The Human Capital Agreement
The open standard for structuring human capital investment. Compliant under current U.S. securities law. Designed to become the default instrument for human capital deals — the way the SAFE became the default for early-stage equity.
The HCA standard is published under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0. Free to use, adapt, and implement.
Why Publish an Open Standard?
The SAFE didn't make YC money directly. It made YC the infrastructure layer for early-stage investment. The HCA is the same move for human capital.
YC published the SAFE in 2013. Within five years it became the default instrument for early-stage investment. InsideRWA is publishing the HCA as the default instrument for human capital investment — before the regulated market arrives.
Whoever writes the standard owns the category language. The HCA establishes InsideRWA as the infrastructure layer for human capital deals, not just a marketplace participant.
Every deal done on the HCA standard creates a data point in the InsideRWA dataset. The dataset improves the HCI score. The improved score attracts more issuers. The flywheel is the moat.
When income-share agreements become regulated at the federal level, InsideRWA will have years of compliant deal history and the established standard. That track record is the license application.
HCA vs. Traditional Income-Share Agreements
The HCA is not an ISA. ISAs are consumer credit products subject to inconsistent state regulation and the Edly failure mode. The HCA is a securities offering — better protections for both parties.
| Feature | InsideRWA HCA | Traditional ISA |
|---|---|---|
| Legal structure | Securities offering (Reg CF / Reg D) | Consumer credit / state law varies |
| Repayment obligation | None — alignment model | Fixed obligation — obligation model |
| Default mechanism | No default — suspension of participation | Default, collections, credit damage |
| Investor protection | SEC disclosure requirements | State consumer protection law (inconsistent) |
| Secondary market | ATS-eligible after holding period | Generally not transferable |
| Downside protection | Income floor + suspension provision | None — obligation continues |
| Upside cap | Maximum Return Multiple | Often uncapped (Edly lesson) |
The Edly lesson: Edly structured human capital investments as debt obligations. When issuers' incomes fell short, the obligation model created hardship and defaults. The HCA's alignment model — suspension of participation during hardship, no personal guarantee, no default mechanism — is a direct response to that failure mode.
HCA v1.0 — Document Preview
The full standard document. Published under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0.
Regulatory Staging: Now vs. When Regulated
The HCA is designed to work under current law and to evolve as the regulatory landscape clarifies.
- Backers receive access, content, and community benefits
- Structured as a Reg CF subscription — no income-share
- Issuer raises up to $5M/year from retail investors
- Full SEC disclosure requirements apply
- Canton Network anchoring for on-chain proof
- Backers receive a share of Covered Income above the threshold
- Participation Rate and Period set at offering
- Maximum Return Multiple caps total Backer returns
- Income Floor protects Issuer during hardship
- ATS secondary market access after holding period
Adopt the HCA Standard
The HCA is free to use, adapt, and implement under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0. If you are structuring a human capital offering, we encourage you to use the HCA standard and apply for an InsideRWA HCI rating.