Definica Terms of Service

1. Agreement to These Terms

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern access to and use of:

• definica.com and official Definica subdomains (the “Website”);
• any official Definica application or user interface (the “Interface”);
• documentation, dashboards, governance resources, community features, and communications made available through the Website; and
• services operated by or on behalf of the operator of the Website in connection with the Definica protocol.

By accessing the Website, using the Interface, connecting a wallet, clicking to accept these Terms, or initiating a transaction through the Interface, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Website or Interface.

Public smart contracts may remain technically accessible without the Website or Interface. A person who interacts with public contracts through an unrelated third-party interface may not have received or accepted these Terms. Definica does not represent that it can control, stop, reverse, or support every direct smart contract interaction.

2. About Definica

Definica is a DAO-governed protocol initiative intended to connect pooled ETH staking, transparent Vault-share accounting, osETH-based liquidity, planned aEthosETH-related mechanics, and future borrowing markets for approved ETH-correlated collateral.

Definica is being developed in three stages:

• Stage 1 — pooled ETH staking through a designated StakeWise Vault, identified in official deployment documentation, and Definica Core accounting;
• Stage 2 — a planned Main Liquidity Module involving eligible osETH and aEthosETH-related mechanics; and
• Stage 3 — planned borrowing infrastructure for approved ETH-correlated collateral markets.

“Definica” names the Protocol initiative and its DAO governance process; it does not necessarily identify a single incorporated entity. For obligations connected with a particular Website, Interface, communication, or other operated service, the responsible person is the operator or contributor that actually provides and controls that service, or a legal wrapper expressly identified in an official Definica Legal Notice. References to “we,” “us,” and “our” are interpreted accordingly. No governance participant, token holder, delegate, contributor, developer, or user becomes a contracting party, agent, partner, fiduciary, employee, or representative of another participant merely by participating in Definica.

Definica DAO is a decentralized governance arrangement and may not have separate legal personality in every jurisdiction. Participation in governance does not, by itself, create a partnership, joint venture, agency, employment relationship, fiduciary relationship, or right to bind other participants.

3. Independence and Third-Party Names

Definica is independently developed. It intends to use or interact with third-party infrastructure, including Ethereum and StakeWise. Later modules may use an Aave market or Aave-compatible mechanics if and when an integration is activated.

Unless an official announcement expressly states otherwise, references to Ethereum, StakeWise, osETH, Aave, wallets, or any other protocol or provider do not imply ownership, operation, sponsorship, endorsement, agency, or partnership. Third-party names and marks belong to their respective owners.

4. Definitions

5. Deployed Features and Forward-Looking Material

Only features expressly marked as active in the official Interface and connected to published contract addresses are available. Roadmaps, mockups, simulations, examples, projected interfaces, technical drafts, governance discussions, and descriptions using words such as “planned,” “intended,” “expected,” “may,” or “coming soon” are forward-looking and informational only.

Definica does not promise that a planned feature will be deployed, audited, activated, maintained, or made available by a particular time. Architecture, integrations, assets, fees, caps, lock periods, reward rules, supported networks, and launch sequencing may change following development, testing, security review, governance, market conditions, or legal assessment.

Do not transfer assets based solely on a roadmap, screenshot, social media post, test deployment, or draft contract address.

6. Eligibility

By using the Website or Interface, you represent and warrant that:

• you are at least 18 years old and have reached the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction;
• you have legal capacity and authority to agree to these Terms;
• if acting for an organization, you are authorized to bind that organization;
• your access and use are lawful where you are located and where you are ordinarily resident;
• you are not a person or entity subject to sanctions or other restrictions that prohibit your use;
• you are not acting for a prohibited or sanctioned person; and
• the assets you use are not derived from unlawful activity.

You are responsible for determining whether your use is permitted under the laws, regulations, licensing requirements, tax rules, and contractual restrictions applicable to you. Definica may restrict the Website or Interface by jurisdiction, IP address, wallet address, risk signal, or other criteria where reasonably considered necessary for legal, compliance, security, or operational reasons.

Front-end restrictions may not prevent direct interaction with public contracts. Technical accessibility does not mean that an interaction is lawful or supported.

7. The Interface and Smart Contracts

The Interface is a convenience layer for viewing information and preparing transactions. It does not replace the smart contract code, wallet confirmation, or blockchain record. Before signing, you must verify the network, contract address, function, token amount, receiver, approvals, slippage settings, and gas estimate.

If the Interface, documentation, and deployed smart contract code display different results, the executed smart contract state controls the blockchain transaction, subject to any rights that cannot be waived by law. Interface estimates may be delayed, incomplete, rounded, or affected by RPC, indexer, oracle, or caching errors.

Some Definica contracts may be upgradeable or subject to administrative, authorizer, multisignature, timelock, pausing, migration, or emergency controls. The actual controls must be assessed from the deployed code, verified addresses, governance documentation, and on-chain role assignments. “Non-custodial” does not mean that no administrative or operational permissions exist.

8. Wallets, Self-Custody, and Authorization

Definica does not request or store your private keys or seed phrase and cannot sign transactions for you. You are solely responsible for:

• securing your wallet, private keys, seed phrase, devices, passcodes, and browser extensions;
• reviewing every message, permit, approval, and transaction before signing;
• using the correct network and verified contract addresses;
• maintaining sufficient assets for gas and transaction costs; and
• protecting yourself against phishing, malware, impersonation, address poisoning, and malicious approvals.

Smart contracts and third-party protocols may receive, lock, deploy, or otherwise control assets after you authorize a transaction. This is not the same as assets remaining in your wallet. Blockchain transactions are generally irreversible. Definica may be unable to cancel, recover, reverse, or refund a transaction or restore access to a lost wallet.

9. Stage 1 — Pooled ETH Staking

Stage 1 is intended to pool eligible ETH through Definica Core into a designated StakeWise Vault. The Vault may aggregate deposits from multiple users until the requirements for Ethereum validator registration are met. Each user is not required to contribute the full amount needed for an individual validator and does not obtain ownership of a specific validator. The Vault address, network, type, operator, administrator, fees, and relevant permissions must be reviewed in official deployment documentation before use.

Definica Core may hold Vault Shares in aggregate and maintain user-level accounting that attributes a proportional position to each user. The exact relationship between ETH deposited, Vault Shares received, internal accounting units, current asset value, principal, rewards, fees, penalties, and withdrawals is determined by the deployed contracts.

Depositing through Definica is not the creation of a bank account, deposit account, brokerage account, custodial account, collective guarantee, or insured savings product. No deposit insurance, investor compensation, bailout, or principal protection applies unless expressly required by law or provided under a separately identified arrangement.

10. Vault-Share Accounting

Vault Shares represent a proportional claim under the Vault’s accounting rules. The value of a share may change as the Vault records validator rewards, execution-layer rewards, MEV, fees, inactivity penalties, slashing losses, donations, rounding, and other adjustments.

One Vault Share is not guaranteed to equal one ETH. The number of shares credited to a user may differ from the amount of ETH deposited. Conversions may round up or down, and small residual amounts may arise. Definica does not guarantee a fixed exchange rate, a fixed principal value, or a particular accounting outcome.

Positions associated with locked shares, pending withdrawals, exit-queue tickets, claimed amounts, or transferred positions may be treated differently. You must review the current Interface and contract documentation before acting.

11. Validators, Operators, Keepers, and State Updates

Validator operations require infrastructure, keys, network connectivity, correct configuration, monitoring, and timely operational actions. The designated Vault may depend on one or more validator operators and on StakeWise components that approve validator registrations, update Vault state, reflect consensus-layer rewards and penalties, process harvest-related accounting, or support exits.

Delays, errors, unavailability, inaccurate data, compromised keys, client bugs, MEV configuration, operator misconduct, Keeper or oracle failure, or failure to perform required updates may reduce rewards, delay accounting, prevent validator activation, or cause loss.

StakeWise’s permissionless Vault architecture permits different Vaults and operators to use different operating models. This supports operator choice and Vault-level risk separation, but it does not mean that every Vault, operator, configuration, or validator is equally secure or decentralized.

12. Rewards, Fees, and No Guaranteed Return

Any validator-related economic return depends on actual Ethereum validator performance and applicable Vault and protocol accounting. Rewards may be offset by operator fees, StakeWise fees, Definica fees, penalties, losses, gas costs, or other charges.

Any APR, APY, reward estimate, rate, simulation, projection, or historical result is informational only. It is not a promise, guarantee, minimum return, or forecast. Actual outcomes may be lower, higher, delayed, zero, or negative.

Different economic components must not be treated as duplicated rewards:

• underlying staking exposure may arise through osETH and the associated validator economics;
• a variable market supply return may arise only if eligible liquidity is supplied to an activated market and used under that market’s rules; and
• protocol or partner incentives may exist only under a separately funded and defined program.

aEthosETH does not create a second ETH deposit or duplicate the underlying osETH staking return. A lock-duration multiplier, if introduced, may affect incentive-allocation weight; it does not automatically multiply validator rewards or market interest.

13. Withdrawals and Exit Queues

Withdrawals from staked positions may require a request, validator exit, protocol state update, queue processing, claim delay, and separate claim transaction. Withdrawal timing is not guaranteed. Network congestion, the Ethereum validator exit queue, Vault liquidity, contract conditions, partial processing, security measures, or third-party outages may delay or reduce a withdrawal.

Submitting a withdrawal request does not necessarily mean that ETH is immediately available. A queue status displayed by the Interface may be an estimate and may not mean that a claim will succeed at that moment. Users may need to submit and pay for more than one transaction.

14. Locks

Where lock functionality is active, locking a position may prevent withdrawal, transfer, reuse, or collateralization for the selected period. Early unlocking may be impossible even during adverse market, validator, protocol, or security conditions.

Available durations, minimum amounts, maturity rules, claim mechanics, multipliers, and rewards are determined by the active contracts and Interface. They are not fixed by these Terms. A matured lock may still require a claim or accounting action before the position becomes available.

15. osETH and the Native Ethereum Flow

An eligible StakeWise Vault position may support native osETH issuance under the StakeWise osToken system. osETH issuance, collateralization, fees, liquidation, redemption, and exchange-rate mechanics are governed by the applicable StakeWise contracts and rules.

One reason Definica selected StakeWise is that, in the contemplated native Ethereum flow, eligible Vault collateral and native osETH issuance are accounted for through Ethereum smart contracts rather than by treating a 1-of-1 third-party bridge verifier as the source of truth for deposits. This removes that specific bridge-verification dependency from Definica’s core staking path.

This does not make osETH, StakeWise, or Definica risk-free. Smart contract, governance, oracle, Keeper, Vault administration, validator, slashing, liquidation, liquidity, depeg, redemption, and integration risks remain. Any future bridged osETH or remote-chain representation would create a separate bridge-risk domain and would require separate disclosure and assessment.

16. Planned Main Liquidity Module and aEthosETH

Stage 2 is planned and may not be active. If activated, eligible osETH may be supplied through an identified third-party liquidity-market route. That route may issue a supplied-position receipt asset, potentially identified as aEthosETH, which a Definica module may hold or account for within the Main Liquidity Module. The issuer, network, contract address, transferability, redemption route, custody or lock logic, and relationship to any Definica accounting unit must be published before use.

The role of aEthosETH depends on the deployed contracts. It may represent supplied liquidity, a locked position, a potential collateral position, or another specifically documented position. The same unit must not be assumed to perform several incompatible roles at the same time.

Supplying liquidity and using an asset as collateral are separate actions. Locking aEthosETH does not automatically make it collateral. Collateral status must be explicitly enabled by the relevant market and risk configuration.

Liquidity-market use introduces additional risks, including utilization changes, rate changes, liquidity shortages, integration failures, oracle errors, market insolvency, bad debt, and inability to withdraw. Locking may make supplied liquidity more durable, but it does not guarantee borrowing demand, utilization, market return, incentives, or principal preservation.

17. Planned Borrowing Markets

Stage 3 is planned and may never be deployed. If activated, a market may permit a user to supply an approved ETH-correlated asset, potentially including osETH, as collateral and borrow a separately supported asset.

Borrowing creates debt and may involve variable interest, fees, loan-to-value limits, collateral caps, oracle dependencies, health-factor changes, and liquidation. If collateral value falls, debt increases, an oracle reports an adverse value, liquidity becomes unavailable, or a threshold is crossed, some or all collateral may be liquidated.

Borrowing without selling does not guarantee that a user will retain the collateral. Each market must be assessed separately based on its deployed contracts, supported assets, oracle, interest model, caps, liquidation rules, emergency controls, and available liquidity.

18. Third-Party Systems

Definica may depend on or display information from Ethereum, StakeWise, validator operators, wallets, RPC providers, indexers, block explorers, oracles, hosting providers, analytics services, communication platforms, and other third parties. Later modules may depend on additional liquidity protocols or service providers.

Definica does not control every third-party system. Your use of a third party may be governed by separate terms and privacy policies. Third-party downtime, exploits, governance, upgrades, forks, oracle errors, RPC failures, validator failures, liquidity events, depegs, bridge failures, or changes may affect Definica and your position.

19. Fees, Gas, Slippage, and Taxes

Transactions may involve gas, Vault fees, operator fees, StakeWise fees, Definica fees, liquidity-market charges, withdrawal costs, liquidation penalties, slippage, spreads, and other costs. Current fees must be reviewed in the Interface, deployed contracts, and applicable third-party documentation.

Gas is generally paid to the Ethereum network and is not refundable by Definica, including when a transaction fails or reverts. You are solely responsible for determining and satisfying tax, reporting, withholding, accounting, and record-keeping obligations arising from your activities. Definica does not provide tax advice.

20. DAO Governance and Administrative Powers

Subject to deployed controls, governance or authorized roles may propose, approve, or execute changes involving fees, caps, operators, incentives, integrations, assets, lock rules, borrowing parameters, contract upgrades, migrations, pauses, emergency actions, and Interface access.

Governance may be affected by voter participation, token concentration, delegation, multisignature compromise, malicious proposals, execution errors, timelock configuration, or legal constraints. Governance decisions may be delayed, disputed, reversed where technically possible, or unable to prevent loss.

You are responsible for reviewing current governance and role information. No contributor, voter, delegate, signer, or token holder owes you a fiduciary duty merely because of participation in governance, except where such a duty cannot be excluded by applicable law.

21. Prohibited Use

You must not use the Website or Interface to:

• violate law, sanctions, court orders, or third-party rights;
• launder money, finance terrorism, evade sanctions, commit fraud, manipulate markets, or handle stolen or unlawfully obtained assets;
• attack, disrupt, overload, deceive, or interfere with the Website, Interface, Protocol, governance, users, or infrastructure;
• distribute malware, operate phishing or impersonation schemes, or publish false contract addresses;
• circumvent access, compliance, security, or rate-limit controls;
• manipulate rewards, votes, liquidity, prices, or eligibility through deceptive conduct;
• exploit a vulnerability outside an authorized security program or responsible-disclosure process; or
• collect or process personal data unlawfully through Definica services.

Good-faith security research must follow the current responsible-disclosure or bug-bounty rules published by Definica. Contact security@definica.com before testing that could affect users, assets, availability, or confidential information.

22. Security Reviews and Incidents

Definica may commission audits, reviews, tests, monitoring, bug bounties, or formal verification. A review covers only its stated code, version, assumptions, and scope. No audit, review, monitoring system, or statement that code has been audited guarantees that the Website, Interface, or Protocol is secure or free from vulnerabilities.

Definica may pause an Interface, recommend that users stop interacting, migrate contracts, disable a module, restrict deposits, or take another technically available action in response to an incident. Definica does not guarantee that an emergency action will be available, timely, effective, or approved.

23. Material Risks

You acknowledge risks including:

• loss of some or all assets;
• smart contract bugs, unexpected interactions, rounding, incorrect accounting, reentrancy, upgrade, migration, and integration risk;
• validator slashing, inactivity, operator failure, key compromise, client bugs, MEV, and Ethereum consensus or network risk;
• Keeper, oracle, RPC, indexer, interface, hosting, DNS, and data availability failures;
• Vault, osETH, aEthosETH, liquidity, redemption, withdrawal, queue, lock, market-price, and depeg risk;
• governance capture, malicious proposals, multisignature compromise, admin-key risk, and emergency-action risk;
• future borrowing interest, liquidation, bad debt, collateral, utilization, and market insolvency risk;
• phishing, malicious approvals, wallet compromise, malware, and user error;
• regulatory, sanctions, tax, consumer-law, licensing, and jurisdictional changes; and
• forks, force majeure, cyberattacks, infrastructure outages, and third-party failures.

This list is not exhaustive.

24. No Advice or Fiduciary Relationship

The Website, Interface, documentation, governance discussions, simulations, examples, and communications are not financial, investment, legal, tax, accounting, fiduciary, or regulatory advice. Definica does not recommend that you stake, buy, sell, supply, lock, borrow, lend, vote, or hold any asset.

You must conduct your own assessment and obtain independent professional advice where appropriate. No communication creates a fiduciary, advisory, brokerage, custody, banking, agency, or trust relationship.

25. Intellectual Property and User Licence

Subject to these Terms, Definica grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to access and use the Website and Interface for lawful personal or internal business purposes.

The Definica name, logo, Website design, text, graphics, documentation, and non-open-source materials may be protected by intellectual property rights. You may not impersonate Definica, misuse its branding, remove notices, or reproduce or commercialize protected materials without authorization.

Open-source code is governed by the licence in the applicable repository. If you submit feedback, suggestions, or improvement proposals, you grant the Website operator and authorized Definica contributors a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, transferable and sublicensable licence to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, and implement the submission for protocol, security, governance, documentation, and community purposes. Do not submit confidential material unless a separate agreement applies.

26. Privacy and Public Blockchains

Off-chain personal-data processing is described in the Definica Privacy Policy. Wallet addresses, transactions, token balances, contract calls, governance activity, and other on-chain records may be public, persistent, and globally accessible. Definica may be unable to alter or erase blockchain records, but this does not remove obligations concerning off-chain copies controlled by the Website operator.

27. Availability, Restriction, and Termination

The Website or Interface may be modified, restricted, suspended, or discontinued for security, legal, sanctions, technical, governance, maintenance, or operational reasons. Definica does not guarantee uninterrupted access, support, data accuracy, or continued maintenance.

Termination of Interface access does not necessarily close an on-chain position. You remain responsible for using any available contract or third-party route to manage your position, subject to applicable rules and risks.

28. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE WEBSITE, INTERFACE, PROTOCOL, SMART CONTRACTS, DOCUMENTATION, GOVERNANCE TOOLS, AND RELATED SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.”

DEFINICA DISCLAIMS ALL EXPRESS, IMPLIED, AND STATUTORY WARRANTIES, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AVAILABILITY, SECURITY, RELIABILITY, PROFITABILITY, LIQUIDITY, AND UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION.

DEFINICA DOES NOT WARRANT THAT ANY POSITION WILL MAINTAIN VALUE, THAT ANY ASSET WILL MAINTAIN A PEG OR MARKET, THAT ANY WITHDRAWAL OR REDEMPTION WILL BE AVAILABLE AT A PARTICULAR TIME, OR THAT ANY PLANNED FEATURE WILL LAUNCH.

Mandatory warranties and consumer rights that cannot lawfully be excluded remain unaffected.

29. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DEFINICA, THE WEBSITE OPERATOR, AUTHORIZED CONTRIBUTORS, DEVELOPERS, GOVERNANCE PARTICIPANTS, DELEGATES, SIGNERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, REWARDS, DATA, ASSETS, OPPORTUNITY, GOODWILL, GAS, TAXES, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THEIR AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING FROM THE WEBSITE OR INTERFACE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF USD 100 OR THE AMOUNT OF FEES PAID BY YOU DIRECTLY TO THE WEBSITE OPERATOR FOR THE AFFECTED SERVICE DURING THE THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where exclusion or limitation is prohibited, including liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, wilful misconduct, gross negligence where it cannot be excluded, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or mandatory consumer rights.

30. Indemnification

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you will indemnify and hold harmless Definica, the Website operator, authorized contributors, developers, and service providers from third-party claims, losses, liabilities, penalties, and reasonable costs arising from your unlawful use, material breach of these Terms, violation of third-party rights, or activity conducted through a wallet or device under your control.

The indemnified party must give reasonable notice of a claim where practicable. You may not settle a claim in a manner that admits fault by, imposes obligations on, or restricts an indemnified party without that party’s written consent. Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.

31. Changes to These Terms

Definica may revise these Terms by posting a replacement on the Website. Material changes may also be announced through the Interface, governance forum, or another official channel. Where legally required, Definica will request renewed acceptance before the changed Terms apply to further Interface use.

Your use after a replacement is presented for acceptance constitutes acceptance of the replacement. Changes do not retroactively alter completed blockchain transactions or mandatory rights.

32. Governing Law and Disputes

If a legal wrapper or Website operator is formally designated, an official Definica Legal Notice will identify that operator and any valid choice of governing law or dispute forum. Unless and until such a notice makes a valid contractual choice, these Terms do not select a governing law; applicable conflict-of-law rules and mandatory law determine the law and forum.

Before filing a claim, you are encouraged to contact legal@definica.com and provide a reasonable opportunity for informal resolution. This does not prevent either party from seeking urgent injunctive relief or exercising non-waivable rights. Consumers retain any right to use the courts or dispute mechanisms available under mandatory law.

33. General Terms

34. Contact