Nodalync Protocol
A protocol for fair knowledge economics in the age of AI.
Abstract
We propose a protocol for knowledge economics that ensures original contributors receive perpetual, proportional compensation from all downstream value creation. A researcher can publish valuable findings once and receive perpetual royalties as the ecosystem builds upon their work. A writer’s insights compound in value as others synthesize and extend them.
The protocol enables humans to benefit from knowledge compounding—earning from what they know, not just what they continuously produce.
Key Features
- Cryptographic Provenance — Every piece of knowledge carries its complete derivation history
- Fair Economics — 95% of transaction value flows to foundational contributors
- Local-First — Your data stays on your machine, under your control
- AI-Native — MCP integration for seamless AI agent consumption
Quick Navigation
Getting Started
- Quick Start — Get your node running in under 5 minutes
- FAQ — Common questions answered
Protocol
- Specification — Complete protocol specification
- Architecture — Module structure and dependencies
- Whitepaper — Protocol design and economics
- L2 Addendum — Entity graph details
Module Documentation
- Crypto — Hashing, signing, identity
- Types — Data structures
- Wire — Serialization
- Store — Storage layer
- Validation — Validation rules
- Economics — Revenue distribution
- Operations — Protocol operations
- Networking — P2P layer
- Settlement — Hedera integration
Applications
- CLI — Command-line interface
- MCP Server — AI agent integration
Protocol Layers
| Layer | Name | Contents | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| L0 | Raw Inputs | Documents, transcripts, notes | Immutable, publishable, queryable |
| L1 | Mentions | Atomic facts with L0 pointers | Extracted, visible as preview |
| L2 | Entity Graph | Entities + RDF relations | Internal only, never shared |
| L3 | Insights | Emergent patterns and conclusions | Shareable, importable as L0 |
Current Status
Protocol v0.7.1 · CLI v0.10.1
| Layer | Crate | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol | nodalync-crypto | Hashing (SHA-256), Ed25519 signing, PeerId derivation |
| Protocol | nodalync-types | All data structures including L2 Entity Graph |
| Protocol | nodalync-wire | Deterministic CBOR serialization, 21 message types |
| Protocol | nodalync-store | SQLite manifests, filesystem content, settlement queue |
| Protocol | nodalync-valid | Content, provenance, payment, L2 validation |
| Protocol | nodalync-econ | 95/5 revenue distribution, Merkle batching |
| Protocol | nodalync-ops | CREATE, DERIVE, BUILD_L2, MERGE_L2, QUERY |
| Protocol | nodalync-net | libp2p (TCP/Noise/yamux), Kademlia DHT, GossipSub |
| Protocol | nodalync-settle | Hedera settlement, smart contract deployed to testnet |
| App | nodalync-cli | Full CLI with daemon mode, health endpoints, alerting |
| App | nodalync-mcp | MCP server for AI agent integration |
Hedera Testnet
| Resource | Value |
|---|---|
| Contract ID | 0.0.7729011 |
| EVM Address | 0xc6b4bFD28AF2F6999B32510557380497487A60dD |
| HashScan | View Contract |