Glossary
This glossary defines terms as they are used throughout the Goldie City documentation.
Core concepts
Protocol / Platform
In this documentation, “protocol” refers to the on-chain system (smart contracts and the rules they enforce). “Platform” refers to the end-to-end product that includes both on-chain enforcement and off-chain operations (identity verification, custody, audits, fulfillment, monitoring).
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is the standard set of on-chain modules created for a token. Instead of deploying one standalone token contract, the protocol deploys a coherent stack (token + policy + pricing + proof + redemption + discovery) so that integrations are consistent.
Issuer
An issuer is an entity that launches and operates a token ecosystem (e.g., a precious-metal dealer, vault operator, or asset manager). Issuers operate within token-scoped permissions.
Participant / Investor / End user
A participant is any address interacting with the token ecosystem: holding, transferring, redeeming, or receiving issuance. Depending on the configured policy, participants may need to pass KYC.
Governance & access control
Role
A role is a named permission that authorizes a specific category of privileged actions (e.g., configuring compliance policy, minting/burning, upgrades, emergency actions). Roles are granted to accounts and enforced by smart contracts.
Platform roles vs token roles
Platform roles apply to platform-wide controls (registries, global configuration, upgrades). Token roles apply to a specific token ecosystem (issuer operations for that token). This separation is what enables safe multi-tenant operation.
Separation of duties
Separation of duties means no single operational key has unlimited power. High-impact actions (upgrades, role administration) are typically gated behind multi-approval governance (e.g., multisig) while day-to-day operations use narrower roles.
Compliance
KYC / KYB
Know Your Customer / Know Your Business are off-chain identity verification processes. Their outcomes can be represented on-chain as minimal eligibility state (approved/denied/suspended), without storing personal data on-chain.
Compliance router / checker
A compliance module that is consulted during issuance and/or transfer. If policy is not satisfied, the action is rejected on-chain.
Pricing & settlement
Oracle
An oracle is an on-chain data source for external prices (commonly a decentralized oracle network). Oracles require staleness checks and monitoring.
Staleness
Staleness is a safety property: if price data is older than a configured threshold, the protocol treats it as unsafe.
Proof of reserve
Proof / backing proof
A proof is an on-chain record that references off-chain evidence (reports, attestations, files) supporting a backing claim (e.g., custody statements). The chain can prove a proof was published and whether it is current/revoked; it cannot validate real-world truth by itself.
Validity window
A time range the proof claims to cover. Proof freshness can be monitored and can be tied to operational and governance policies.
Redemption
Redemption
The process of converting token claims into a real-world outcome (physical delivery or other fulfillment). Fulfillment is off-chain; the protocol records an auditable lifecycle on-chain.
Escrow
An on-chain holding pattern used during redemption so that the redeemed quantity cannot be simultaneously transferred.