---
slug: "Contract"
name: "Contract"
type: "Data Structures"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Contract#9874"
sema_id: "sema:Contract#mh:SHA-256:98747322ee31ffa265a8dfd6609d726e0dcba9c513e5ec85742c6c04e4afaa26"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Data Structures"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Contract/
related: ["Condition","CommitmentDevice","Identity","Judge","Sign","Award","Cocapacity","Trait","Cocapacity#0924"]
---

# Contract

Binding agreement between parties

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Data Structures

## Mechanism

An immutable record of agreement between two or more [Identity](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Identity.md)s, acting as a multi-party [CommitmentDevice](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/CommitmentDevice.md). It aggregates a set of [Condition](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Condition.md)s (terms) and obligations which all parties must [Sign](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Sign.md) to accept. Contracts supply the agreed terms for disputes resolved by a [Judge](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Judge.md).

## Invariants

- Binding only when `signatures` covers every party in `parties`.
- Terms cannot change after signing; an amendment is a new Contract.
- Terms are verifiable by a third party.

## Failure modes

- Ambiguity: Terms are open to interpretation.
- Unsigned: Not all parties have signed (invalid).
- Void: Conditions violate higher-law constraints.

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "contract_id",
    "parties",
    "terms",
    "signatures"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "contract_id": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Unique identifier for this contract"
    },
    "parties": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "description": "Identity IDs of all parties"
    },
    "terms": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object"
      },
      "description": "Array of Condition objects defining obligations"
    },
    "signatures": {
      "type": "object",
      "description": "Map of party ID to cryptographic signature"
    },
    "created_at": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date-time",
      "description": "When the contract was created"
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [Condition](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Condition.md) (Infrastructure; Accepts)
- [CommitmentDevice](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/CommitmentDevice.md) (Mind; References)
- [Identity](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Identity.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Judge](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Judge.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Sign](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Sign.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [Award](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Award.md) (Society; Yields)
- [Cocapacity](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Cocapacity.md) (Society; References)
- [Trait](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Trait.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Contract#mh:SHA-256:98747322ee31ffa265a8dfd6609d726e0dcba9c513e5ec85742c6c04e4afaa26`
- Ref: `Contract#9874`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Contract#mh:SHA-256:06241d8925a848e07b8b7afab2c37767b126c3f2363faba11bcc455ebb6a4d04`
  - `sema:Contract#mh:SHA-256:9e78730155e2edf5c5a6c8eeec52557d4db784b376957bdfffa1e0fe785b77f6`
  - `sema:Contract#mh:SHA-256:bf33d6b0b29a7d4c2daa50ec3ab94c09818c67af367567f2b76976a433e5e00f`
  - `sema:Contract#mh:SHA-256:0a175c6f4a8622b98f611614e42401c4dc4778178a438269bf5dd388006397e0`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Contract/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#Contract)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Contract.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)