A reward programme needs a credible source of external demand.
The thesis depends on a service creators find useful enough to authorize. Reward distribution comes after that service has earned real fees. Bootstrap activity and voluntary contributions can support experiments, but they should not be presented as recurring external demand.
The planned $FRIDAYS model connects creator fees after the Pons launch. That connection is not active today. Future receipts should show what was received, what remains the creator’s, and what the service retained. A source note by itself does not verify external revenue.
A meaningful pilot should measure supported fee sources, actual receipts, creator retention, and operating cost before promising a wider reward programme.
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