Stage 1: Learning Phase

Overview

What Happens in Stage 1

1. Community Formation

Players discover Jonah, start conversations, and begin building relationships. Early adopters establish themselves as trusted advisors before real trading begins.

2. Paper Trading

Every contract submitted is tracked with starting market cap. After 24 hours, Jonah checks: Did it hit +20%? Trust is awarded or deducted based on paper performance.

Jonah doesn't buy anything yet, but the trust system works exactly as it will in Stage 2.

3. Betting Practice

The betting system is fully active. Players stake trust on whether submitted contracts will be profitable. Winners earn trust, losers lose it.

4. Trust Hierarchies Form

By Day 7, clear leaders emerge. Some players have 80-100+ trust from consistent good calls. When real trading begins on Day 8, Jonah already knows who to listen to.

5. Jonah Learns Patterns

Every conversation, contract, and outcome is stored. Jonah's AI analyzes:

• What characteristics do profitable contracts share?
• Which advisors have the best track records?
• What red flags lead to losses?

What Works in Stage 1

Why Stage 1 Exists

• 🛡️ Prevents Instant Death - Without Stage 1, Jonah could die on Day 1 before a community forms
• 🎯 Builds Anticipation - "5 days until Jonah trades for real" - tension builds
• 🧠 Creates Learning Narrative - Jonah evolves from knowing nothing to showing clear growth
• ⚖️ Fair Competitive Start - Early adopters who teach Jonah earn trust advantages

The Transition to Stage 2

At exactly 168 hours (7 days), Stage 1 ends automatically:

• 🚀 Jonah announces: "It's Day 8. My 5 SOL is now unlocked."
• 💰 Capital unlocks - Jonah can make real trades
• ⚠️ Death becomes possible - Balance below 0.5 SOL = game over
• 🎯 Trust hierarchies matter - High-trust advisors get priority

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Next: Learn about Stage 2: Trading Phase →