How to Use Ethos Network, and How Ethos Works

Ethos Network introduces a novel paradigm to Web3: reputation with economic weight. Rather than relying on vague social metrics or unverifiable claims, Ethos builds a tokenized credibility system—where every action contributes to a dynamic, public score. 

By intertwining social proof with financial risk, the network engineers trust where it has traditionally been absent in decentralized ecosystems.

This is not merely a scorecard—Ethos is an interactive, composable protocol designed to enforce integrity and reward authentic behavior. Here’s how it works, and how you can begin using it.

How to Use Ethos Network

Step 1: Gaining Access – The Invitation System

Participation in Ethos is invite-only. This is intentional. Invitations must come from existing credible users, and with that invitation comes a shared responsibility:

For 90 days, the inviter absorbs 20% of the invitee’s credibility gains or losses. This creates a reputational tether—discouraging reckless onboarding and fostering selective, trust-based network growth.

To join:

• Secure an invitation from a current Ethos member with a strong credibility score.
  
   
• Connect your Ethereum wallet and begin the onboarding process.

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Step 2: Creating Your Ethos Profile

Once invited, you’ll establish your Ethos identity. This is more than a username—it is a reputation construct, aggregating on-chain and off-chain identifiers, financial commitments, and peer interactions. You’ll be asked to:

• Link key attestations (e.g., Twitter, ENS, GitHub)
  
   
• Add your Ethereum address
  
   
• Confirm connections to known accounts and identities
  
   

This digital passport becomes the foundation for your credibility journey.

Step 3: Building Credibility – Core Mechanisms

Ethos functions through four primary interactive actions:

Reviewing

You can evaluate other users by submitting positive, neutral, or negative reviews. Reviews contribute to a user’s credibility score—especially when issued by reputable reviewers. You can also upvote or downvote others’ reviews, shaping community consensus.

Vouching

Vouching is social proof of stake. You deposit ETH to financially endorse another user. The larger the vouch, the more impact it has on their score.

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Key dynamics:

• Vouching is reversible—ETH can be unstaked.
  
   
• Mutual vouching (reciprocal endorsements) boosts trust.
  
   
• Financial exposure encourages careful endorsements.
  
   

Vouchers earn protocol incentives, and vouched users gain credibility faster.

Slashing

When misconduct occurs, users can propose a slashing against an individual they’ve vouched for. To do so, they stake part of their own reputation. If the accusation is validated through community voting, the offender loses ETH and credibility.

If it fails, the accuser is penalized instead.

Slashing is a self-regulating enforcement layer, blending financial and social accountability.

Attesting

You can verify your identity by linking external accounts—like Twitter or GitHub. Valid attestations enhance credibility. False or fraudulent claims result in penalties.

Attestations signal cross-platform legitimacy, enhancing transparency across Web3.

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Step 4: Monitoring and Leveraging Your Score

Your Credibility Score is a fluid metric computed from:

• Number and weight of vouches
  
   
• Quality and volume of reviews
  
   
• Credibility of your backers
  
   
• Age of accounts and attestations
  
   
• On-chain and social behavior
  
   

This score can be integrated into other protocols—unlocking access, voting rights, or benefits based on trustworthiness.

Users can also participate in the Ethos Reputation Market, where others speculate on accounts by betting on their trustworthiness. This gamifies reputation, creating market-driven feedback loops.

Step 5: Maintaining Ethical Behavior

Ethos is meritocratic but unforgiving. Misconduct, false claims, and careless endorsements lead to:

• ETH slashing
  
   
• Reputational penalties
  
   
• Loss of trust, visibility, and standing
  
   

The system encourages measured actions, transparent identity-building, and peer accountability. The more you contribute honestly, the more trust you earn—and the broader your access across integrated Web3 environments.

Conclusion

Ethos Network doesn’t merely observe reputation—it operationalizes it. By merging economic stakes with social verification, it crafts a decentralized trust engine that holds users accountable not just through community sentiment, but through real financial consequences. 

Every vouch, review, and attestation is a reputational move with measurable weight, inviting users to build with caution, clarity, and integrity.

Using Ethos isn’t passive. It demands active participation, transparent identity-building, and thoughtful interaction. Yet in return, it offers what Web3 has long lacked: a scalable mechanism for earning trust, not declaring it. 

Whether you’re here to build, govern, or explore, Ethos transforms your actions into a signal of credibility that travels with you across the decentralized web.

This is reputation you can carry—and prove.

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What is Common Wealth ($WLTH)? The Web3 Venture Capital Revolution

Web3 Domain: How to Get It in ENS and Unstoppable Domains

What is Grafilab? Monetize Your AI with a Web3-Powered Platform

What Are Web3 Domains? An Introduction

Lessons in Web3: Why You Should Use Metamask Chrome Extension for Safer On-chain Transaction

FAQ

1. How do I receive an invitation to Ethos?

You must be invited by a current Ethos user with a high credibility score. Invitations are limited and monitored, as the inviter shares 20% of your credibility changes for 90 days.

2. Can I vouch for someone I don’t know personally?

Yes, but you’re financially and reputationally exposed. ETH is staked when you vouch, and you’ll be partially penalized if the person is slashed for misconduct. Think of vouching as placing a public financial bet on someone’s integrity.

3. What is the Ethos Reputation Market?

It’s a speculation layer where users can buy or sell trust signals around Ethos profiles—similar to a prediction market. Prices shift based on sentiment and activity, offering a decentralized pulse of credibility.

4. Can I unlink or hide parts of my Ethos profile?

No. Ethos profiles are designed to be immutable and transparent. They function as permanent, verifiable identity composites. Hiding behavior or erasing history would defeat the system’s core purpose.

5. What’s the benefit of maintaining a high Credibility Score?

A strong score grants increased trust across the ecosystem: access to gated communities, eligibility for DAO roles, influence in governance votes, and preferential treatment in protocols that integrate Ethos as a trust layer.