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IntermediateEndorsements
Endorsements let you stake VETD on a candidate you think will be hired. They are public, optional, and higher-stakes than ordinary commit-reveal votes.
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What endorsements are
An endorsement is a financial bet on a specific candidate. You lock up a chosen amount of VETD, publicly declare that you believe this candidate will be hired, and collect a reward if they are. If they're not hired, 10% of your stake is slashed and the remaining 90% is returned.
Endorsements exist alongside regular voting — they don't replace it. Any expert can choose to vote on an application without endorsing, and most votes aren't paired with endorsements. Endorsing is something you do when you have unusually high conviction about a candidate and want to put weight behind it.
Endorsements vs voting
The two mechanisms differ across visibility, upside, and downside. Pick endorsements when you have high conviction and want the leverage; pick votes when you want to participate without the concentration risk.
Votes
Commit-reveal, blind
- Hidden until reveal phase — no other expert sees your score.
- Upside: share of the review reward pool if aligned with consensus.
- Downside: reputation loss and (if staked) stake slashing on misalignment.
- Lower risk, lower reward — the default participation mode.
Endorsements
Public, staked
- Public the moment you stake — visible to other experts and companies.
- Upside: return of stake + +20 reputation + share of endorsement reward pool.
- Downside: 10% stake slashed plus reputation penalty if the candidate isn't hired.
- Higher risk, higher reward — reserve for high-conviction candidates.
How to endorse
Navigate to Vetting → Endorsements in the expert sidebar. You'll see a list of active candidate applications in guilds you're a member of, each with a "Live market" indicator if the endorsement window is still open.
- Pick a candidate and click Endorse.
- Choose a stake amount. Common presets are 5, 10, and 25 VETD; you can also enter a custom amount up to your wallet balance.
- Add an optional comment. Unlike vote comments, endorsement comments are public immediately.
- Confirm. Your wallet will open for the staking transaction. Once confirmed, your VETD is locked in the endorsement contract until the outcome is determined.
Outcome math
When the candidate's hiring outcome is finalized (company marks them as hired or rejected), the contract settles the top 3 endorsers by stake amount.
If the candidate is hired:
- Your staked VETD is returned in full.
- You earn a +20 reputation boost in the relevant guild.
- You receive an equal share of 7% of the candidate's final compensation, split among the top 3 endorsers. 50% is paid immediately; 50% is locked for a 90-day retention period. If the company reports a performance issue during that window, the locked half can be forfeited.
If the candidate is not hired:
- 10% of your stake is slashed and sent to the guild treasury. The remaining 90% is returned to your balance.
- You also incur a reputation penalty (−20) in the relevant guild. Failed endorsements cost both stake and standing.
Strategy notes
- Don't endorse everyone you voted high. Endorsements are concentrated bets; spread them too thin and you lose on the losers and barely benefit from the winners.
- Wait for application quality signals. The best endorsement timing is after enough votes have been committed that you have a sense of the guild's overall read — but before the reveal phase, when the information is still private to you.
- Size to your conviction. A 5 VETD endorsement is a signal boost; a 50 VETD endorsement is a statement. Guild leaders often factor large endorsements into their recommendations to the hiring company.
- Watch your concentration. Endorsing the same candidate alongside three other experts you regularly collaborate with can look like collusion even when it isn't. Track who's endorsing with you.