M^0 is money middleware for the digital age. Based on a decentralized architecture and best-in-class collateral design, M^0 allows institutions to issue cryptodollars. It also allows for M distributions to earners and governance token (ZERO) holders. There are three main types of actors in the protocol - Minters, Validators, and Earners - all of which are permissioned via governance. Protocol variables are also managed by governance and are stored in a Registrar configuration contract.