Trust Fingerprint — Overview
Replaces star ratings across all Leja surfaces
Status: Architectural intent complete. Visual design spec required.
Why the Trust Fingerprint Exists
A star rating is a commodity. “4.2 stars” belongs to Booking.com and Google in every user’s mental model. It can be gamed, it lacks direction, it hides the story behind the number, and it provides no institutional weight. The Trust Fingerprint is different because:- Every component is derived from witnessed events — not self-reported
- It is directional — trajectory matters more than static average
- It has multiple dimensions — no single number summarises it
- It cannot be faked — all components come from the verified record layer
- It is permanent — it accumulates over years without resetting
- It is sovereign — the RIN holder controls who sees it
The Six Dimensions
Dimension 1: Payment Consistency Band
What it measures: A visual band showing on-time, slightly late, late, and missed payments across the full history. Recent months are weighted more heavily than historical months. Why it is superior to a payment score: A score averages everything equally. The Consistency Band shows direction. A Resident whose payments were inconsistent 2 years ago but have been perfectly consistent for 18 months is valued above one who was perfect then recently slipped. Applies to: Resident (Track 1), Principal (payment receipt consistency)Dimension 2: Stability Arc
What it measures: A rising arc across occupancies and life stages. Duration of occupancies, property progression (type and price band), area trajectory. Shows where the person is going — not just where they have been. Why it is superior to a stability score: A score is a point in time. The arc is a trajectory. A 6-month stable Resident heading toward 18 months of clean history shows commitment invisible to a rating system. The arc is the story. Applies to: Resident (Track 1), Service Provider (Track 2 income arc), Guest (stay frequency pattern)Dimension 3: Witness Depth
What it measures: The volume and diversity of independent events that have been witnessed. 3 payments = thin signal. 36 payments across 2 properties with clean exits = deep signal. Shown as a visual weight indicator alongside every other dimension. Why it is superior to a simple count: A 4.8-star rating from 3 reviews is meaningless. A Gold Fingerprint from 36 witnessed months is authoritative. Witness Depth makes the evidential basis of every signal visible — you cannot hide thin data behind a high number. Applies to: All roles, all tracks.Dimension 4: Resolution Quality
What it measures: The pattern of disputes and their outcomes. Who initiated disputes? Were deduction claims justified by evidence? Were disputes resolved cleanly? A Principal whose deposit deduction disputes were consistently overturned by evidence has a different profile from one with zero disputes — and both are different from one whose disputes were always resolved in their favour. Why it is superior to a “disputes” flag: Binary dispute flags hide the quality of resolution. Resolution Quality witnesses the full arc — who was right, how it was resolved, whether evidence was provided. Applies to: Resident (Track 1), Principal (deposit return behaviour), Agent (professional conduct in disputes)Dimension 5: Service Income Signal
What it measures: Not income as a number — as a behavioural signal: consistent, growing, seasonal, or declining. Derived from actual witnessed Track 2 service transactions. A Service Provider with consistent Track 2 income for 18 months is a fundamentally different risk profile for a lender or Principal than one with no secondary income signal. Why it is superior to self-reported income: Banks estimate income from salary slips or self-reporting. Leja derives income signal from actual witnessed service transactions — behavioural, not claimed. Applies to: Service Provider (Track 2), Resident (if also a provider)Dimension 6: Market Seriousness
What it measures: Derived behaviorally from Track 3 events: search behavior, viewing request submission, attendance at viewings, application completeness, document pack readiness, response to agent communication. Why it is superior to stated interest: An agent currently has no way to know whether an applicant is seriously seeking or just collecting options. Market Seriousness gives agents a witnessed behavioural signal before they invest time in an application. Applies to: Space Seeker (Track 3), Property Buyer (Track 3)Trust Fingerprint Tiers
Bronze — Emerging
Criteria: 0–5 months data. Provisional or phone-verified RIN. Thin Witness Depth. Ceiling: Bronze Score. Cannot share data with third parties. No institutional access. Cannot activate full Resident. Path to Silver: 6 months of clean payment data + NIN registration.Silver — Building
Criteria: 6+ months, clean payment record, NIN registered. Witness Depth beginning to accumulate. Unlocks: Basic Resident profile sharing. Rental applications. Consent Type 2 (standard third-party sharing). Service participation. Path to Gold: 18 months, no unresolved disputes, NIN verified.Gold — Established
Criteria: 18+ months, no unresolved disputes, NIN verified. Strong Payment Consistency Band. Stability Arc showing growth. Document pack typically complete. Unlocks: Advanced sharing (Consent Type 3). Institutional consideration begins. Hotel minimum tier qualification. Finance Connect. Path to Platinum: 36 months total, document verified, zero unresolved disputes, clean exit history.Platinum — Institutional
Criteria: 36+ months, document verified, zero unresolved disputes, clean exit history, deep Witness Depth. Unlocks: Full institutional sharing (Consent Types 4–5). Banks and lenders can query. Home Purchase Pathway eligible. Federated computation eligible (Dim F, Milestone Wave 4).Where the Trust Fingerprint Appears
| Surface context | Viewer | What they see |
|---|---|---|
| Professional applicant card | Agent, Principal | Tier badge, Witness Depth indicator, Consistency Band (visual), Seriousness Score, document readiness |
| Resident personal dashboard | Resident | Full six-dimension Fingerprint, trajectory, next milestone, what’s helping, what to improve. Pro: comparative percentiles |
| Resident share link (consent-gated) | Principal, Agent | Tier, Consistency Band, Stability Arc direction, Witness Depth. Nothing private without Consent Type 2+ |
| Space — hotel guest profile | Hotel MD | Guest tier, stay behavior history, damage TrendEvents |
| Resident service participation | Resident, Seeker | Provider Fingerprint: jobs, Consistency Band, repeat hire rate, Response Quality, Witness Depth |
| Infrastructure — institutional API | Bank, Lender | Three-track economic identity: residential + service income + market behavior |
What the Trust Fingerprint Replaces
The Trust Fingerprint replaces star ratings in all of the following places across the Leja ecosystem:- Applicant evaluation in Professional surface (agent views applicant profile)
- Service provider evaluation in Resident service participation loop
- Guest evaluation in Hotel Org and Leja Stay
- Host/hotel evaluation in Resident surface (guest views property)
- Institutional evaluation in Infrastructure surface API
Spec Requirements Before Build
- Visual design specification for all six dimensions
- Computation algorithm for each dimension (weighted, recency-adjusted)
- Bias audit framework — early data skews toward Lagos and certain income bands; standing audit cadence required
- Comparative percentiles data model (how anonymised comparison works)
- Share link UI — what consent level reveals what dimensions
- API response schema for Trust Fingerprint in institutional tier
- Transition plan: how existing “Score tier” data maps to the six-dimension Fingerprint without losing historical data