10.4 Rate Limiting & Abuse Protection

Rate limiting is applied at multiple layers:

• API gateway level
• Per-key and per-plan limits
• Infrastructure-level protections

Important distinction:

• Rate limiting protects availability
• It does not protect authority

Even if limits are exceeded:

• No signing authority is exposed
• No identity can be impersonated
• No funds can be moved

Abuse affects throughput, not security.

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