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Content Propagation

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The DIG Network employs three complementary mechanisms for content discovery and distribution, creating a self-organizing system where valuable content naturally achieves optimal propagation.

Discovery Mechanisms​

1. Content Publishing Requirements​

Content creators must complete two economic commitments to trigger network propagation:

Content Publishing Flow:

Content Creator
      │
      ├─ 1. Register DIG Handle (value signaling)
      │    └─ Pay DIG tokens for .dig domain
      │
      ├─ 2. Create CapsuleStakeCoins (per-capsule collateral)
      │    └─ Lock DIG tokens proportional to capsule size
      │
      └─ Network Response:
           ├─ DIG Nodes discover valuable content
           ├─ Storage providers plot content for rewards
           ├─ Witness Nodes validate storage commitments
           └─ Multisig validator authorizes reward payments

Economic Requirements:

  • DIG Handle Registration: Signals content value to network
  • CapsuleStakeCoin Creation: Proves economic commitment per capsule
  • Combined Effect: Creates demand for DIG tokens, increasing network value

2. P2P Discovery Protocol​

Storage providers share content availability information through peer-to-peer communication:

P2P Protocol Messages:

CONTENT_ANNOUNCE {
  datastore_id: "0x...",
      capsule_ids: ["0x...", "0x..."],
  handle_tier: 3,
  provider_count: 5,
  timestamp: 1234567890
}

CONTENT_REQUEST {
    capsule_id: "0x...",
  max_hops: 3,
  requester: "node_id"
}

CONTENT_TRANSFER {
  capsule_id: "0x...",
  data: <binary>,
  merkle_proof: "0x..."
}

Protocol Features:

  • Gossip-based propagation: Nodes share content catalogs with peers
  • Selective replication: Providers choose content based on profitability
  • Bandwidth optimization: Efficient binary encoding and compression
  • Peer reputation: Track reliability for optimal routing

3. Blockchain Monitoring​

Storage providers monitor both DIG Handle registrations and CapsuleStakeCoin publications as market signals:

Publishing Events Monitoring:

1. Handle Registration Event:
{
  handle: "myproject",
  datastore_id: "0x...",
  tier: 3,
  registration_fee: 200,
  timestamp: 1234567890
}

2. CapsuleStakeCoin Publication Event:
{
  capsule_id: "0x...",
  collateral_amount: 1024,
  collateral_status: "locked",
  size_proof: "verified",
  timestamp: 1234567891
}

Provider Response:
1. Detect high-value content (handle tier + collateral amount)
2. Verify CapsuleStakeCoin economic commitment
3. Locate and download capsule data
4. Generate plot with cryptographic proofs
5. Register PlotCoin for reward eligibility
6. Respond to Witness Node validation challenges

Monitoring Strategy:

  • Subscribe to both handle and CapsuleStakeCoin events
  • Calculate profitability based on tier + collateral
  • Prioritize capsules with higher economic backing
  • Automate content acquisition for profitable opportunities

Propagation Patterns​

Geographic Distribution​

Content naturally spreads across geographic regions through provider self-interest:

Regional Propagation:

Initial Upload (US-East)
         │
         ▼
P2P Discovery → EU Providers → Higher EU Performance
         │
         ▼
Market Signal → Asia Providers → Global Coverage

Benefits:

  • Reduced latency for regional users
  • Natural disaster resilience
  • Regulatory arbitrage
  • Follow-the-sun availability

Redundancy Levels​

Market forces determine optimal redundancy for each content tier:

Redundancy by Value:

Premium Content (Tier 1-2):
├─ 50-100+ providers typical
├─ Global distribution
├─ High availability
└─ Maximum censorship resistance

Standard Content (Tier 3-4):
├─ 10-50 providers typical
├─ Regional clustering
├─ Good availability
└─ Moderate redundancy

Basic Content (Tier 5-6):
├─ 2-10 providers typical
├─ Minimal distribution
├─ Basic availability
└─ Economic efficiency

Dynamic Rebalancing​

Providers continuously optimize their storage portfolios:

Rebalancing Triggers:

New Content Published → Early adopters gain advantage
Provider Count Changes → Profitability shifts
Network Conditions → Performance requirements
Market Dynamics → Token price fluctuations

Optimization Algorithm:

  1. Monitor PlotCoin registry changes
  2. Calculate current portfolio ROI
  3. Identify higher-yield opportunities
  4. Melt low-performing PlotCoins
  5. Plot new high-value content

Network Topology​

Peer Connections​

DIG Nodes maintain connections for efficient content discovery:

Node Connection Strategy:

Geographic Diversity:
├─ Local peers (same region): 40%
├─ Regional peers (same continent): 40%
├─ Global peers (other continents): 20%

Provider Types:
├─ Professional operators: High bandwidth
├─ Community nodes: Diverse content
├─ Specialized providers: Niche content

Content Routing​

Efficient routing ensures optimal content delivery:

Request Routing:

User Request → DNS Resolution → Provider Selection
                                        │
                    ┌───────────────────┴────────────┐
                    │                                │
            Geographic Proximity            Load Balancing
                    │                                │
            ┌───────┴────────┐              ┌───────┴────────┐
            │                │              │                │
      Latency Check    Availability    Current Load    Capacity
            │                │              │                │
            └────────┬───────┘              └───────┬────────┘
                     │                              │
                     ▼                              ▼
                Optimal Provider → Content Delivery

Performance Optimization​

Caching Strategies​

Multi-level caching improves retrieval performance:

Cache Hierarchy:

1. Provider Cache (Plot Files)
   └─ Permanent storage, cryptographic proofs

2. Memory Cache (Hot Content)
   └─ Frequently accessed capsules in RAM

3. Edge Cache (CDN Integration)
   └─ Optional traditional CDN for performance

4. Client Cache (User Devices)
   └─ Local storage of accessed content

Parallel Retrieval​

Clients can retrieve from multiple providers simultaneously:

Parallel Download:

Client → Request Capsule
   │
   ├─→ Provider A (Chunks 1-3)
   ├─→ Provider B (Chunks 4-6)
   └─→ Provider C (Chunks 7-9)
           │
           ▼
   Reassemble & Verify → Complete Content

Failure Handling​

Provider Failure​

Network self-heals through economic incentives:

Failure Response:

Provider Offline → Validation Fails → No Rewards
        │
        ▼
Reduced Provider Count → Higher Rewards → New Providers Enter
        │
        ▼
Automatic Recovery → Optimal Redundancy Restored

Network Partition​

Geographic distribution ensures continued operation:

  • Regional providers maintain local service
  • P2P protocol routes around failures
  • Economic incentives restore connectivity
  • No single point of failure

Monitoring and Metrics​

Network Health Indicators​

Key Metrics:

Content Availability = Active Providers / Target Redundancy
Network Coverage = Geographic Regions with Providers
Propagation Speed = Time from Upload to Target Redundancy
Retrieval Performance = Average Response Time

Provider Performance​

Individual provider metrics influence routing decisions:

  • Uptime: Availability over time
  • Response Time: Average retrieval latency
  • Bandwidth: Sustained transfer rates
  • Success Rate: Completed requests percentage