The Four Axes of nimimo

A structured explanation of Access, Ownership, Identity, and Recovery.

Overview

nimimo is designed around a deliberate separation of four fundamental axes required for human interaction with cryptographic systems. These axes are Access, Ownership, Identity, and Recovery. Each axis serves a distinct role and is intentionally prevented from escalating authority into another.

This document defines each axis. The companion papers sixteen-states.md and access-primitive.md examine, respectively, the full state space of the four axes and the formal properties of the Access axis in isolation.

1. Access

Definition. Access is the ability to initiate a session within nimimo on a specific device.

• Access enables interaction with the interface but does not grant authority.
• Access methods are replaceable and non-persistent.
• Loss of access does not imply loss of ownership.

2. Ownership

Definition. Ownership is cryptographic control over private keys generated and stored locally on the user's device.

• Includes private keys and derived wallet addresses (protocol identities).
• Keys are never transmitted to or stored by nimimo.
• Ownership exists independently of access or identity.

3. Identity

Definition. Identity is a human-readable reference that resolves to cryptographic ownership.

• Usernames and profiles act as social pointers, not authority.
• Identity is persistent across access methods.
• Identity does not sign transactions or hold balances.

4. Recovery

Definition. Recovery is an optional, user-initiated export of encrypted ownership material.

• Recovery artifacts are created locally and encrypted with a user-chosen PIN.
• nimimo never stores or manages recovery material.
• Recovery adds portability but introduces user responsibility.

Axis Comparison Table

By separating these axes, nimimo achieves human usability without introducing custody or authority. Each axis exists independently, yet interoperates through well-defined, non-escalating boundaries.