Deterministic settlement, explained

Settlement is only trustworthy when it is reproducible. If two observers replay the same events and disagree on a balance, the system has no truth — only opinions. Determinism is how a protocol earns the right to be believed.

Every movement in Protocore is an append to a sealed ledger. There is no in-place edit and no destructive update; a correction is another entry. Because the ledger is a pure function of its inputs, replaying it always yields the same state — the property that makes audit, dispute resolution, and disaster recovery boring, which is exactly what you want.

A balance you cannot reproduce is a rumour. The ledger is the only thing we let ourselves believe.

One shape, every rail

The API surface is deliberately small. You post a transfer intent; the protocol resolves the rail, nets it against open positions, and finalizes it inside a settlement window.

// A transfer intent is the only shape you post.
const intent = await protocore.transfers.create({
  from: "acct_eu_00417",
  to:   "acct_eu_00418",
  amount: { value: 12840, currency: "EUR" }, // minor units
  rail: "auto",  // least-cost path that meets the finality budget
});

await intent.settled(); // resolves on ledger finality

That single call is enough to move value across SEPA, card, wire, or an on-chain rail. The engine picks the cheapest path that meets the intent's finality budget, and the ledger records the outcome the instant it clears.