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+# CommandLayer Stack Contract (Canonical Cross-Repository Contract)
+
+## 1. Authority and Scope
+
+This document is the canonical protocol-level contract for the CommandLayer stack.
+
+**Normative authority:** All participating repositories **MUST** align protocol behavior, data shapes, and verification outcomes with this contract.
+
+This contract applies to interoperability between:
+- `runtime-core`
+- `runtime`
+- `agent-sdk`
+- `verifyagent`
+- `mcp-server`
+- `commandlayer-org`
+- `governance`
+
+This contract defines protocol requirements only. It does not define implementation internals unless explicitly stated.
+
+## 2. Repository Responsibility Map
+
+The following responsibilities are normative:
+
+- `runtime-core` **MUST** provide canonical protocol primitives for receipt generation and verification input preparation.
+- `runtime` **MUST** produce receipts and signature proof objects compliant with this contract.
+- `agent-sdk` **MUST** expose APIs that preserve contract-required fields without lossy transformation.
+- `verifyagent` **MUST** evaluate receipts and proofs using the required canonicalization, hash, signature, and validation checks defined herein.
+- `mcp-server` **MUST** transport and expose receipt and verifier result payloads without altering normative fields.
+- `commandlayer-org` **MUST** maintain operational guidance and cross-repo alignment artifacts that reflect this contract.
+- `governance` **MUST** control versioned changes to this contract and adjudicate backward-compatibility expectations.
+
+## 3. Receipt Object Requirements
+
+A receipt is the canonical protocol artifact for command execution evidence.
+
+A conforming receipt object:
+- **MUST** be valid JSON.
+- **MUST** include all required fields defined in Section 4.
+- **MUST** be canonicalizable using `json.sorted_keys.v1` (Section 5).
+- **MUST** be hashable with SHA-256 (Section 6).
+- **MUST** be signable/verifiable with Ed25519 (Section 7).
+- **MAY** include additional non-required fields only if they do not alter required-field semantics.
+
+## 4. Required Receipt Fields
+
+A conforming receipt object **MUST** include, at minimum, the following top-level fields:
+
+- `receiptVersion` (string): protocol receipt version identifier.
+- `receiptId` (string): globally unique receipt identifier.
+- `issuedAt` (string): timestamp in RFC 3339 format.
+- `issuer` (object): issuer identity descriptor.
+- `subject` (object): subject identity descriptor.
+- `payload` (object): command/result payload covered by hashing/signature.
+- `canonicalizationId` (string): **MUST** be `json.sorted_keys.v1`.
+- `hashAlgorithm` (string): **MUST** be `SHA-256`.
+- `payloadHash` (string): digest of the canonicalized payload.
+- `signatureProof` (object): proof object meeting Section 8.
+
+Receipts **SHOULD** avoid nullable required fields. If a required field is present, its value **MUST NOT** be semantically empty for protocol validation.
+
+## 5. Canonicalization ID: `json.sorted_keys.v1`
+
+The canonicalization identifier for this contract is fixed:
+
+- `canonicalizationId` **MUST** equal `json.sorted_keys.v1`.
+
+Normative behavior for `json.sorted_keys.v1`:
+- JSON object keys **MUST** be serialized in lexicographically sorted order at every object depth.
+- Array order **MUST** be preserved as-is.
+- No non-deterministic whitespace **MAY** affect the canonicalized byte sequence.
+- Canonicalization output **MUST** be deterministic for equivalent semantic input.
+
+## 6. Hash Algorithm: SHA-256
+
+- `hashAlgorithm` **MUST** equal `SHA-256`.
+- `payloadHash` **MUST** be computed over the canonicalized payload bytes.
+- Hex or base64 encoding form **MUST** be consistent within an implementation and **SHOULD** be documented by that repository’s API surface.
+
+## 7. Signature Algorithm: Ed25519
+
+- Signature generation and verification **MUST** use `Ed25519`.
+- Implementations **MUST NOT** silently substitute a different algorithm.
+- If a non-supported algorithm is requested or encountered, verifiers **MUST** emit `ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ALGORITHM`.
+
+## 8. Signature Proof Object Requirements
+
+The `signatureProof` object **MUST** contain:
+
+- `algorithm` (string): **MUST** be `Ed25519`.
+- `publicKeyId` (string): stable key reference identifier.
+- `signature` (string): signature over canonicalized/hash-bound receipt material.
+- `signedAt` (string): RFC 3339 timestamp.
+
+The proof object **MAY** include key-discovery metadata (e.g., ENS linkage), but required verification semantics **MUST** remain deterministic from required fields.
+
+## 9. Verifier Result Shape
+
+A verifier result object **MUST** include:
+
+- `ok` (boolean): overall verification outcome.
+- `receiptId` (string): identifier of the evaluated receipt.
+- `checks` (array): per-check outcomes.
+- `errors` (array): zero or more standardized error entries.
+
+Each check entry **SHOULD** include:
+- `name` (string)
+- `ok` (boolean)
+- `code` (string, optional when `ok=true`)
+- `message` (string, optional)
+
+Each error entry **MUST** include:
+- `code` (string)
+- `message` (string)
+
+## 10. Required Verification Checks
+
+Verifiers **MUST** perform, at minimum, the following checks:
+
+1. Receipt structure and required-field presence.
+2. Schema validity against applicable receipt schema.
+3. Canonicalization ID support and deterministic canonicalization conformance.
+4. Hash algorithm support and recomputed hash equality.
+5. Signature algorithm support.
+6. Signature cryptographic validity.
+7. Key resolution/discovery success for declared key identifier.
+
+A failed required check **MUST** set `ok=false` and **MUST** include at least one standardized error code from Section 11.
+
+## 11. Standard Error Codes
+
+Verifiers **MUST** use the following standardized error codes where applicable:
+
+- `ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE`
+- `ERR_HASH_MISMATCH`
+- `ERR_SCHEMA_INVALID`
+- `ERR_ENS_KEY_NOT_FOUND`
+- `ERR_CANONICALIZATION_MISMATCH`
+- `ERR_UNSUPPORTED_ALGORITHM`
+
+Error payloads **MAY** include implementation-specific details, but the code values above **MUST** remain exact.
+
+## 12. Compatibility Expectations
+
+- `runtime-core` **MUST** maintain contract-level compatibility for canonicalization, hash, and signature primitives.
+- `runtime` **MUST** emit receipts and proofs that pass required checks in conforming verifiers.
+- `agent-sdk` **MUST** preserve normative fields and **MUST NOT** mutate canonicalized/signature-covered content implicitly.
+- `verifyagent` **MUST** emit verifier result shapes and standardized error codes per this contract.
+- `mcp-server` **MUST** relay payloads and results without semantic mutation of normative fields.
+- `commandlayer-org` **SHOULD** publish ecosystem guidance mapped to this contract version.
+- `governance` **MUST** enforce change control and versioning discipline for normative updates.
+
+## 13. Rules for Changing This Contract
+
+Any change to normative requirements in this document:
+
+- **MUST** be proposed through governance review.
+- **MUST** include explicit compatibility impact analysis.
+- **MUST** define migration expectations for all repositories listed in Section 2.
+- **MUST** increment contract version metadata when such metadata is introduced.
+- **SHOULD** preserve backward compatibility when feasible; otherwise, breaking changes **MUST** be clearly labeled.
+
+No repository **MAY** unilaterally redefine normative terms in this contract.
+
+## 14. Non-Goals
+
+This contract does **NOT**:
+
+- Define language-specific APIs or SDK ergonomics.
+- Mandate repository-internal file layouts.
+- Declare production rollout status for any repository.
+- Override existing governance process for release, publication, merge, or deployment policy.
+- Introduce schema or export changes by itself.