NFT Hierarchy

Full Definition

The NFT Hierarchy is Sails.to's 4-layer authority delegation system deployed on Solana. Each layer derives its authority from the one above, creating an unbroken cryptographic chain of trust from the platform root to individual user access:

• Layer 1 — Master NFT: The root authority. Controlled by 3-of-5 threshold signing. Can mint Reseller NFTs and execute platform-level operations.
• Layer 2 — Reseller NFT: Issued to institutional partners and broker-dealers. Grants authority to onboard investors, create offerings, and earn commissions within a defined scope.
• Layer 3 — License NFT (pNFT): Programmable NFT representing a specific offering license. Defines jurisdiction constraints, investor limits, and compliance parameters.
• Layer 4 — Share NFT: The investor-facing token representing actual ownership in a CrossSecurity. Transferable subject to compliance rules.

Why It Matters

Traditional financial platforms manage authority through database roles and access control lists — systems that are fundamentally mutable, auditable only through logs, and vulnerable to insider compromise. The NFT Hierarchy replaces all of this with on-chain, verifiable, immutable authority delegation.

Every action on the platform can be traced back through the hierarchy to the Master NFT. A broker can prove their authority is legitimate. An investor can verify their Share NFT was issued through a valid chain. An auditor can reconstruct the entire authority tree from on-chain state alone. No database queries. No log files. Just Solana accounts and the math that binds them.

How It Works

1. The Master NFT is minted at platform genesis with threshold signing authority
2. Master NFT holders mint Reseller NFTs to authorized institutional partners
3. Reseller NFT holders create License NFTs (pNFTs) for specific offerings, encoding compliance parameters on-chain
4. License NFTs authorize the minting of Share NFTs to verified investors who pass KYC checks
5. Every layer validates its parent's authority before executing — a Share NFT cannot exist without a valid License, which cannot exist without a valid Reseller, which cannot exist without the Master

The hierarchy is enforced by Melusina smart contracts. It cannot be bypassed.

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