of the system is designed to reach that state as soon as the initial operating conditions confirm there are no unknown issues.
You are not staking SOST to secure the chain. The chain is secured by ConvergenceX proof of work. PoPC is a separate cooperative system where participants demonstrate real-world economic backing (gold) and receive SOST rewards in return. It is closer to "proof of reserves" than to staking.
PoPC is cooperative by nature: the more participants, the more everyone earns, and the faster the protocol reaches full decentralization. If you know anyone who holds XAUT or PAXG and might be interested in earning passive SOST rewards without giving up custody, please forward them this page.