fathom: a universal system of assessment. fathom is a decentralized protocol for creating and assessing credentials through the consensus of knowledge communities. The protocol enables communities to form around the concepts they care about and create definitions of what it means to know them. It incentivizes members to use these definitions to accuratley assess those looking to gain credentials and join the community. This creates a universal credential ecosystem, where individuals are free to learn as they please and collaborate with anyone in the world.