The Vana network provides building blocks that can be used to create a Data Liquidity Pool (DLP) tailored for collecting any kind of meaningful data.

Formally, a DLP is a smart contract registered with and approved by the root network.

DLPs must meet the root network's standard to be activated. To do so, each DLP onboards a class of data assets, creating liquidity, and guarantees that data is secure, ensuring privacy.

Typically, validators uphold the integrity of a DLP by evaluating the data for its usefulness and validity. Data comes in all shapes and sizes, so DLPs have a lot of freedom to operate in a way that best fits the data specific to that pool.

Root Network

The root network is responsible for governing the DLPs in the network. A DLP owner must register their DLP with the root network before it is considered active on the network. If the DLP is in the top 16, the root network distributes rewards to these DLPs.

Users can also stake in a specific DLP, which helps the DLP secure a spot in the top 16. Users that stake in a top 16 DLP will receive a portion of the rewards earned by that DLP.

Each participant in the Vana network plays a vital role in maintaining Vana’s open data ecosystem. These participants include:

• Data Liquidity Pool Creators,

• Data Validators,

• Propagators,

• Data Contributors,

• Data Custodians, and

• Data Consumers

Validators are critical for maintaining the integrity, value, and trustworthiness of data within the network. Depending on the DLP's architecture, different validators may be required.

• No Validators - some DLPs may not require validators at all

Choosing the right Validator for your DLP

For most DLPs, TEE Validators are the way to go. They offer a simpler DLP architecture, one where DLPs focus on building out their proof-of-contribution. TEE Validators are DLP agnostic and can run PoC from any DLP.

In specific instances, when running PoC is not possible within the limits of the TEE Validators, a DLP can opt to deploy its own network of DLP validators.

Propagators are essential for ensuring the composability and security of the network.

Responsibilities

• Consolidate and write data transactions onto the Connectome

• Verify the validity of network transactions.

• Maintain network state liveness through accurate and timely block creation.

Propagators earn transaction fees and block rewards in the form of VANA for processing network transactions and finalizing blocks.

Hardware requirements​

To run a reliable, performant node, we suggest that the node’s hardware profile should match or exceed the following specifications:

Vana Mainnet​

• 8-core CPU

• 32 GB RAM

• 1.2 TB high-speed SSD

• x86-64 architecture

Satori testnet​

• 2-core CPU

• 8 GB RAM

• 100 GB high-speed SSD

• x86-64 architecture

These hardware requirements are rough guidelines, and each node operator should monitor their node to ensure good performance for the intended task.

Running a Propagator

Data Consumers pay for access to DLPs and user-owned data apps within the ecosystem. They create demand for data contribution and ecosystem growth.

Participation

• Provide demand for DLP creation and data collection.

• Pay fees to access DLP data banks for external services.

• Propose ideas and data needs to DLP Creators.

We expect big tech companies will fill the role of Data Consumers and request access to niche data on the Vana network (if the users allow) to push the frontiers of their models. We also expect the Vana architecture to enable new model creators to finance and aggregate data for their projects.

Data Custodians increase the efficiency of data contributions within the Vana network by aggregating data from data contributors before it is submitted to a DLP. DLPs might opt to leverage Data Custodians to lower the barrier of entry for Data Contributors to share their data with DLPs.

Responsibilities

• Act as intermediaries for Data Contributors to host their data.

• Simplify the process for Data Contributors to contribute data to DLPs.

• Ensure the safekeeping and accessibility of data and provide encryption to protect data from exploits.

• Comply with data protection regulations (GDPR, CCPA), ensuring data is hosted, stored, and accessed within authorized jurisdictions only.

• Generate zk-proofs for validators to verify the authenticity, integrity, and contribution of the data.

Data Custodians provide an optional service to simplify the data contribution process. Data Contributors share revenue with Custodians when they subscribe to their services.

Data Contributors are the foundation of the system, supplying the valuable data on which the network is built.

Participation

• Submit data to network DLPs for token rewards and governance rights.

• Allow personal data to be written onto the Vana network for use across different DLPs and user-owned data apps.

• Pay transaction fees in VANA and additional fees to validators to maintain network stability.

Data Contributors provide their data to the network in return for DLP token rewards and ownership. Data contributors can also directly use their verified data in a dApp.