cad-reference

Convex Architecture Documents

CADs are the normative specifications for Convex. Where the code and a CAD disagree, that is a bug in one of them — not a licence to pick either. Before changing behaviour in a specified area, read the governing CAD and say which one you relied on.

Read them at https://docs.convex.world/docs/cad/<slug> — the slug is the CAD directory name without its numeric prefix, e.g. CAD003 is https://docs.convex.world/docs/cad/encoding.

If the design repository is checked out alongside this one, the sources are in design/docs/cad/<nnn>_<slug>/index.md. Do not assume it is present.

Core Protocol

CAD	Slug	Covers
000	principles	Design principles behind every other decision
001	arch	Overall architecture
002	values	CVM values
003	encoding	CAD3 encoding format — see the cad3-encoding skill
004	accounts	Accounts, addresses, controllers
005	cvmex	CVM execution model
033	cvmtypes	CVM type system

Resources and Economics

CAD	Slug	Covers
006	memory	Memory accounting and allowances — see the memory skill
007	juice	Juice accounting and pricing — see the juice skill
020	tokenomics	Coin supply, distribution, denominations
016	peerstake	Peer staking

Language and Compilation

CAD	Slug	Covers
008	compiler	Compiler
009	expanders	Expanders and macros
011	errors	Error handling and error codes
012	numerics	Numeric semantics
013	metadata	Metadata
026	lisp	Convex Lisp
032	reader	CVX reader syntax

Transactions and Consensus

CAD	Slug	Covers
010	transactions	Transaction format and lifecycle
051	cpos	Convergent Proof of Stake — consensus levels, belief merge
050	network_upgrade	Network upgrades and protocol versions — see the protocol-versions skill
015	peercomms	Peer communication protocol
017	peerops	Peer operations
018	scheduler	Scheduled execution
021	observability	Observability
027	log	Event logging

Storage and Lattice

CAD	Slug	Covers
047	etch	Etch storage format — see the etch skill
048	stores	Lattice store abstraction — roots, persistence status
049	etch_gc	Etch garbage collection and migration — see the etch skill
024	data_lattice	Data lattice
035	cursors	Lattice cursors
036	lattice_node	Lattice node
037	kv_database	KV database
039	convex_sql	Convex SQL — see the convex-db skill
040	lattice_queue	Lattice queue
028	dlfs	Data Lattice File System
044	json	JSON on the lattice
045	lattice_apps	Lattice applications
046	cell_explorer	Cell explorer

Assets, Identity and Trust

CAD	Slug	Covers
019	assets	Asset model
029	fungible	Fungible token standard — see the token skill
031	nft_metadata	NFT metadata
030	torus	Torus DEX
022	trustmon	Trust monitors — the authorisation model; see the trust skill
014	cns	Convex Name System — see the cns skill
034	curated_registry	Curated registry
023	keystore	Keystore
025	wallet	HD wallets
038	lattice_auth	Lattice authentication
043	did	Decentralised identity

For a DID used as a lattice owner or signed application subject, read CAD043, CAD038 and CAD004 together. Use CAD043 for DID method syntax and resolution, CAD038 for merge-boundary signer authorisation, and CAD004 for account keys, rotation and controllers. Check the authorisation boundary of each independently mergeable signed value; do not assume that a signature around a mutable aggregate remains valid after a structural merge. For a recursive merge beneath SignedLattice, identify which authorised owner context can re-sign a synthesised result and how a non-owner relay behaves when it cannot. Raise any cross-CAD mismatch rather than copying an example silently.

Integration

CAD	Slug	Covers
041	mcp	Model Context Protocol
042	x402	x402 protocol

CAD 0000cads is the index and describes the CAD process itself.