The line.
Five rules Vigil is built on. Written down first, code second.
Vigil began as a complaint about something obvious: assistants reply, then forget. They are pleasant, they are helpful, and they are not accountable. Money does not work that way. Money needs an operator — something that stays on watch through the night, keeps books that can be audited, and knows exactly where its authority ends. That is the whole idea. Everything below is a consequence of it.
01 · Watch
The night shift never ends. Markets do not sleep, and an operator that clocks out is a liability wearing a nice interface. Vigil is designed around loops that keep running while you live your life — and a log that proves they did.Watch loops — Phase 1.
02 · Books
Every action is appended. The ledger is the product. If it isn't written down, it didn't happen. Every step the operator takes is recorded, hashed and exportable — so the morning review is a reading, not an interview.Ledger exports — Phase 3.
03 · Budget
Spend limits live on the rail. An agent that can outspend its budget cannot be trusted with one. Limits belong on the rail, not in a prompt: if a move would cross the line you drew, it does not happen — no exceptions, no negotiation, no "the model misunderstood".Budget gates and stop conditions — Phase 2.
04 · Keys
Custody is not a service we sell. Your keys, your funds, your call. Vigil operates; it never holds. No pooled vaults, no middle account, no quiet trades on your behalf. The day custody becomes the business model is the day the operator stops being yours.
05 · Exit
Leaving is part of the design. A service you can't leave isn't a service — it's a trap. Your books export, your positions are yours, and the door is never locked. We would rather earn the next night than hold the last one.Portable books — Phase 3.