PeerfoldSign inEverything in this stage depends on the credential meaning something, so start with rigor. A real exam with a real pass threshold. Open-ended questions where multiple choice would be gameable. Retake limits. Public verification, so a third party can confirm any certificate by its serial. Expiration dates with recertification paths.
The test of a well-built credential: people who fail it are annoyed rather than surprised, and people who pass it post it. A credential everyone passes is a receipt, and nobody frames receipts.
The participation trophy
Certificates issued for watching videos — no exam, no expiry, no verification — generate proficiency data that is noise, which poisons every downstream play in this stage. Rigor is not gatekeeping; it is what makes the signal a signal.