02 — path-reference
PATH Reference
The club this repository can stand up. Density is not the point. Conformance is.
01 — Identity
What this club is
PATH Reference is the network the reference implementation boots as. Its slug is `reference`. It exists so an integrator can run discovery, SONAR, RESOLVER and receipts against a club that has no commercial members and no production customer base.
The protocol is still draft, so this club is live in the narrow sense: the surface answers. Formats may still change. The changelog is the record of that, not a promise of stability.
Joining it does not list you in Open Connect, and running it does not make you a PATH network of record. It makes you able to contradict the specification with an implementation.
02 — Datasheet
Declared terms
A network chooses these. The protocol requires that they be public before anyone joins.
- Legal name
- PATH Reference Network
- Slug
- path-reference
- Jurisdiction
- —
- Admitted
- 2026-09-09
- Sonar
- central
- Holder confirmation
- required
- Sonar access
- member_credential
- Hashing
- server_side
- Hash function
- argon2id
- Search log retention
- 30 days
- Rulebook
- 0.1.0
- Address profiles
- directory · relationship
03 — Finder
What a member is consenting to
central
The network holds the index and answers. It sees the searches.
server_side
The hash protects the database, not members from the network. Identifiers being searched are visible to the club.
member credential
Directory queries require a member credential. Reciprocity is enforceable.
required
What a destination accepts is answered by the holder. The directory does not speak for its members on capability.
Members
Who sits in the club
Reference member
The seat the reference API occupies. Not a commercial operator.
- 01PATH-CORE.DiscoveryPATH-CORE
- 02PATH-ID.CorePATH-ID
- 03PATH-ADDR.FormatPATH-ADDR
- 04PATH-ADDR.StandingPATH-ADDR
- 05PATH-REQ.LinkPATH-REQ
- 06PATH-REQ.PayerPATH-REQ
- 07PATH-REQ.CheckoutPATH-REQ
- 08PATH-FINDER.RelationshipPATH-FINDER
- 09PATH-FINDER.DirectoryPATH-FINDER
- 10PATH-INTEROP.ReadPATH-INTEROP
- 11PATH-INTEROP.IssuePATH-INTEROP
- 12PATH-INTEROP.PayPATH-INTEROP
- 13PATH-SETTLE.ReceiptsPATH-SETTLE