---
slug: "UniqueHandle"
name: "UniqueHandle"
type: "Protocols"
layer: "Society"
ref: "UniqueHandle#1853"
sema_id: "sema:UniqueHandle#mh:SHA-256:185337050ca62b46cf88be534139cf31c2313c660f845daa395507c7faebcb1c"
tags: ["Society","Protocols"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/UniqueHandle/
related: ["Resource","HeldRelease"]
---

# UniqueHandle

Single current authority over a transferable resource reference

Layer: Society · Category: Protocols

## Mechanism

An authority-bearing reference to one singular rivalrous [Resource](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Resource.md). An authoritative ownership state records `(resource_id, current_holder, generation)`. A representation may be copied, but the representation alone grants no authority: use or transfer is accepted only when its holder and generation match that state and the requester establishes current-holder control; stale or unverified representations fail closed. Transfer from A at generation g to B conditionally replaces `(A, g)` with `(B, g+1)` at one logical commit point. It either commits completely or leaves `(A, g)` unchanged, and at most one concurrent transfer from g commits. If the result is unobserved, the caller resolves the authoritative state before using or retrying the handle.

## Invariants

- Single current authority: Exactly one `(holder, generation)` pair is current for each bound [Resource](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Resource.md); copying a representation does not create authority.
- Current-only authority: Use or transfer is accepted only when the presented holder and generation match the authoritative ownership state and current-holder control is established; the representation alone is insufficient.
- Atomic transfer: A transfer conditioned on `(A, g)` either commits `(B, g+1)` completely or leaves `(A, g)` unchanged; at most one transfer from the same generation commits.
- Unknown outcome: A caller that did not observe the transfer result resolves the authoritative state before using or retrying the handle.

## Failure modes

- Orphaned authority: The current holder loses the substrate-specific means of proving control, leaving the resource inaccessible until an external recovery policy advances the generation.
- Authority-state unavailability: Currency cannot be established, so access and transfer fail closed.
- Authority-state fork: Different validators accept different holder-generation pairs as current, violating singular authority.

## Builds on

- [Resource](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Resource.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [HeldRelease](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/HeldRelease.md) (Society; Accepts)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:UniqueHandle#mh:SHA-256:185337050ca62b46cf88be534139cf31c2313c660f845daa395507c7faebcb1c`
- Ref: `UniqueHandle#1853`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:UniqueHandle#mh:SHA-256:11e7542d2b43ec0879ae24f91eeeaaf6380cb0c9ec067056eb2d1e4932c0468e`
  - `sema:UniqueHandle#mh:SHA-256:9a006e6fd1ca395b18fa7f17f95124c432b111f15cba24fcec039142a3ca539b`
  - `sema:UniqueHandle#mh:SHA-256:88da37fb134c04632530db979115adbb3ca558bdc4f60111df03e9282de8cd3a`

## Links

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