Plain-English definition
Source freshness asks whether the evidence is live, recently reviewed, attached but not current, stale, broken, issuer-only, or unknown.
A fresh source is not automatically complete. It still has a scope: what it supports, what it does not support, and what newer evidence would change the reading.
Why it matters
Source Freshness matters because crypto markets can look precise while still being shallow, crowded, or poorly sourced. A useful read is not just the number. It is the number, the size behind it, the context around it, and the part it cannot explain.
Simple example
A simple Source Freshness example is a reader comparing two venues with the same headline price but different depth. The deeper venue can absorb more capital before the trade, peg, or yield reading starts to move against the user.
How Bathymark uses this term
Bathymark uses Source Freshness to translate open market data into live liquidity readings. When the term touches a live page, the reading links back to the relevant chain, protocol, stablecoin, DEX, perps, or Signal so the source remains checkable.
Common mistake
The common mistake is treating Source Freshness as a complete signal by itself. Bathymark treats it as one instrument: useful when read beside liquidity, source, size, and what the number cannot prove.