Nodes
A node is a bonded QUIC endpoint that caches and serves content-addressed blobs.- Identity. A network keypair bound on-chain to an Ethereum address at registration (network).
- Bond. A capacity bond in TOKEN, scaled to declared bandwidth (
bond = k × Mbps^α) — the only TOKEN-side requirement to join the mesh; the bond scales with declared capacity rather than a flat minimum. - Gossip. Publishes node metadata on a global topic and a regional topic. Also emits rate-change updates.
- Delivery. Serves the paid-delivery protocol — the sole rail for both client→node and node→node traffic.
- Earnings. Per-MB voucher revenue in USDC.
“Origin-backed” is a deployment choice, not a protocol distinction — the network cannot tell them apart at runtime.
Clients
A client is a lightweight QUIC endpoint that consumes content and pays for it.- Identity. Ephemeral network keypair — no stake, no on-chain registration.
- Gossip. Subscribes to topics but does not publish.
- Payment. Opens an on-chain USDC payment channel with each node it buys from, then signs off-chain vouchers as bytes flow (payments).
- Trust model. Verifies hashes on all bytes received. Trusts nodes for availability (slashable if claimed and not delivered), not for content.