Unification’s Glossary of Terms

In order to understand the scope of the Unification Foundation, it’s first necessary to define the terms that we use in order to describe both our product and the change we are bringing about.

Unified data

Data that has been standardized into a single, standardized format.

Unification is built with the core aim of creating unified data; that is, data that has been put through a standardization process by our Smart Contract system, HAIKU. Once data has been standardized by Unification, it can be easily read and integrated with diverse data sets from other sources, unlocking potential for cross-referencing of correlations like never before.

HAIKU

The protocol contained within Unification that standardizes data into a singular format via Smart Contracts.

HAIKU is Unification’s Smart Contract infrastructure, written in C++, was designed to create a unified data ecosystem. It seamlessly standardizes diverse data sets, so they can be incorporated immediately by businesses and research institutions, with little-to-no extra effort. It also guarantees via code that the data is tracked and both the original data producers (end users) and data curators (apps) are paid with UND tokens via the Smart Contract network.

BABEL

Unification’s user interface, acting as a data visualization dashboard, marketplace, and wallet for UND tokens.

BABEL is a unilateral dashboard that grants Unification’s users a full view of their data and its exchange. It allows businesses to view their own unified data sets, and offer their data for sale in an open marketplace. It also enables businesses to purchase data from other UApps. For users, BABEL is a simple interface that allows them to view the data that they are generating, and to authorize or restrict the sale of such data by toggling sharing off or on at will. If they opt to share their data within the marketplace, they are duly compensated in UND tokens, and as such BABEL acts as a de-facto UND wallet.

UApp

An app that has undergone Unification’s data standardization process, granting them access to Unification’s data dashboard and marketplace.

Once an app decides to unify their data via Unification’s HAIKU protocol, they have the option to view their data in the BABEL dashboard, as well as list it on BABEL’s data marketplace. In order to accomplish this, app goes through a simple integration process designed to be as seamless as possible. This process creates a readily accessed “view” on all of the data collected, its permissions, and non-personally identifiable user information. Apps that have been fully integrated with the Unification system are called “UApps.”

MOTHER

The master Smart Contract that governs the Unification ecosystem, validating queries from UApps.

MOTHER is a meta Smart Contract controlled by Unification itself, which can be cross-referenced to guarantee that any UApp is complying with specifications needed to participate in the ecosystem. It is in essence the Smart Contract that creates the master list of compliant UApps participating in BABEL (Unification’s UApp wallet, user dashboard and data marketplace) by holding UApps under it accountable to acting according to the requirements of the Unification system.

United Network Distribution (UND)

The tokens that are used to facilitate the exchange of data within BABEL’s open data marketplace.

Because the Unification ecosystem is controlled by self-executing Smart Contracts, it is necessary for a token-based exchange to occur in order to buy or sell data on the platform’s open marketplace. UND is a utility token designed to enable data to be transferred between apps, with a corresponding percentage of UND also assigned to the user themselves as payment for authorizing the exchange.

Walled garden

A common approach to app building, wherein developers require users to join an entirely new ecosystem to use their product.

Unification was formed in large part to solve blockchain’s walled garden problem. In the present moment, most blockchain applications are being designed in vacuums, in which users will be required to significantly shift their current behavior to be able to make use of the technology. Unification allows users to seamlessly integrate with the benefits of blockchain tech, without necessitating a change in their daily usage patterns or browsing habits.

Empty houses

Another common approach to app building, wherein developers are building products that require significant network effect to function, but have no pre-existing built-in user base to make that possible.

Unification’s business development strategy was designed specifically with blockchain’s empty house problem in mind. Many apps cannot perform their designated function without mass adoption by a significant number of users. However, because this is difficult to achieve in practice, many apps are building out their product as veritable empty houses, in which the structures are there to support users, but the users themselves are not. Acquiring users one by one for such a platform is tedious, inefficient, and rarely achieved successfully. Unification is solving this problem by working almost exclusively with apps that have existing robust user bases, helping them onboard their users onto Unification’s platform en masse.

Frictionless future

A vision for the future of data management where data can be correlated without manual effort.

Much of Unification’s mission centers on unlocking unused stores of human potential by increasing the efficiency of data correlation. We believe that once data can be cross-referenced and correlated by computers, rather than tediously formatted and queried by humans, it will generate a new opportunity to access revolutionary breakthroughs in both product functionality and scientific research. The exceptional promise for improved quality of life that a frictionless future would unlock is what generates the fuel for our drive to accelerate data standardization.

Lossless standardization

The process by which data can be unified with Unification’s Smart Contract protocol, without any negative effects on the performance of the app itself.

Unification’s protocol is designed to be a middleware infrastructure layer that allows apps to access the benefits of unified data and immutable Smart Contracts, without burdening the app itself with losses, such as additional stake costs or transaction speeds. Data can then also be losslessly exchanged between UApps themselves, enabling purchased data to be instantly and effectively incorporated within app development or scientific research.

Have any questions about other terminology used on our website or whitepaper? Join our Telegram group to ask your questions to the Unification team.

This document will continue to be updated according to requests for clarification that we receive within our Telegram channel.

QUICK LINKS

• Website — You’ll find a link to our whitepaper, detailed FAQs, and comprehensive team bios. Our whitepaper is a thorough and in-depth analysis of our protocol infrastructure and the landscape of data management and blockchain technology, weighing in at just over 80 pages. [unification.com]
• Github — If you are a developer, you may want to have a look at our Github. [github.com/unification-com/haiku-node-prototype/wiki]
• Telegram — Our Telegram channel, which is where all the magic happens. You can find the team in there daily, answering questions and interacting with the growing Unification community. [t.me/unificationfoundation]