2. The Accounting Shift: From Assets to Trust
Traditional finance begins with Assets − Liabilities = Equity. CPP reframes this for a commitment economy:
- Credit Access: How much the network is still willing to accept from you.
- Outstanding Commitments (Debt): Your unfulfilled promises held by others.
- Backing Capacity: Your real ability to honor those promises.
Commitment–Capacity Identity: Credit − Debt = Backing Capacity
This identity governs risk, limits, and safety across pools: unlimited issuance does not imply unlimited power - only accepted commitments matter.
Example: A transporter issues “100 rides” in vouchers. The network only accepts 40 rides worth at a time (credit access). If 15 rides are currently outstanding (debt), then backing capacity = 40 − 15 = 25 rides worth of additional safe acceptance.