Cases

Permissionless networks face a fundamental tension between open participation and economic security. Requiring validators to lock capital (post bond) before earning rewards creates a symmetric cost for misbehavior - the bond can be slashed on fault. But it also erects a capital barrier that can exclude honest participants and concentrate power among those with deep wallets. This trial examines whether bond-posting requirements are a necessary anti-sybil mechanism or a regressive barrier that undermines the permissionless ideal.