docs: update README with license, anti-whale, referral, snapshot details

- Add ELv2 license badge and description
- Expand anti-whale section (BPD cap, BPB tiers, loyalty multiplier)
- Add referral system documentation
- Expand free claim with SOL snapshot table
- Add chain binding to security section
- Add missing instructions (referral, pause, unpause, BPD timestamp)
- Remove dead docker/README.md link (purged from repo)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: Ethan Hurst

README.md

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # HELIX Staking Protocol
 
+[![License: Elastic-2.0](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Elastic--2.0-blue.svg)](LICENSE)
+
 A time-locked staking protocol on Solana inspired by HEX. Users stake HLX tokens for up to 5,555 days, earning T-shares that accumulate daily inflation. Longer and larger stakes earn bonus multipliers. A periodic Big Pay Day (BPD) event redistributes a pool to active stakers. Built with Anchor 0.32.1 and Token-2022.
 
 **Program ID**: `E9B7BsxdPS89M66CRGGbsCzQ9LkiGv6aNsra3cNBJha7`
@@ -30,13 +32,26 @@ A time-locked staking protocol on Solana inspired by HEX. Users stake HLX tokens
 
 **Longer Pays Better (LPB)** — up to 2× multiplier for stakes committed to 10 years (3,641 days). Bonus scales linearly with duration.
 
-**Bigger Pays Better (BPB)** — tiered bonus for larger stake sizes with diminishing returns above 1.5B tokens to prevent whale dominance. Maximum 1.5× bonus.
+**Bigger Pays Better (BPB)** — tiered bonus for larger stake sizes with diminishing returns above 1.5B tokens to prevent whale dominance. Three tiers with decreasing slope. Maximum 1.5× bonus.
 
 **Big Pay Day (BPD)** — periodic event that distributes a bonus pool to all active stakers proportional to their T-shares. Features:
 - Batched finalization to handle large staker counts on-chain
 - 24-hour community observation window before sealing
 - 5% per-stake share cap to prevent whale capture
 - Duration loyalty multiplier (up to 50% bonus for stakes at full term)
+- Admin abort capability if calculation issues arise
+
+### Anti-Whale Protections
+
+| Mechanism | Description |
+|-----------|-------------|
+| BPD share cap | 5% maximum of the BPD pool per individual stake |
+| BPB diminishing returns | Three-tier curve: linear up to 1.5B, reduced slope 1.5B–5B, further reduced 5B–10B, hard cap at 1.5× |
+| Duration loyalty multiplier | Rewards commitment duration, not just stake size — up to 50% BPD bonus for stakes that have served their full term |
+
+### Referral System
+
+Stakers can refer new participants via `create_stake_with_referral`. The referee receives a +10% T-share bonus and the referrer earns a +5% token bonus minted at stake creation. Referral records are tracked on-chain via PDA.
 
 ### Unstake Penalties
 
@@ -46,9 +61,18 @@ A time-locked staking protocol on Solana inspired by HEX. Users stake HLX tokens
 | On-time (within 14-day grace) | None |
 | Late (after grace period) | 0% → 100% over 351 days |
 
-### Free Claim
+### Free Claim (SOL Snapshot Airdrop)
 
-Snapshot-based airdrop using Merkle proofs. 10,000 HLX per SOL held at snapshot. Eligible wallets must hold ≥ 0.1 SOL. Tokens vest: 10% immediate, 90% over 30 days. Speed bonuses apply: +20% in week 1, +10% in weeks 2–4. Claim window is 180 days.
+A snapshot of SOL balances at a specific slot determines airdrop eligibility. The authority builds a Merkle tree of eligible wallets and uploads the root on-chain via `initialize_claim_period`. Users submit a Merkle proof to claim.
+
+| Parameter | Value |
+|-----------|-------|
+| Ratio | 10,000 HLX per SOL held at snapshot |
+| Minimum SOL | 0.1 SOL |
+| Vesting | 10% immediate, 90% over 30 days |
+| Speed bonus | +20% (week 1), +10% (weeks 2–4) |
+| Claim window | 180 days |
+| Proof verification | On-chain Merkle proof (max depth 20, supports 1M+ wallets) |
 
 ---
 
@@ -72,8 +96,12 @@ Snapshot-based airdrop using Merkle proofs. 10,000 HLX per SOL held at snapshot.
 | `migrate_stake` | Migrate legacy stake account layout |
 | `transfer_authority` | Initiate two-step authority handoff |
 | `accept_authority` | Complete authority handoff |
+| `create_stake_with_referral` | Stake with referrer — referee +10% T-shares, referrer +5% tokens |
 | `admin_set_claim_end_slot` | Extend/close claim window |
 | `admin_set_slots_per_day` | Update slot calibration |
+| `admin_set_bpd_finalize_timestamp` | Adjust BPD seal observation window |
+| `pause` | Emergency pause all user-facing instructions |
+| `unpause` | Resume protocol operations |
 
 ---
 
@@ -163,7 +191,7 @@ npm run localnet:logs
 
 The container bootstraps the full protocol: initializes GlobalState and the HLX mint, funds a test wallet with 100 SOL and 10,000 HLX. RPC available at `http://localhost:8899`.
 
-See [docker/README.md](docker/README.md) for Apple Silicon notes and troubleshooting.
+Requires Docker with ARM64 support on Apple Silicon.
 
 ---
 
@@ -185,17 +213,17 @@ anchor verify E9B7BsxdPS89M66CRGGbsCzQ9LkiGv6aNsra3cNBJha7
 
 ## Security
 
+- **Chain binding**: Explicit runtime program ID assertion in `initialize` — forks cannot reuse the protocol at a different address
 - **Admin authority**: All privileged instructions require multisig via Squads v4
 - **Two-step authority transfer**: `transfer_authority` + `accept_authority` prevents accidental lockout
-- **Integer safety**: `overflow-checks = true` in release profile; `saturating_sub` used in BPD finalization
+- **Emergency pause**: `pause` / `unpause` instructions halt all user-facing operations
+- **Integer safety**: `overflow-checks = true` in release profile; checked arithmetic throughout
 - **BPD transparency**: 24-hour observation window before `seal_bpd_finalize` can be called
-- **Anti-whale protections**: 5% per-stake BPD cap; BPB diminishing returns above 1.5B tokens
+- **Anti-whale protections**: 5% per-stake BPD cap; BPB three-tier diminishing returns; duration loyalty multiplier
 - **Frontend**: All transactions simulated before presenting to wallet
 - **Indexer**: Atomic checkpoint + event writes; no partial state
 - **RPC proxy**: Method whitelist + per-IP rate limiting
 
-Audit findings and remediations: `specs/001-fix-audit-findings/`
-
 ---
 
 ## Project Structure
@@ -226,4 +254,4 @@ tests/bankrun/              # Bankrun test suite
 
 ## License
 
-[Add license here]
+This project is licensed under the [Elastic License 2.0](LICENSE) — a source-available license that permits use, modification, and distribution but prohibits offering the software as a hosted or managed competing service. See [LICENSE](LICENSE) for the full terms.