Inviting new users to Ethos requires substantial XP. But unlike other XP costs, this XP isn't burned — it's transferred directly to the invitee. You're effectively "vouching with XP" for the person you're inviting, and that XP becomes their starting capital in the network.
How it works
When you generate an invitation, a significant amount of XP is deducted from your balance and transferred to the new user's account. This gives them the resources to start participating immediately — voting, reviewing, and engaging with the network from day one.
Why invitations cost XP
The substantial cost serves several purposes.
First, it creates natural rate limiting. You cannot invite faster than you can accumulate XP, which bounds network growth to sustainable rates and ensures each invitation represents genuine belief in the invitee's potential contribution.
Second, it creates an investment relationship. Because inviting someone costs you real resources, you have economic incentive to bring in valuable participants rather than inviting indiscriminately. This is similar to how the invitation bonding period works for credibility — except here, you're putting your XP where your mouth is.
How it benefits everyone
Good invitations benefit the entire network. The inviter brings a valuable community member, the invitee starts with resources to participate meaningfully, and the network gains a new contributor who arrives through a trusted relationship.
The transfer model (rather than burn model) is deliberate. Burning XP on invitations would just be a tax. Transferring it means the inviter is making a bet — they're giving the new user a head start because they believe that person will contribute. It's skin in the game for who you bring into the network.