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deCDN is a decentralized content delivery network. Instead of a single provider operating all edge servers, staked independent nodes cache content and deliver it to clients over peer-to-peer QUIC connections. Clients pay nodes directly, per megabyte, over off-chain payment channels.

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Core properties

  • Content-addressed. Every blob is identified by its BLAKE3 hash. Clients verify the bytes they receive — they do not trust any node to return the right content.
  • Paid per megabyte. Every byte delivered is paid, including node-to-node cache-miss pulls. Payments run on off-chain channels in governance-allowlisted ERC-20s, with on-chain settlement only at channel open and close.
  • Origin-hidden. Origin backends (S3, R2, B2, NFS, local disk) are opaque per-node configuration. No external origin URL is ever exposed to the network.
  • Staked and slashable. Nodes stake TOKEN to join the peer mesh. Slashable offenses have on-chain evidence paths that anyone can challenge.
  • No single operator. Gossip for discovery. A DHT for content location. Optimistic challenge-response for disputes. Token-weighted governance with a timelock for parameter updates.

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What it isn’t

  • Not a blockchain or storage network — durability relies on cheap, reliable object storage (S3-class) owned by origin operators.
  • Not DRM or content protection — encryption is optional, operated by the content provider’s own app server (ADR 006). The CDN is oblivious.
  • Not a transcoding or search service — delivery only. Search and discovery are future work.
  • Not multi-chain. Contracts live on Arbitrum One; cross-chain channels are out of scope.

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Who this site is for

Four audiences, four top-level tabs:
TabForStart with
ProtocolProtocol designers, implementers, auditorsThe full ADR-derived reference
Origin OperatorsTeams with content they want delivered by deCDNHow to configure an origin-backed node and (optionally) an app server for encryption
Node OperatorsTeams running caching nodes to earn delivery feesStaking, onboarding, economics, disputes
ClientsEnd-users or applications consuming contentBootstrap, account setup, payment channels

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Authority

The authoritative design record is the ADR set in the decdn/ repository. This site distills those decisions for operators and clients. When in doubt, trust the ADRs.