Contextual Chain: General Design Specification and Reference Profile — Version 2.0

Abstract

Version 2.0 of the Contextual Chain design specification. This version generalizes the first operational realization into a stable conceptual core, replaceable reference profiles, and non-normative experimental extensions. Contextual Chain is defined as a design family in which participants maintain evolving operational context and use that context to guide subsequent decisions. The specification does not require a blockchain, a fixed fork-choice rule, a specific synchronization controller, a pruning scheme, a peer-selection policy, or a cryptographic construction. The first intermittent-network recovery implementation is retained as Reference Profile R1. Version 1.0 remains the historical description of the first operational realization.