// overview
Overview
$SPACE — Space Data Network — is a decentralized network for compute, data, and AI. Operators lock USDC into mission escrow, nodes stream compute, and escrow releases per heartbeat. Settlement runs on Solana (primary) with USDC.
// network
The network
Every fleet of nodes is grouped by sector. A sector is a region of the network. A node is any machine running the SDN Node agent. A payload is a container or process that runs on a node. A mission is a rental plus its payloads, telemetry, and lifecycle.
// supply
Three classes of supply
Listings carry a source_type — community (real operators running the SDN Node), managed (platform-owned), and upstream (API-provisioned from clouds like RunPod / AWS / Shadeform). The same Compute Exchange UI serves all three; pricing and provisioning differ behind the scenes.
// renting
Launching missions
Pick a node on /gpu. Submit a duration; the app quotes hours × hourly rate plus 2.5%. USDC is reserved against your mission wallet at confirmation. The node sends credentials within seconds. Abort anytime — unused time refunds.
// providing
Running a node
Install the SDN Node (package name announced at launch), point it at a payout wallet, set your hourly price. Each mission locks the operator's USDC into escrow; the node posts heartbeats every 30s. Each heartbeat releases a slice of escrow to your wallet.
// wallets
Mission wallets
On signup, a Solana keypair is generated server-side and the secret key is encrypted with a master KEK held outside the database. Per-wallet data keys are derived with HKDF. Decryption + signing happen inside a single authenticated server function, with every action logged.
// treasury
Treasury & multisig
Treasury funds sit in tiered wallets: hot (operational), warm (multisig), cold (offline). The warm tier graduates to an on-chain multisig once mainnet flips on. Cold reserve never touches application code.
// fees
Fees & payouts
2.5% platform fee, applied at escrow lock for operators and at heartbeat release for node providers. Network costs on Solana are a fraction of a cent per transaction. No deposit, withdrawal, or dispute fees.
// telemetry
Telemetry
All missions stream logs, metrics, and status back to Mission Control. Telemetry is encrypted in transit and retained for 90 days. Operators can download mission telemetry or stream it live while the mission is active.
// security
Security model
Master KEK never lives in the database or the browser. Private keys never leave the server. Every signing event has an audit row. Rate limits gate mission / withdraw flows. HMAC verification on every cron + webhook endpoint.