WHEN UNoDE, UNoDE!
Hello and welcome to friends new and old.
Here at Unification foundation we entered into the blockchain industry out of an awe and respect for the ideas and tenets of decentralization. This can be simply summarized that we have a transactional system that is fully trustless and decentralized.
Meaning that there is no “keeper of the keys” or any sort of entity that has more insight or control than anybody else. All is equally transparent to all parties.
This is not a definite goal, we are aware that sometimes training wheels need to go on the bicycle and from time to time some trusted parties will enact some sort of centralization to get the kid out of the gate.
As we evolve it is apparent that there is a natural movement from centralized to decentralized systems across the entire industry. As defined by a blockchain philosopher, a system is good when no man nor entity via will or coercion is able to disrupt your personal domain.
We support this whole heartedly and the most important question we asked when we developed UNoDE is would we have any special access or logs to view customer information and the answer is a resounding NO.
To summarize, UNoDE is the alternative for infura that the industry deserves. The commercial pricing is similar and there are a few key (I mean KEY) differences:
- No KYC required & Signup via Web3 Authentication, Meaning we don’t know who you are
- No IP address or other sort of logging. Meaning we don’t know who you are
- Payment via crypto (the FUND token) meaning we don’t know who you are!
IF we don’t know who you are, then nobody else will either.
WHO WILL USE UNoDE
1- Dapp Makers. Makers of Web3 Dapps call billions of Tx a day using infura and competitors such as Alchemy & QuickNodes. If you are a customer of one of these major services, all of these calls are logged by them and if they know, then maybe someone else will know (hacker or gv) WE invite all Dapp makers to swap over to UNoDE for full anonymity
You can see for yourself
https://crypto.news/alchemy-joins-consensys-and-infura-in-collecting-users-private-information/
2- Crypto Traders/Metamask users. By default Metamask uses infura and they have the ability not only to associate your wallet address to IP, but if you use a ledger, they can read all of the addresses on that Ledger. Ouch! For a small personal plan, you can switch over to UNoDE and maintain anonymity.
Beyond the main elements,there are lots of bells and whistles, but that is the summary of what Makes UNoDE UNiQUE!
UNoDE Roadmap
A privacy-first blockchain node-as-a-service (NaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, which will initially accept the ERC-20 and (during Phase 2) Native FUND utility token for its services.
UNoDE targets two types of users/organizations:
Node Users — dApp developers etc. (NaaS)
Node Operators — deploy their own node infrastructure for Node Users (SaaS), in order to offer their own NaaS.
UNoDE will be an umbrella organization, acting as both a Node Operator servicing Node Users and also (via a paid subscription service) offer a subset of its deployment and infrastructure management tools/software to Node Operators allowing them to implement NaaS on their own infrastructure:
The project will be rolled out in three phases:
Phase 1: UNoDE as a Node Operator.
Initially, UNoDE will offer NaaS — dAPP developers etc. will be able to register, subscribe to and utilize RPC nodes for a number of blockchain networks.
Phase 2: UNoDE will roll out SaaS.
Individuals and organizations will be able to subscribe and receive access to a subset of UNoDE’s management tools in order to deploy their NaaS on their own infrastructure.
Phase 3: UNoDE will offer “validator as a service” (VaaS).
The VaaS stage will allow users to run FUND/Shibarium/Ethereum Validator nodes and earn from staking.
Privacy
Since privacy is a key part of the service, the platform will not gather any identifiable data such as IP addresses etc. from users connecting to dApps running on UNoDE nodes.
Node Users and Node Operators will be have an option to submit an email address when registering in order to allow communication between themselves and UNoDE.
This list will be kept strictly for product updates, and UNoDE service status updates in addition to allowing the system to send invoices and payment reminders/receipts.
UNoDE Alpha
So — here’s some of the info we can release so far:
Our promise of a fully decentralized & Permissionless toolkit:
UNoDE accounts are anonymous, private & Crypto only!
Accounts are only linked to the wallet you use for subscription payment, and no
identifiable data is stored as part of your account.
No traditional sales calls, permissioned accounts, and all the things that have made our toolkit (and the blockchain industry) the choice of development for the present & future.
Nodes
We’ll run a core set of supported networks to begin with:
- Ethereum mainnet (currently being deployed)
- Shibarium mainnet (deployed)
- Unification MainNet (deployed)
All the networks will serve both HTTP and Websockets, and the Unification nodes will support both RPC and REST endpoints (so they can be used in applications, wallets, the und CLI etc.). For Unification, gRPC will not be initially supported, but this could easily change depending on demand.
We will continue to monitor usage/development and plan to add support for other networks (for example, Polygon, IPFS etc.) in future if there is a high enough demand for them.
Pricing
- Final package needs will vary depending on the size and scope of usage with these as possible examples:
- The average defi user will be able to use the service for a subscription of $5-$10/month
- The average defi Dapp provider will be have sufficient usage for an average subscription of around $50/month
- All users can employ a pay-as-you-need system to reduce/increase their usage in real time to fit their needs
- The service price will be set on the a daily price of FUND determined at 12:00AM UTC
- Users can plan ahead for FUND increase prices by purchasing a larger multi-month subscription block
- All payment will be through FUND on ERC-20 to start with additional chain expansion through the life of the product
Payments
Payments will be in crypto using FUND. We are implementing Superfluid’s subscription/payment streams and initially supporting payment processing on both Ethereum and Polygon.
Instead of fixed monthly subscription tiers, we are using a “pay what you want” model with per-second billing. This will allow you to fine-tune your subscription in real-time based on your actual usage. Tier boundaries will still be used to calculate “bonuses” to your query limit allocation, but you will not be locked into a “fixed” (for example 200 FUND/month) subscription.
For example: if you pay up to 250 FUND/month, you may receive up to 200,000 queries per day (or approx. 140 per minute) scaled according to how much you are actually paying (200 FUND/month will be slightly less than 200,000 queries per day). Pay between 250 and 1000 FUND per month, and this will put you in a higher tier, and could increase your query limit up to 500,000 queries per day (approx. 350 per minute) — again scaled to what you are actually paying. (Note: these numbers are indicative only and do not represent the final payment tiers and query limits).
Further, the tier boundaries and query limit allocation will be dynamically adjusted based on the current FUND price at the time of your subscription purchase, with the price acquired at regular intervals via OoO. If the price of FUND increases, then 250 FUND/month will net a higher query limit. This limit will be fixed at the time of your subscription purchase for a time period calculated based on your current FUNDx Super Token balance. For example, you begin a 200 FUND/month subscription when the FUND price is $0.20, and your FUNDx balance is currently 600 — enough to cover 3 months. This means your query allocation will be fixed for 3 months based on the price at the time your subscription begins and will not change due to FUND price fluctuations during that fixed time.
Finally, with a fine-tuned scale, you will be able to, for example, temporarily increase your subscription payment to give your application a boost of a few thousand queries if required instead of jumping to the next, more expensive subscription tier for the whole month. Additionally, your new query allocation will be adjusted and calculated based on the FUND price at the start of your subscription (if the change is made during your fixed period)
Payments are currently via the respective FUND ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum and Polygon, but we are also going to be developing a module for Unification Mainchain which will allow subscriptions to be paid in native FUND — and eventually, eFUND.
Similar to eFUND, users can lock in quotas at a lower rate ensuring they are receiving the best possible return for the package that fits their product needs.
Note — for the alpha testers, we’re processing subs on Sepolia testnet to fine tune and optimize the subscription process before general release
Docs
For the Alpha test, we are processing subscriptions on Sepolia testnet, so there is no expense to alpha testers for taking part.
The onboarding process is very simple and shared below:
https://docs.unification.io/unode/alpha-test.html
Although alpha testing is underway with prominent partners, Alpha invites are still open to developers and for those interested, we invite you to write us below
Alpha Test Status
There are several alpha testers successfully using the system at the moment. One of our splendid Validators (Chainmasters) is in fact running a Unification block explorer using the UNoDE alpha infrastructure — https://unode-explorer.fund-dashboard.de/Unification
More alpha users are being invited, and we’re excited with the results so far
Alpha Invites
- Although we are starting UNoDE with the help of trusted Alpha/Beta testers from across the industry, we also want to allow a chance for anyone interested in using UNoDE as a part of their project/product to have a chance as well.
- If you are interested in the UNoDE beta, we invite you to fill the intake form below
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSnNu6nKrEOEfJlCEYAEMhcPMgUMVDVjHOFKN8uMPbqW8rZQ/viewform
Admin Transparency
As previously mentioned, we strive for a truly frictionless system
And as a part of UNoDE’s promise, we will not track any query or activity beyond what’s needed for the subscription
Users will optionally be able to add their email to receive notifications in case their accounts quotas are close to subscription limits,
And additionally, users will be able to toggle on query tracking for debugging purposes (only by their choice) — which will default to turning off in 72 hours.
What’s to Come
The roadmap for UNoDE is not just a plan, but a bold vision for the future of blockchain services. The platform’s transition from Node-as-a-Service (NaaS) to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and ultimately to Validator-as-a-Service (VaaS) continues our unwavering commitment to empowering users across the blockchain spectrum.
The ongoing Alpha testing phase is not merely a trial run; it’s a critical demonstration of cross-community development and participation together in refining & expanding innovative solutions to improve the experience & utility across all developers and users.
UNoDE’s signup, pricing, account management & and payment structure isn’t just flexible; it’s a revolutionary approach designed to create real utility & democratize access to blockchain services, breaking down barriers and fostering a truly inclusive blockchain community interested in utility in ways the ethos of our platform was founded on.
And most importantly, UNoDE’s approach to user privacy and data integrity is not just a policy; it’s a bold statement of the uncompromising stance on user sovereignty in the digital realm. The platform’s minimal data collection are clear indicators of the unyielding dedication to upholding the sanctity of user privacy.
As UNoDE moves steadfastly through its Alpha, beta & GA phases, it’s poised not just to contribute to the blockchain space but to transform it. Stay tuned and join us, because when UNoDE, UNoDE!
