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An origin operator is a team with content they want delivered through deCDN. You may run:
  • One or more origin-backed nodes pointing at your S3 / R2 / B2 / NFS / local disk.
  • An app server that gates access if you encrypt content (encryption setup).
  • Both of the above, which is the typical posture.
You do not have to run a caching fleet — independent node operators will pick up and cache your popular blobs on their own, paying you for the initial pull.

What origin operators provide

  • The canonical bytes. Your S3 bucket (or equivalent) is the durable source of truth. deCDN does not replace it.
  • A hash-to-object-key catalog. The per-node database mapping BLAKE3 hashes to your backend object keys.
  • (Optional) key custody and access control. Via an app server, if you encrypt content.
  • (Recommended) at least one origin-backed node. First-hop seeding into the mesh. Without one, the first cache miss has nowhere to go.

What origin operators earn

Per-MB revenue on every byte pulled from your origin-backed node — whether pulled by a client directly or by another caching node on cache miss. Pricing is market-driven within governance bounds. See economics (the economic rules are the same as for any node operator).

What origin operators pay

  • Your backend’s own egress costs (R2 waives inter-Workers egress, B2 is cheapest at ~$0.01/GB, S3 is standard rate). Origin-backed nodes naturally price above their backend egress or they lose money.
  • TOKEN stake for each origin-backed node you run (staking).
  • Gas for periodic on-chain operations (channel opens/closes, stake, occasional slash challenges).

How this tab is organized

PageWhat it covers
When to run origin-backedPure-cache vs origin-backed vs both; when a third party can run your origin
Backend integrationConfiguring S3/R2/B2/NFS, hash-to-object-key catalog, ingest pipeline
App serverWhen to run one, responsibilities, scaling, reference implementation status
Encryption setupEnvelope encryption mechanics, epoch keys, key custody, revocation
Takedown complianceOn-chain blacklist behavior, compliance window, local denylist