Plate VIII./Plate VIII. · Questions

Common questions.

Answers grouped by topic. When a question crosses layers, we point to the canonical spec rather than restate it here.

Plate VIII.A./Basics

What is it?

Start here if you have never used eDMT before.

What is eDMT in one sentence?: A non-arbitrary token protocol on Ethereum mainnet: each eNAT is bound to one block and carries that block's EIP-1559 burn as its only property.
How is eNAT different from a usual NFT?: A typical NFT points to arbitrary metadata. An eNAT carries a specific, computable quantity — the block's burn — and cannot be minted unless that quantity exceeds 1 gwei. There is no off-chain metadata to lose.
Do I need a new wallet?: No. Any Ethereum wallet that can sign a transaction with a data field works. The UI is a convenience; the protocol is just calldata.
Is there a token sale?: No. Supply is minted block-by-block on a first-is-first basis; there is no team allocation, no presale, and no treasury.

Plate VIII.B./Protocol

The mechanics of capture, transfer, and fragment settlement.

Who gets a block when multiple people try to mint it?: The earliest on-chain, canonical emt-mint for that block — measured by mainnet inclusion order after finality — owns it. Later attempts are rejected by the indexer.
What happens if a block's burn is below the threshold?: It is not mintable. The protocol refuses any emt-mint whose block has burn below 1 gwei.
What is a fragment, and how do fragments settle?: A fragment is a sub-gwei balance produced when a whole is partially transferred. Fragments are FIFO-ordered per address; outgoing transfers consume them earliest-first.
Can the protocol ever be paused or upgraded?: No. At the protocol layer there are no admin selectors and no upgrade key. Once deployed, the letter of the protocol is fixed.

Plate VIII.C./Security & trust

Each layer has its own trust assumptions; we list them plainly so you can decide.

Is the protocol trustless?: Protocol-layer operations (mint / transfer) are trustless in the usual sense: they are reads/writes of on-chain calldata anyone can verify independently. No admin, no oracle, no multisig.
Is the wrapper trustless?: No. Wrapped eNATs (ERC-721) and wrapped BURN (ERC-20) are custodied at the protocol layer by a multi-signature EOA. Compromise of its threshold M-of-N keys drains all wrapped supply — independent of the contract code.
What if the indexer is wrong?: Any compliant indexer must converge on the same state. If two indexers disagree, the protocol rules (protocol/00 + protocol/05) decide which is right — not a voting system and not a central party.
Can I avoid the wrapper entirely?: Yes. The protocol layer always accepts raw emt-mint and emt-transfer calldata. You never have to enter the wrapper.

Plate VIII.D./Practical

Walkthroughs and expectations for normal usage.

How do I mint from this site?: Open /mint, pick a mintable block, and submit the displayed calldata from any wallet. The first valid mainnet tx captures the block.
How do I sell or buy an eNAT?: /trade has whole and fragment wrapped markets. They are application-layer, with trust disclosures. Or you can transfer peer-to-peer at the protocol layer by sending an emt-transfer calldata.
How long does finality take?: Ethereum finality takes roughly 12 to 15 minutes. Until finality, wrapper deposits and withdrawals should not be confirmed.
How do I see who owns block #N?: Open /explore/blk/N. The page shows provenance, the current holder, and raw indexer state.

Plate VIII.E./More

Each of these takes you deeper into a specific layer. The canonical spec always beats the UI when they disagree.