Researcher Reputation Scores
At Cantina, our mission is to reward researchers who consistently demonstrate technical rigor and valuable impact. The Reputation Score system is central to that mission. It’s a dynamic metric that reflects your reliability, quality of submissions, and track record over time—helping top performers stand out and projects assess findings faster. You can view your reputation score directly on your Cantina profile.
Why Reputation Scores Matter
Researchers with a reputation score ≥ 80 are exempt from submitting POCs for medium and high severity findings in public competitions. This trust-based system significantly reduces friction for top contributors, while preserving the signal that POCs provide.
How the Reputation Score Works
All researchers start at a baseline of 50 points. Your score moves up or down based on the severity and accuracy of your submissions, as well as the quality of your writeups. The score is capped between 0 and 100.
Positive Contributions
| Type | Base Points |
|---|
| Confirmed Critical/High | +5 |
| Confirmed Medium | +3 |
| Confirmed Low/Info/Gas | +1 |
| Accepted Escalations | TBD |
Negative Outcomes
| Type | Base Points |
|---|
| Spam Findings | –5 |
| Rejected Findings | –3 |
| Rejected Escalations | TBD |
Quality Multiplier
Each submission is evaluated and tagged with a quality score, which modifies the base points:
| Quality Level | Multiplier |
|---|
| Low (Level 1) | –10% |
| Medium (Level 2) | No change |
| High (Level 3) | +20% |
Spam findings are not eligible for quality multipliers—they always incur the full –5 penalty.
Examples
Example 1
A high severity bug is confirmed with Level 3 quality.
- Base: +5
- Quality Bonus: +1 (20% of 5)
- Total: +6
- Final Score: 50 → 56
Example 2
A medium severity bug is rejected with Level 1 quality.
- Base: –3
- Quality Bonus: +0.3 (–10% of –3)
- Total: –2.7
- Final Score: 50 → 47.3
Example 3
You submit a spam finding.
- Base: –5
- Quality not applied
- Final Score: 50 → 45
Earning Trust, One Submission at a Time
Reputation isn’t just about climbing a leaderboard — it’s a signal to Cantina, Spearbit, and our clients that you’re a trusted operator. Your score affects access to private opportunities, eligibility for Fellowship tiers, and administrative overhead (like the POC requirement).
