by Kidd James (Kevan Burns)
📄 LPS-1 v1.0 Public Release Announcement — Executive summary, verification path, compliance claim, and roadmap in one document.
Quick Links
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Announcement | ANNOUNCEMENT_LPS1_v1.0.md |
| LPS-1 Specification | LPS-1.md |
| LPS Stack Architecture | LPS-STACK.md |
| Compliance Matrix (L0–L5) | COMPLIANCE.md |
| Governance | GOVERNANCE.md |
| Roadmap | ROADMAP.md |
| Funding Brief | FUNDING_BRIEF.md |
| Reference Implementation | FTHTrading/LPS-1-Reference-Implementation |
| Protocol Site | xxxiii.io |
| DOI | 10.5281/zenodo.18646886 |
git clone https://github.com/FTHTrading/2500-donkeys.git
cd 2500-donkeys
npm install
npm run lps:verify| # | Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| I | Overview | What this is and why it exists |
| II | System Architecture | Five-layer provenance model |
| III | Smart Contract Architecture | Five verified contracts on Polygon |
| IV | Merkle Tree System | Six-tree content integrity (4 novel + 2 stories) |
| V | Project Structure | Repository layout and file map |
| VI | The Novel | 31 narrative blocks and 5 artifact exhibits |
| VII | The Stories Collection | Protocol validation node — 13 satirical stories |
| VIII | Build Pipeline | Deterministic compilation system |
| IX | Publishing Pipeline | EPUB, PDF, and cover generation |
| X | Deployment Registry | All five contract deployments |
| XI | Test Suite | 146 tests across 5 contracts |
| XII | Academic Infrastructure | DOI, ORCID, research paper, citations |
| XIII | Protocol Specification (LPS-1) | Literary Protocol Standard v1 |
| XIV | Developer Quick Start | Setup, build, test, deploy |
| XV | Audio Provenance (IAPL-1) | Immutable Audio Provenance Layer |
| XVI | Intellectual Property | Ownership, rights, legal clarity |
| XVII | License | Dual license structure |
A 75,000-word novel built as the reference implementation for a deterministic publishing protocol. The infrastructure proves that a single author, with no institutional backing, can construct a multi-layer provenance chain for a literary manuscript — cryptographically verifiable by anyone, at a total cost under $2.50.
The story dissects how narrative outpaces verification in opaque financial ecosystems — through the lens of discounted gold deals, WhatsApp broker chains, ESG monetization theater, and 2,500 donkeys walking across a desert.
"Belief travels faster than verification." — First Law of the Parking Lot
| Layer | Purpose | Status |
|---|---|---|
| The Novel | Literary satire. 31 chapters + 5 artifacts. Observational, not preachy. | ✅ Complete |
| The Stories | Short fiction collection. 13 satirical stories + audio narration. Protocol validation node. | ✅ Anchored |
| The Protocol | Five-contract on-chain architecture. Merkle trees. IPFS. Bitcoin timestamp. | ✅ Deployed |
| The Paper | Peer-verifiable research paper. DOI-archived. 14 system invariants. | ✅ Published |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Works | 2 — The 2,500 Donkeys (novel) + Private Placement Puppetry (stories) |
| Words | ~75,000 (novel) + ~30,000 (stories) |
| Chapters | 31 blocks + 5 artifacts (novel) · 13 stories + front/back matter (stories) |
| Smart Contracts | 5 (all verified on Polygonscan) |
| Tests | 146 passing |
| Merkle Trees | 4 (novel: manuscript, artifact, image, prompt) + 2 (stories: manuscript, audio) |
| IPFS CIDs | 3 editions pinned |
| Deployment Cost | ~$2.50 total |
| DOI | 10.5281/zenodo.18646886 |
| ORCID | 0009-0008-8425-939X |
block-beta
columns 1
block:L1:1
A["Layer 1 — FILESYSTEM · Local creation timestamps"]
end
block:L2:1
B["Layer 2 — GIT · Commit history · Author identity · SHA in message"]
end
block:L3:1
C["Layer 3 — MERKLE TREES · 4 trees → Edition Root · Per-chapter SHA-256"]
end
block:L4:1
D["Layer 4 — IPFS · Content-addressed storage · Deterministic CIDs"]
end
block:L5:1
E["Layer 5 — POLYGON · 5 contracts verified · Bitcoin OpenTimestamps"]
end
style A fill:#555,color:#fff
style B fill:#f05032,color:#fff
style C fill:#4a90d9,color:#fff
style D fill:#65c2cb,color:#fff
style E fill:#7b3fe4,color:#fff
| Layer | Mechanism | What It Proves | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Filesystem | Creation timeline | Local |
| 2 | Git / GitHub | Authorship + version history | git log |
| 3 | Merkle Trees | Per-chapter integrity + edition root | node build/merkle.js |
| 4 | IPFS | Immutable content-addressed storage | Any IPFS gateway |
| 5 | Polygon + Bitcoin | Timestamped on-chain proof-of-origin | Polygonscan |
flowchart TD
subgraph AUTHORING ["Authoring Layer"]
M[/"manuscript/\n31 narrative blocks"/]
A[/"artifacts/\n5 exhibits"/]
I[/"images/\ncover + 9 chapters"/]
end
subgraph BUILD ["Build Pipeline"]
C["compile.js\nConcatenate by order.json"]
H["hash.js\nSHA-256 + MD5"]
MK["merkle.js\n4 Merkle trees"]
MF["manifest.js\nPer-file integrity map"]
end
subgraph PUBLISH ["Publishing Pipeline"]
EP["build-epub.js\nEPUB3"]
PD["build-pdf.js\nPrint PDF"]
CV["build-cover.js\nCover PDF"]
end
subgraph STORAGE ["Storage Layer"]
IPFS["IPFS (Kubo)\nContent-addressed"]
GIT["Git / GitHub\nVersion history"]
end
subgraph CHAIN ["On-Chain Layer (5 Contracts)"]
LA["LiteraryAnchor\nEdition storage"]
PK["PublishingKernel\nLicensing"]
PV["PublishingKernelV2\nMerkle roots"]
RR["RoyaltyRouter\nRevenue splits"]
AI["AuthorIdentity\nECDSA binding"]
end
subgraph TEMPORAL ["Temporal Layer"]
BTC["Bitcoin\nOpenTimestamps"]
end
M --> C
A --> C
I --> MK
C -->|"dist/final-manuscript.md"| H
H --> MK
MK -->|"Edition Root"| MF
MF --> IPFS
MF --> GIT
C --> EP
C --> PD
I --> CV
IPFS --> LA
MK --> PV
H --> LA
LA --> BTC
style LA fill:#7b3fe4,stroke:#6232b8,color:#fff
style PV fill:#7b3fe4,stroke:#6232b8,color:#fff
style PK fill:#7b3fe4,stroke:#6232b8,color:#fff
style RR fill:#7b3fe4,stroke:#6232b8,color:#fff
style AI fill:#7b3fe4,stroke:#6232b8,color:#fff
style BTC fill:#f7931a,stroke:#c47a14,color:#fff
Five contracts deployed and source-verified on Polygon Mainnet. Total deployment cost: ~$1.80.
classDiagram
class LiteraryAnchor {
+address author [immutable]
+Edition[] editions
+anchorEdition(cid, hash, note)
+genesis() Edition
+latest() Edition
}
class PublishingKernel {
+License[] licenses
+grantLicense(...)
+revokeLicense(id)
+getLicense(id)
}
class PublishingKernelV2 {
+mapping editions
+registerEdition(merkleRoot, cid, hash, ...)
+setCanonical(editionId)
+verifyLeaf(editionId, leaf, proof)
}
class RoyaltyRouter {
+Split[] splits
+distribute()
+setSplits(recipients, shares)
}
class AuthorIdentity {
+address author [immutable]
+string penName
+verifySignature(message, sig)
+updatePenName(name)
}
PublishingKernelV2 --> LiteraryAnchor : extends
PublishingKernel --> RoyaltyRouter : routes revenue
AuthorIdentity --> PublishingKernelV2 : signs editions
| # | Contract | Address | Polygonscan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LiteraryAnchor | 0x97f456300817eaE3B40E235857b856dfFE8bba90 |
Verified ✓ |
| 2 | PublishingKernel | 0x511c653fC0F450ba41C42A89A3125CcBf2eFE8ae |
Verified ✓ |
| 3 | PublishingKernelV2 | 0xca9F6604A9b498DB31d113836E2957c0a9aAE037 |
Verified ✓ |
| 4 | RoyaltyRouter | 0x44169829489d70aaecbf845870652871C65fC461 |
Verified ✓ |
| 5 | AuthorIdentity | 0xB9ffa688A8Bb332221030BbBE46bE5bF03323170 |
Verified ✓ |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Network | Polygon Mainnet (Chain ID: 137) |
| Solidity | 0.8.19 · Optimizer: 200 runs · viaIR: true |
| Framework | Hardhat 2.28.6 · Ethers 6.16.0 · OpenZeppelin 4.9.6 |
| Author Wallet | 0xC91668184736BF75C4ecE37473D694efb2A43978 |
Six independent Merkle trees hash every content type across both works. Their roots are combined into Edition Roots — the cryptographic fingerprints of each literary work.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ EDITION ROOT │
│ H(manuscriptRoot ‖ artifactRoot ‖ │
│ imageRoot ‖ promptRoot) │
├──────────────┬──────────────┬────────────┬──────────────┤
│ manuscript │ artifact │ image │ prompt │
│ Root │ Root │ Root │ Root │
├──────────────┼──────────────┼────────────┼──────────────┤
│ block-00 ██ │ carbon ██ │ cover ██ │ style ██ │
│ block-01 ██ │ waterfall ██ │ ch-00 ██ │ cover ██ │
│ block-01a ██ │ esg ██ │ ch-01 ██ │ genesis ██ │
│ ... ██ │ imfpa ██ │ ... ██ │ ... ██ │
│ epilogue ██ │ whatsapp ██ │ ch-ep ██ │ silence ██ │
└──────────────┴──────────────┴────────────┴──────────────┘
| Tree | Leaves | What It Hashes |
|---|---|---|
| Manuscript | 31 | Every narrative block (SHA-256) |
| Artifact | 5 | Every in-book exhibit |
| Image | 10 | Cover + 9 chapter illustrations |
| Prompt | 10 | AI generation prompts for all images |
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ COMBINED HASH │
│ H(manuscriptRoot ‖ audioRoot) │
├──────────────────────┬────────────────────────┤
│ manuscript Root │ audio Root │
├──────────────────────┼────────────────────────┤
│ 00-front-matter ██ │ 01-the-deal.mp3 ██ │
│ 01-the-deal ██ │ 02-the-due... ██ │
│ ... ██ │ ... ██ │
│ 16-back-matter ██ │ 13-the-final... ██ │
└──────────────────────┴────────────────────────┘
| Tree | Leaves | What It Hashes |
|---|---|---|
| Manuscript | 16 | 13 stories + front/back matter (SHA-256) |
| Audio | 13 | Kokoro TTS narrations (SHA-256) |
node build/merkle.js # Rebuild novel trees (4) + edition root
node stories/stories-merkle.js # Rebuild stories trees (2) + combined hash2500-donkeys/
│
├── 📖 MANUSCRIPT
│ ├── manuscript/ 31 canonical narrative blocks
│ │ ├── block-00-genesis.md The parking lot. The first deal.
│ │ ├── block-01 → block-07d Core chapters + Layers A–D
│ │ └── epilogue.md The deal that never closes.
│ └── artifacts/ 5 in-book exhibits
│ ├── imfpa-redline-v3.md Irrevocable fee agreement (redlined)
│ ├── commission-waterfall.md Four-tier commission structure
│ ├── whatsapp-forward-17.md The forward that started it all
│ ├── esg-deck-excerpt.md Carbon credit pitch deck
│ └── carbon-registry-summary.md Registry compliance theater
│
├── 🔧 BUILD SYSTEM
│ ├── build/
│ │ ├── compile.js Concatenate blocks → final manuscript
│ │ ├── hash.js SHA-256 + MD5 integrity hashes
│ │ ├── merkle.js 4 Merkle trees → edition root
│ │ ├── manifest.js Per-file hash manifest
│ │ ├── order.json Canonical build order (36 entries)
│ │ └── protocol.js LPS-1 protocol enforcement
│ └── dist/ Generated outputs
│ ├── final-manuscript.md Compiled output (293,368 bytes)
│ ├── merkle.json Merkle trees + edition root
│ ├── manifest.json File-level integrity map
│ ├── edition.json Edition metadata
│ ├── edition.ots Bitcoin OpenTimestamps proof
│ ├── the-2500-donkeys.epub EPUB3 ebook
│ ├── the-2500-donkeys-print.pdf Print-ready PDF
│ ├── cover.pdf Cover art
│ └── deterministic-literary-publishing.pdf Research paper
│
├── ⛓️ SMART CONTRACTS (5 deployed + verified)
│ └── web3/
│ ├── contracts/
│ │ ├── LiteraryAnchor.sol Proof-of-origin anchor
│ │ ├── PublishingKernel.sol Licensing engine
│ │ ├── PublishingKernelV2.sol Merkle-verified editions
│ │ ├── RoyaltyRouter.sol Revenue distribution
│ │ └── AuthorIdentity.sol ECDSA identity binding
│ ├── test/ 146 tests across 5 suites
│ │ ├── LiteraryAnchor.test.js
│ │ ├── PublishingKernel.test.js
│ │ ├── PublishingKernelV2.test.js
│ │ ├── RoyaltyRouter.test.js
│ │ └── AuthorIdentity.test.js
│ ├── scripts/ 16 deployment + operational scripts
│ └── metadata/ On-chain provenance records
│
├── 📚 PUBLISHING PIPELINE
│ ├── publishing/
│ │ ├── build-epub.js EPUB3 generator
│ │ ├── build-pdf.js Print PDF via Puppeteer
│ │ └── build-cover.js Cover PDF generator
│ └── images/
│ ├── generate-images.js AI Horde image generation
│ ├── image-prompts.json Prompt definitions
│ ├── chapters/ 9 chapter illustrations (PNG + SVG)
│ └── cover/ Cover art (PNG + SVG)
│
├── 📄 RESEARCH PAPER
│ └── papers/
│ ├── deterministic-literary-publishing.md Source manuscript
│ ├── build-paper-pdf.js Academic PDF generator
│ └── [dissemination assets] SSRN, Medium, HN, etc.
│
├── 🌐 SITE (xxxiii.io)
│ └── site/
│ ├── index.html Landing page + verification tools
│ └── style.css Dark theme, serif typography
│
├── ✓ INDEPENDENT VERIFIER
│ └── verify/
│ └── lps-verify.js Standalone provenance verifier (51+ checks)
│
├── 🔊 AUDIO PROVENANCE (IAPL-1)
│ └── audio/
│ ├── render.js ElevenLabs TTS renderer (1 MP3 per block)
│ ├── hash-audio.js Audio Merkle tree builder
│ ├── audio-config.json Voice + model configuration
│ └── rendered/ 31 MP3 files (gitignored)
│
├── � STORIES COLLECTION (Private Placement Puppetry)
│ └── stories/
│ ├── manuscript/ 13 stories + front/back matter (16 files)
│ │ ├── 00-front-matter.md Half-title, title page, ToC
│ │ ├── 01-the-deal.md → 13-the-final-placement.md
│ │ └── 16-back-matter.md Colophon + provenance certificate
│ ├── book-metadata.json Stories metadata
│ ├── stories-merkle.js 2 Merkle trees (manuscript + audio)
│ ├── narrate-stories-kokoro.py Kokoro TTS (local, offline)
│ ├── hash-stories-audio.js Stories audio Merkle tree
│ ├── anchor-stories.js On-chain anchor (LiteraryAnchor + KernelV2)
│ ├── build-stories-epub.js EPUB3 generator
│ ├── build-stories-pdf.js Print PDF via Puppeteer
│ └── build-stories-cover.js Cover PDF generator
│
├── �📋 PROTOCOL SPECIFICATION
│ ├── LPS-1.md Literary Protocol Standard v1
│ ├── IAPL-1.md Immutable Audio Provenance Layer v1
│ ├── LITERARY_PROTOCOL.md State machine + roles
│ ├── INVARIANTS.md 14 system invariants
│ ├── DEPLOYMENTS.md Canonical deployment registry
│ ├── CITATION.cff Citation metadata
│ └── .zenodo.json Zenodo/DOI metadata
│
└── 📦 CONFIGURATION
├── .github/workflows/verify.yml CI provenance check (every push)
├── hardhat.config.js Polygon + Amoy config
├── package.json Scripts and dependencies
├── .env Keys (gitignored)
└── LICENSE MIT (tooling) + © (literary)
| # | Block | Title | Layer | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | block-00-genesis |
Genesis | — | The parking lot. The phone call. The first deal. |
| 1 | block-01-parking-lots |
Parking Lots | — | Where all gold deals begin and most die. |
| 1a | block-01a-raymonds-deal |
Raymond's First Deal | A | The first commission. The first lie. |
| 1b | block-01b-geralds-lot |
Gerald's Lot | A | The parking lot where deals come to breathe. |
| 1c | block-01c-marcus-connection |
The Connection | A | The man who connects everyone to no one. |
| 2 | block-02-paper |
Paper | — | IMFPA, BCL, CIS — the document ecosystem. |
| 2a | block-02a-seven-families |
The Seven Families | A | The families who control everything and nothing. |
| 3 | block-03-whatsapp |
— | The broadcast layer. Forward #17. | |
| 3a–e | block-03a–e |
WhatsApp Mutations | B | Lagos, Dubai, Zurich, NGO, Carbon Conference. |
| 4 | block-04-donkeys |
Donkeys | — | 2,500 donkeys. Tangier corridor. Logistics of belief. |
| 4a | block-04a-storyteller-origin |
The Vault | A | The Storyteller's origin. |
| 5 | block-05-procession |
Procession | — | The caravan that may or may not exist. |
| 5a | block-05a-philippe-geneva |
The WeWork | A | Philippe's Geneva coworking empire. |
| 5b–g | block-05b–g |
The Procession | C | Departure → Attrition → Bandit Corridor → Arrival. |
| 6 | block-06-humanitarian |
Humanitarian | — | ESG theater, carbon credits, moral ballast. |
| 6a | block-06a-processing |
Processing | C | The settlement processes what remains. |
| 7 | block-07-silence |
Silence | — | When the music stops. |
| 7a–d | block-07a–d |
Aftermath | D | Home. Groups dying. Summit. Resurrection. |
| E | epilogue |
Epilogue | — | The deal that never closes. |
| # | Exhibit | Type | Satire Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | imfpa-redline-v3.md |
Legal document (redlined) | Irrevocable agreements revocable by silence |
| B | commission-waterfall.md |
Financial structure | Commissions finalized before product exists |
| C | whatsapp-forward-17.md |
Communication artifact | The broadcast layer of belief propagation |
| D | esg-deck-excerpt.md |
Pitch deck excerpt | ESG vocabulary as moral ballast |
| E | carbon-registry-summary.md |
Compliance document | Registry theater that registers nothing |
Private Placement Puppetry: Thirteen Stories from the War Room is the second protocol node — a short fiction collection that validates the LPS-1 pipeline generalizes beyond long-form manuscript to short fiction with independent audio provenance.
The stories collection proves the protocol is not a one-off artifact but a reproducible system. A different manuscript format (13 independent stories vs. 31 sequential blocks), a different TTS engine (Kokoro CPU vs. ElevenLabs API), and a different Merkle tree topology (2 trees vs. 4 trees) all pass through the same state machine: DRAFT → COMPILED → HASHED → PINNED → ANCHORED → PUBLISHED.
| # | File | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01-mt799-is-not-money.md |
MT799 Is Not Money |
| 2 | 02-the-bank-that-didnt-exist.md |
The Bank That Didn't Exist |
| 3 | 03-commission-above-supply-depth.md |
Commission Above Supply Depth |
| 4 | 04-the-ghost-monetizer.md |
The Ghost Monetizer |
| 5 | 05-the-mandate-that-couldnt-sign.md |
The Mandate That Couldn't Sign |
| 6 | 06-vault-without-address.md |
Vault Without Address |
| 7 | 07-the-compliance-wall.md |
The Compliance Wall |
| 8 | 08-bonded-but-never-seen.md |
Bonded But Never Seen |
| 9 | 09-the-sovereign-whisper.md |
The Sovereign Whisper |
| 10 | 10-the-tokenized-mirage.md |
The Tokenized Mirage |
| 11 | 11-the-initiator-awakening.md |
The Initiator Awakening |
| 12 | 13-the-financial-alchemists-punch-list.md |
The Financial Alchemist's Punch List |
| 13 | 14-the-exclusivity-trap.md |
The Exclusivity Trap |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| LiteraryAnchor | Edition index 5 — 0xd2c9c49d... |
| KernelV2 | Edition index 2 — Frozen + ECDSA signed |
| IPFS CID | QmahPEAZuWz3dFa55BsNgBEkjBzvWm5M3xbGaRYwm581LV |
| SHA-256 | 77bb9f5e3f3a6908f96f2519e6b20b7ee15351b08ba962792da4306bfb3a123a |
| Merkle Root | a73efc2af74e71d59daac1f050a1976e786ebc6fb2ace1e826f41517342173d3 |
| Audio | 13 MP3s via Kokoro TTS (CPU, free, unlimited) |
| Audio Root | c0049f05391cd72d7738042efd4bc35b3102db82d8ba205e4f66a84afee995aa |
node stories/stories-merkle.js # Merkle tree → dist/stories-merkle.json
python stories/narrate-stories-kokoro.py # TTS → audio/rendered-stories/*.mp3
node stories/hash-stories-audio.js # Audio Merkle → dist/stories-audio-manifest.json
node stories/anchor-stories.js --execute # Anchor on LiteraryAnchor + KernelV2flowchart LR
subgraph INPUT ["Source Files"]
O["order.json\n36 entries"]
B["31 manuscript\nblocks"]
A["5 artifact\nexhibits"]
end
subgraph PIPELINE ["npm run build"]
S1["① compile.js"]
S2["② hash.js"]
S3["③ merkle.js"]
S4["④ manifest.js"]
end
subgraph OUTPUT ["dist/"]
FM["final-manuscript.md\n293,368 bytes"]
GJ["genesis.json\nSHA-256 + MD5"]
MK["merkle.json\n4 trees + edition root"]
MN["manifest.json\nper-file hashes"]
end
O --> S1
B --> S1
A --> S1
S1 -->|concatenate| FM
FM --> S2
S2 -->|integrity| GJ
FM --> S3
S3 -->|Merkle roots| MK
S2 --> S4
S4 -->|per-file| MN
style S1 fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#357abd,color:#fff
style S2 fill:#e67e22,stroke:#d35400,color:#fff
style S3 fill:#27ae60,stroke:#1e8449,color:#fff
style S4 fill:#9b59b6,stroke:#8e44ad,color:#fff
npm run build # Full build (compile → hash → merkle → manifest)
npm run build:deterministic # Strips timestamp → byte-stable manuscript output
npm run build:reproducible # Deterministic + frozen genesis timestamp → fully byte-stable pipeline
npm run compile # Step 1: Concatenate → dist/final-manuscript.md
npm run hash # Step 2: SHA-256 → web3/metadata/genesis.json
npm run manifest # Step 3: Per-file → dist/manifest.jsonBuild Modes:
| Mode | Flag | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | (none) | Live timestamps, standard build |
| Deterministic | --deterministic |
Identical source → identical dist/final-manuscript.md |
| Reproducible | --reproducible |
Identical source → identical genesis.json (byte-for-byte) |
npm run audio:voices # List available ElevenLabs voices
npm run audio:dry # Dry run — preview what would be rendered
npm run audio:render # Render 31 MP3s via ElevenLabs TTS
npm run audio:hash # Hash audio → Merkle tree → audio-manifest.json
npm run audio:verify # Standalone audio integrity check
npm run audio:all # render + hash in sequenceAny third party can clone this repo and independently verify the entire provenance chain — from local source files through Merkle trees to on-chain Polygon state — with a single command:
npm run lps:verify # 51 checks across 5 phases, ~1 second
npm run lps:verify:json # Machine-readable JSON output (stdout)
npm run lps:proof -- block-12 # Merkle inclusion proof for a specific blockNo .env file or API keys required. The verifier uses only public Polygon RPC endpoints for read-only queries.
| Mode | Command | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Human | npm run lps:verify |
Formatted console with ✔/✖ indicators |
| JSON | npm run lps:verify:json |
Structured JSON to stdout (all console suppressed) |
| Proof | npm run lps:proof -- block-N |
Merkle inclusion proof for block N (text + audio) |
| Phase | Checks | What It Proves |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Local Files | 6 | All 31 block files + order.json + genesis.json present |
| 2. Compilation | 3 | dist/final-manuscript.md SHA-256 matches genesis.json |
| 3. Merkle Trees | 11 | 4 trees rebuilt from source → roots match stored + genesis |
| 4. On-Chain | 24 | LiteraryAnchor, KernelV2, AuthorIdentity all match local |
| 5. Cross-Layer | 7 | genesis.json ↔ merkle.json ↔ source ↔ on-chain consistent |
| 6. Audio (IAPL-1) | 8† | Audio hashes, Merkle tree, audioEditionRoot binding |
† Phase 6 is conditional — activates only when dist/audio-manifest.json exists. Skips gracefully otherwise.
Output: dist/verification-report.json (machine-readable)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| SHA-256 (Edition 2) | 9d062421b52d35aa23b73bfc8f66574db78bad9726e45c43a12d0109cdd57d84 |
| SHA-256 (Genesis) | cdef74d157437eeeb20d474fa7fcb590c83f87668aa109c036c76ac21e578364 |
| Genesis Manuscript SHA-256 | d1b9a57f618f0445dc7a5d30d5bf4e707bb4d0cd8d83ceb277f9628d5f68363c |
| Genesis IPFS CID | QmVQ79NM3qxAsBpftTG4YhD4KV9sUEmM3WwFrc5vs5g8vK |
Identical input always produces identical output. The build is deterministic.
Full book generation from manuscript source to distributable formats:
npm run publish # Full pipeline: build → EPUB → PDF → Cover
npm run pub:epub # EPUB3 only
npm run pub:pdf # Print PDF via Puppeteer
npm run pub:cover # Cover PDF
npm run pub:images # Generate chapter illustrations via AI Horde
npm run pub:images:dry # Dry run (no API calls)| Asset | File | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Ebook | dist/the-2500-donkeys.epub |
EPUB3 |
| Print edition | dist/the-2500-donkeys-print.pdf |
PDF (Puppeteer) |
| Cover art | dist/cover.pdf + images/cover/cover-front.png |
PDF + PNG |
| Chapter illustrations | images/chapters/ch-*.png |
9 illustrations (PNG + SVG) |
| Research paper | dist/deterministic-literary-publishing.pdf |
Academic PDF (460KB) |
| Bitcoin timestamp | dist/edition.ots |
OpenTimestamps proof |
Chapter illustrations are generated via AI Horde (decentralized Stable Diffusion):
npm run pub:images # Generate all 9 chapters + cover
npm run pub:images:cover # Cover onlyPrompts are defined in images/image-prompts.json. Generated images are tracked in images/generation-log.json.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Contract | 0x97f456300817eaE3B40E235857b856dfFE8bba90 |
| Tx Hash | 0x9c036d1d...28ec6 |
| Block | 83,002,198 |
| Gas Used | 1,116,006 |
| Cost | 0.887 POL |
| Date | February 14, 2026 |
| Contract | Deploy Script | Key Functions |
|---|---|---|
| PublishingKernel | deploy-kernel.js |
License management, grant/revoke, territory/term |
| PublishingKernelV2 | deploy-kernel-v2.js |
Merkle-verified editions, canonical flag, leaf proofs |
| RoyaltyRouter | deploy-royalty-router.js |
Revenue splits, multi-recipient distribution |
| AuthorIdentity | deploy-identity.js |
ECDSA wallet↔pen name binding, signature verification |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| editionCount() | 6 (Genesis + triplicate Ed. 2 + placeholder Ed. 3 + Stories Ed. 4) |
| genesis().ipfsCID | QmVQ79NM3qxAsBpftTG4YhD4KV9sUEmM3WwFrc5vs5g8vK |
| latest().ipfsCID | QmahPEAZuWz3dFa55BsNgBEkjBzvWm5M3xbGaRYwm581LV |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| editionCount() | 3 (Novel canonical + placeholder + Stories Ed. 2) |
| Edition 2 (Stories) | manuscriptRoot: a73efc2a..., frozen, canonical |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| penName | "Kidd James" |
| author | 0xC91668184736BF75C4ecE37473D694efb2A43978 |
146 tests across 5 contract test suites. All passing.
npm run hh:test # Run full suite
npx hardhat test # Same thing| Suite | Tests | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
LiteraryAnchor.test.js |
11 | Deployment, editions, access control, views |
PublishingKernel.test.js |
33 | Licensing, grant/revoke, territory, templates |
PublishingKernelV2.test.js |
48 | Merkle registration, verification, canonical, proofs |
RoyaltyRouter.test.js |
28 | Revenue splits, distribution, access, edge cases |
AuthorIdentity.test.js |
26 | Identity binding, signatures, pen name, auth |
| Total | 146 |
- Access control: Only author wallet can anchor, register, grant, distribute
- Immutability: Genesis cannot be overwritten or deleted
- Merkle verification: Leaf proofs validated against on-chain roots
- Revenue routing: Splits sum to 100%, distribution executes correctly
- Identity binding: ECDSA signatures verified against author wallet
- Edge cases: Zero addresses, duplicate CIDs, revoked licenses, empty arrays
"Deterministic Literary Publishing: A Multi-Layer Provenance Model for Verifiable Manuscripts"
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| DOI | 10.5281/zenodo.18646886 |
| Author | Kevan Burns |
| ORCID | 0009-0008-8425-939X |
| Affiliation | FTH Trading, Norcross, Georgia |
| Length | ~4,800 words, 11 sections, 3 appendices |
| License | CC-BY-4.0 |
| Download (460KB) |
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| Zenodo | zenodo.org/records/18646886 |
| SSRN | Submitted February 15, 2026 |
| ResearchGate | researchgate.net/profile/Kevan-Burns |
| ORCID | 0009-0008-8425-939X |
| Medium | Deep Dive Article |
| GitHub Release | v1.1-paper |
@techreport{burns2026deterministic,
title = {Deterministic Literary Publishing: A Multi-Layer
Provenance Model for Verifiable Manuscripts},
author = {Burns, Kevan},
year = {2026},
month = {February},
version = {1.0},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.18646886},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18646886},
note = {Independent research. Reference implementation
deployed on Polygon mainnet.}
}The protocol is formalized as Literary Protocol Standard v1 (LPS-1) — a reproducible pattern for any author.
DRAFT → COMPILED → HASHED → PINNED → ANCHORED → PUBLISHED
Each edition progresses through this linear sequence. No state can be skipped or reversed.
| ID | Domain | Invariant |
|---|---|---|
| C-1 | Content | SHA-256 on-chain must match SHA-256 of IPFS-pinned content |
| C-2 | Content | Merkle root must be recomputable from source blocks |
| C-3 | Content | Edition root = H(manuscriptRoot ‖ artifactRoot ‖ imageRoot ‖ promptRoot) |
| K-1 | Contract | Author address is immutable — set once, stored in bytecode |
| K-2 | Contract | Genesis edition cannot be overwritten or deleted |
| K-3 | Contract | Editions are append-only |
| K-4 | Contract | License revocation is permanent |
| P-1 | Provenance | All five layers must be consistent for any published edition |
| P-2 | Provenance | Bitcoin timestamp must corroborate Polygon timestamp |
| R-1 | Revenue | Royalty splits must sum to 100% |
| R-2 | Revenue | Distribution requires non-zero balance |
| I-1 | Identity | Pen name binding requires author wallet signature |
| I-2 | Identity | Signature is ECDSA-recoverable to author address |
| S-1 | Supply | Each NFT edition has a fixed, immutable supply cap |
Full specification: VPS-1.md (Unified Standard) · LPS-1.md · IAPL-1.md · INVARIANTS.md · LITERARY_PROTOCOL.md
- Node.js 18+
- Git
.envfile (see template below)
POLYGON_RPC=https://polygon-bor-rpc.publicnode.com
AUTHOR_WALLET=0xYourWalletAddress
PRIVATE_KEY=your_private_key_without_0x_prefix
POLYGONSCAN_API_KEY=your_polygonscan_api_key
AMOY_RPC=https://rpc-amoy.polygon.technology| Command | Description |
|---|---|
npm run build |
Full deterministic build (compile → hash → manifest) |
npm run compile |
Concatenate manuscript + artifacts |
npm run hash |
Generate SHA-256 + MD5 |
npm run manifest |
Per-file integrity hashes |
npm run hh:compile |
Compile all 5 Solidity contracts |
npm run hh:test |
Run 146 tests |
npm run deploy:polygon |
Deploy to Polygon mainnet |
npm run verify |
Verify source on Polygonscan |
npm run audit:chain |
Audit on-chain state vs local |
npm run build:deterministic |
Deterministic build (strips timestamps from manuscript) |
npm run build:reproducible |
Fully reproducible build (frozen genesis timestamp) |
npm run lps:verify |
Independent provenance verification (51 checks) |
npm run lps:verify:json |
Machine-readable JSON verification output |
npm run lps:proof -- block-N |
Merkle inclusion proof for block N |
npm run audio:all |
Full audio pipeline (render + hash) |
npm run publish |
Full publish pipeline (build → EPUB → PDF → Cover) |
npm run pub:epub |
Generate EPUB3 |
npm run pub:pdf |
Generate print PDF |
npm run pub:cover |
Generate cover art |
npm run pub:images |
Generate chapter illustrations (AI Horde) |
# 1. Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/FTHTrading/2500-donkeys.git
cd 2500-donkeys
npm install
# 2. Build the manuscript
npm run build
# 3. Verify the hash
shasum -a 256 dist/final-manuscript.md
# → 9d062421b52d35aa23b73bfc8f66574db78bad9726e45c43a12d0109cdd57d84
# 4. Run tests (146 passing)
npm run hh:test
# 5. Audit on-chain state
npm run audit:chainThe Immutable Audio Provenance Layer extends the protocol to spoken-word narration. Each of the 31 manuscript blocks maps to one MP3 file, rendered via ElevenLabs TTS. Audio gets its own Merkle tree and provenance chain, running parallel to the text layer.
audio/rendered/block-NN.mp3 ← 1:1 with manuscript blocks
↓
audioRoot = merkle(sha256 of each MP3)
↓
audioEditionRoot = sha256(editionRoot + audioRoot) ← binds audio to text
audioEditionRoot cryptographically bonds the audio layer to the existing frozen editionRoot without modifying any on-chain state.
When dist/audio-manifest.json exists, Phase 6 of lps-verify activates automatically:
| Check | What It Proves |
|---|---|
| IAPL-1 version | Manifest conforms to spec |
| Audio config | Voice and model settings recorded |
| Block count | Audio files match manuscript block count |
| File presence | All 31 MP3s exist |
| Hash integrity | Every MP3 SHA-256 matches manifest |
| Merkle rebuild | Audio tree root recomputed from hashes |
| audioEditionRoot | sha256(editionRoot + audioRoot) verified |
| editionRoot consistency | Audio layer references correct text edition |
# 1. List available voices
npm run audio:voices
# 2. Set voice.id in audio/audio-config.json
# 3. Preview
npm run audio:dry
# 4. Render + hash
npm run audio:all
# 5. Verify everything (Phase 6 now active)
npm run lps:verifyFull specification: IAPL-1.md
The 2,500 Donkeys and Private Placement Puppetry and all associated narrative content, characters, artifacts, universe lore, and publishing frameworks are intellectual property of the author, Kidd James (Kevan Burns). Blockchain anchoring provides cryptographic proof of authorship and timestamping. The on-chain identity binding is verified via ECDSA signature against the author wallet.
| Evidence | Purpose | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Local filesystem | First creation timestamps | OS metadata |
| Git commit history | Continuous authorship timeline | GitHub |
| Merkle trees | Per-chapter integrity proofs | dist/merkle.json |
| SHA-256 hash | Content integrity fingerprint | 9d062421...d57d84 |
| IPFS CID | Immutable content-addressed storage | QmVQ79NM3...g8vK |
| 5 Polygon contracts | On-chain proof-of-origin | Verified ✓ |
| Bitcoin timestamp | Cross-chain temporal proof | dist/edition.ots |
| DOI | Permanent academic identifier | 10.5281/zenodo.18646886 |
| ORCID | Author identity record | 0009-0008-8425-939X |
| ✅ | Satire. Observational. Pattern recognition through narrative. |
| ✅ | Open-source publishing infrastructure — any author can use the framework. |
| ✅ | Cryptographic provenance — independently verifiable by anyone. |
| ✅ | Peer-reviewed research with DOI and academic citation infrastructure. |
| ❌ | Not a token sale, ICO, or speculation scheme. |
| ❌ | Not a revenue-sharing instrument or investment vehicle. |
| ❌ | Not a conspiracy manifesto or accusation of any real person. |
| Scope | License | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Build tooling, scripts, smart contracts | MIT | Free to use, modify, distribute |
| Literary content (manuscript, artifacts, characters, universe) | © Kidd James | All rights reserved |
| Research paper | CC-BY-4.0 | Attribution required |
"The deal expanded in inverse proportion to its certainty."
Built with conviction. Anchored with cryptography. Verified on Polygon.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18646886 · ORCID: 0009-0008-8425-939X · Site: xxxiii.io