# Digital / Virtual **Trait Number:** 24 **Layer:** Abstract **Bit Position:** 24 **Binary Encoding:** `00000000 00000000 00000001 00000000` **UHT Code (self-encoding):** `00 00 01 00` --- # Icon ![[digital_virtual.png|200]] --- ## Definition The entity exists primarily or exclusively as information in a digital or virtual domain, lacking intrinsic physical instantiation. Its form is encoded, simulated, or stored electronically rather than embodied in matter. --- ## When to Apply Use this trait when the entity: - Is fundamentally composed of digital data, code, or a virtual simulation - Can be copied, transmitted, or instantiated across platforms without physical alteration - Depends on computational substrates for existence and interaction Avoid applying if the entity is: - A physical object merely described or referenced digitally (e.g., a scanned book) - Physical hardware that supports digital content (e.g., a hard drive) - Hybrid systems where the digital component is secondary to a primary physical identity --- ## Examples - Blockchain smart contract - Virtual reality environment - Digital artwork (NFT) - Software algorithm - Cloud-hosted database --- ## Commentary The "Digital / Virtual" trait distinguishes entities whose primary ontology is informational. It clarifies scope in UHT encoding between physical artifacts and purely virtual constructs, ensuring accurate abstraction layering and avoiding conflation with materially embodied systems. --- **© 2025 Steven Holland. All rights reserved.** [[Copyright Statement]]