Every originator passes through five sequential gates. Gates 1 and 2 are pass/fail — failure at either disqualifies entirely. Gates 3 and 4 produce numeric scores. Gate 5 is a bonus for field-building contribution.
Evaluates whether the originator operates a sound credit business:
Borrower transparency and loan structure quality
Default history and disclosure
Rate fairness
On-chain verifiability of pool data
Failing Gate 1 disqualifies the originator entirely. No amount of impact can compensate for a fundamentally unsound lending operation.
Assesses two dimensions:
Social floor: Does lending genuinely benefit excluded borrowers and their communities?
Ecological ceiling: Is the lending sector aligned with ecological safety? Does it avoid resource damage?
Failing Gate 2 disqualifies the originator. Profitable lending that is extractive or ecologically harmful is not eligible.
A six-dimension evaluation that maps the originator onto a structural spectrum:
1
Conventional
Standard fintech/DeFi with no regenerative intent
2
Sustainable DeFi
Genuine inclusion mission with measured outcomes
3
Regenerative Finance
Structurally transformative, systems-level impact
The Bennett Average across all six dimensions must be 1.5 or above to qualify for inclusion in the USDREFI basket.
Quantitative scoring across five social dimensions:
Financial inclusion depth
Loan fairness and terms
Employment and livelihood impact
Community wealth effects
Gender equity
Quantitative scoring across five ecological dimensions:
Ecological activity type
Carbon impact
Biodiversity effects
Circularity practices
Verifiability of environmental claims
Bonus points awarded for contributions that strengthen the broader ReFi ecosystem:
Open-source software and tooling
Published frameworks and methodologies
Documented pilot programs
Openness and data sharing
The Gate 3 + Gate 4 total (0–100) plus the Gate 5 bonus determines the originator's final score and tier placement.
