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Glossary
Definitions of key DALP architecture terms, token standards, identity concepts, operating components, and settlement primitives.
DALP architecture terms map to concrete product boundaries: tokens, identities, compliance rules, settlement flows, execution components, and EVM chain connectivity. Use this glossary when a term appears in an architecture page and you need the exact platform meaning.
Related pages: Architecture map, System context, ERC-3643 compliance standard, and SMART Protocol integration (ERC-3643).
How to use this glossary
Start with the term table when you need a definition. Use the standards table when you need to map a DALP concept to an Ethereum or identity standard. Follow the next-step links when you need the architecture page that explains the term in context.
Platform and token model
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| DALP | Digital Asset Lifecycle Platform. SettleMint's platform for issuing, managing, and servicing tokenized financial instruments across their full lifecycle. |
| SMART Protocol | SettleMint Adaptable Regulated Token. The protocol framework for regulated token behavior, compliance modules, and identity interfaces based on ERC-3643. |
| ERC-3643 | Ethereum standard for regulated tokens with conditional transfers based on investor eligibility and identity verification. DALP uses ERC-3643 concepts through SMART Protocol asset contracts. |
| Asset type | A base deployable asset type such as bond, equity, fund, stablecoin, deposit, real-estate, or precious-metal. DALP uses the type to route asset creation to the matching factory and validation rules. |
| Asset class | A higher-level product grouping used by the asset catalogue and templates. System asset classes include fixed-income, equity, funds, cash, real-assets, and structured. |
| Asset factory type ID | The on-chain factory identifier used when DALP deploys an asset. Most IDs match asset types, and dalp-asset is a synthetic factory type for generic asset creation rather than a standalone asset class. |
| Factory pattern | Deployment pattern where factory contracts create new asset, addon, or infrastructure contract instances from approved configuration. Factories are registered so DALP can deploy assets consistently. |
| Denomination asset | The settlement currency or token configured for an asset's financial operations, such as distributions, offerings, yield claims, or redemptions. |
| Token feature | Runtime-configurable token capability registered through the Configurable extension. Features can be added after deployment when the asset policy and deployed contracts support them. |
| Addon | Operational contract capability that extends assets beyond the core SMART Protocol. Addons are registered through the Addon Registry and include Airdrop, Vault, XvP Settlement, Token Sale (DAIO), and Yield. |
Identity and compliance terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| OnchainID | On-chain identity framework implementing ERC-734 key management and ERC-735 claim management. OnchainID stores verifiable claims about users and entities. |
| Identity Registry | Per-system contract that maps wallet addresses to OnchainID identity contracts. The registry manages verification status and supports wallet recovery workflows. |
| Trusted Issuer | An approved issuer of verifiable claims for specific claim topics. Trusted issuers are registered in the Trusted Issuers Registry, and more than one issuer can cover the same topic. |
| Claim Topic | A category of verifiable attestation, such as KYC status, nationality, accreditation, or another eligibility rule. Tokens reference claim topics to express required participant claims. |
| Compliance Module | A pluggable on-chain rule evaluated during regulated token operations. Examples include country allow or block lists, identity verification, transfer limits, and time-based lockups. Multiple modules compose into an asset's compliance policy. |
Execution and chain infrastructure
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Key Guardian | Secure cryptographic key storage component. Key Guardian abstracts custody backends such as local encrypted keys, DFNS MPC wallets, Fireblocks vaults, and hardware security modules. |
| Transaction Signer | Execution component that prepares transactions, estimates gas, assigns nonces, delegates signing to the custody provider, and manages broadcast and confirmation. |
| Execution Engine | Durable workflow layer for long-running platform operations such as signing, broadcasting, retrying, and reconciling blockchain outcomes. |
| Virtual Object | A keyed durable state machine in the Execution Engine. A virtual object preserves workflow state across process restarts for operations such as signing and multi-step execution. |
| Dead Letter Queue | Holding area for operations that exhaust retry attempts in the Execution Engine. Operators investigate these items before retrying or closing them. |
| Chain Indexer | Service that listens to on-chain events from SMART Protocol contracts, translates them into structured data, and persists them to the application database. |
| Chain Gateway | Multi-network connectivity layer for EVM RPC access. Chain Gateway abstracts network-specific details such as gas models and confirmation depth behind DALP's chain access layer. |
| Feeds System | Market data infrastructure that provides price and FX rate feeds through a central FeedsDirectory. The feeds system is Chainlink-compatible and supports global and token-specific feeds. |
Settlement and distribution terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| XvP Settlement | Cross-value proposition settlement addon for coordinating token exchanges between parties. DALP uses the primitive for delivery-versus-payment and payment-versus-payment token flows. Configured local legs complete together or the exchange does not complete. |
| DAIO | Digital Asset Initial Offering. Primary distribution mechanism for moving newly issued assets to verified investors with settlement, lock-up enforcement, and soft-cap refund mechanics. |
| Airdrop | Token distribution addon that delivers tokens to recipient addresses according to a configured strategy. Airdrop integrates with the compliance layer for eligibility checks. |
| Vault | Multi-signature treasury management addon for holding and governing settlement currency or digital assets with configurable approval thresholds. |
Standards referenced by the architecture
| Standard | Full name | Usage in DALP |
|---|---|---|
| ERC-20 | Fungible token standard | Base token compatibility for SMART tokens |
| ERC-165 | Interface detection | Programmatic capability queries on SMART tokens |
| ERC-734 | Key management | On-chain identity key management in OnchainID |
| ERC-735 | Claim management | Verifiable claims on identity contracts |
| ERC-2771 | Meta-transactions | Gasless transaction support through trusted forwarders |
| ERC-3643 | Regulated security tokens | Foundation for SMART Protocol compliance architecture |
Next steps
- System context shows how these terms relate to the platform architecture.
- Asset model explains asset classes, templates, factories, and deployed assets.
- Key flows shows these components in asset issuance, compliance transfer, treasury distribution, and settlement flows.
- Components covers responsibilities for each major component.
Key flows
Index of the main DALP system flows, covering shared platform operations, asset lifecycle capabilities, feed updates, and settlement workflows with links to detailed walkthroughs.
Architecture overview
Client-facing overview of the DALP architecture: what it is, who it is for, the decisions it supports, core system layers, client responsibilities, limits, and next architecture pages to read.