You can’t fully prevent cheating off-chain without consensus, but you can make it *detectable and governable*. Use these tactics:
# Per-signer chain (simple and effective) Each signer maintains: * `prevTxHash` * `sequenceNumber` Clearing agents reject tx that fork the signer’s chain or reuse seq numbers.
# Credit limits enforced at clearing time Spending beyond limit won’t clear into batches. So “cheat tx” may exist on static sites, but it never becomes final.
# Pledge locking (if you use Pledge NFTs) Off-chain pledge lock claims are recorded. Clearing agents verify lock state and refuse double-use. Final pledge lock state is anchored per epoch.