Proof of Contribution

Overview

The Proof of Contribution (PoC) mechanism in Vana is designed to validate data in a decentralized, privacy-preserving manner. It ensures that only authentic, high-quality, and unique data is added to DataDAOs, allowing contributors to benefit from the value their data generates, while protecting their privacy.

Key Elements of PoC

Authenticity: Ensures that the data is real and unaltered.
Ownership: Confirms the data belongs to the contributor.
Quality: Measures the relevance and utility of the data.
Uniqueness: Prevents redundant or copied data from being reused.

How It Works

Data Submission: Contributors submit encrypted data to a DataDAO, which is stored off-chain with metadata written on-chain.
Validation: Validators use a secure Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) to check the data for authenticity, ownership, quality, and uniqueness via Proof Of Contribution.
Attestation & Reward: Once validated, an attestation (proof) is generated and recorded on-chain. Contributors are rewarded in VANA tokens based on their data's quality.

Implementation

One recommended implementation for DataDAO Proof-of-Contribution is to run a model influence function, which measures exactly how much new information a given data point teaches the AI model.

Customization

Each DataDAO in Vana can implement its own PoC function based on the data it handles. For example:

Financial Data DataDAO: May prioritize the timeliness and accuracy of data.
Social Media Data DataDAO: May focus on engagement metrics or user activity.

By customizing the PoC function, DataDAO creators ensure that their data pools are filled with meaningful, relevant, and high-quality contributions.

Benefits

Data Quality: Guarantees that data within DataDAOs is trustworthy and useful for AI training or other purposes.
Privacy: Contributors can submit and validate data without exposing sensitive information.
Incentivization: Contributors are rewarded in VANA tokens based on the quality and uniqueness of their data.
Governance: PoC provides a fair system for contributors to earn governance rights in DataDAOs.