Last updated: April 3, 2023
Kinode is a software platform that augments existing blockchains with a permissionless, peer-to-peer cloud. By embedding primitives like networking, identity, data persistence and blockchain I/O into the OS, Kinode makes it simple for developers to get feature-rich decentralized applications up and running, in contrast to existing solutions which inevitably sacrifice on either security or feature-parity with Web2. Kinode supports applications written in any language that compiles to Wasm, allowing developers to work with their preferred tools.
Key components
- Kinode OS: A lightweight operating system, providing a secure and extensible environment for app execution. The microkernel manages processes, networking, and persistent storage.
- Kimap: A hierarchical onchain namespace that powers Kinode’s peer-to-peer discoverability and identity system. A set of Kimap contracts deployed across multiple chains acts as the global namespace for the operating system, ensuring reliable interaction between nodes.
- Kinode Name System (KNS): A protocol built on top of Kimap that acts as a PKI for the network. KNS transforms an entry in the Kimap namespace into a node identity for use in the Kinode network, where each node is a running instance of Kinode OS. Existing onchain identity NFTs such as ENS can easily be integrated into KNS.
- KINO Utility Token: KINO is used to assign value in the global namespace and for governance. It facilitates decentralized decision-making and resource allocation within the Kinode ecosystem. Tokens are registered upon namespace entries and these values serve as indexed “weights” within the operating system, allowing for namespace ranking and filtering.
Unlocking the development potential of Web3
Full-stack decentralized software is an undeveloped field: until now, there has been no suitable framework for developers to deploy applications that interact effectively with blockchains. Aside from decentralized finance and trustless systems, much of Web3’s potential has been throttled by forcing protocols into operating within a purely-onchain paradigm, where each protocol interaction is a transaction. Kinode solves this, providing a permissionless computing substrate that enables developers to build applications with rich user interfaces that also integrate onchain assets.
Userspace
- Kinode OS: A lightweight operating system, providing a secure and extensible environment for app execution. The microkernel manages processes, networking, and persistent storage.
- KINO, Kinode’s native token, supports the ecosystem’s governance by allowing token holders to vote on platform improvements and resource allocation. It can also be used to rank apps within the network, ensuring that high-quality, valuable services receive the recognition they deserve.
- Any app deployed on Kinode can make use of Kimap and KINO to globally broadcast key signaling data and rank or filter those broadcasts.
Governance
Registering KINO for a certain period of time grants voting rights in the Kinode governance protocol, which is responsible for authorizing and auctioning off new namespace zones in Kimap and overseeing backwards-compatible protocol upgrades to the operating system.
