- Hardcap: 30,000 ETH
- Token: ERC20
- Token Symbol: MFT
- Total Supply: 10 Billion
- Website: https://mainframe.com/
- Whitepaper: https://mainframe.docsend.com/view/j39qpui
- Telegram: https://t.me/mainframehq
What Is Mainframe?
- A fully decentralised communication layer that allows encrypted and secure data sharing
Architechture
- consists of multiple layers incentivised by tokens which allows users full control of their communications
- Uses peer to peer network as its base level to execute transactions within the blockchain
- P2P network layer relies on internet transport layer to randomly designate addresses to each peer or node — nodes are incentivised by token economies
- Additional protocols are added to the network layer to ensure security and interopability
Features
- Nodes exposes p2p service interfaces for application layers
Encryption
- uses advanced encryption and additional ephemeral symmetric keys which provides secure messaging between nodes or multiple users
Dark Routing
- A feature that makes messaging activities intractable to a network observer
- uses partial addressing technique where packets are routed to each node whose address matches the partial disclosed destination address, but can only be decrypted by the designated receiver
- users are able to adjust level of luminosity (address specificity) to either avoid congenstion or decrease traceability
Incentivisation
- Token rewards are given to nodes that provide various important services across the network: packet routing, packet holding, packet delivery, data services, and file storage
Unhosted Architecture
- Distributed and decentralised architecture makes it resilient to attacks or shut down
Kademlia Network Protocol ensures that new pathways are determined when a node is dropped from the network
Interoperability
- comprised with Software Development Kits (SDKs) which allows integration in various blockchains operating in different programming languages
Problems They Solve
Centralized Control
- Integrating communications and data services with blockchain ensures that users have full control of their data
- Distributed network means it eliminates possibility of service outage and censorship
- Decentralized network means there is no single entity that holds user’s personal information — no monetization of data
User Privacy and Data Security
- thru their special features and encryption, the network is highly resistant to surveillance attempts and data breaches
Interopability among other systems
- easy integration with other network, app, or blockchain
Token Allocation
- 50% crowdsale
- 25% team (vested for 3 years)
- 25% ecosystem
Roadmap
Milestone 1: “Apollo”
- Managed infrastructure with Mainframe nodes, different services relating to storing messages and managing contacts.
- Relase of beta version of Onyx
Milestone 2: “Hawthorne”
-Beginning of incentivisation in packet routing as well as node service discovery, functional swaps, and invoicing
implementation of additional features in Onyx
Milestone 3: “Gettysburg”
- Support full incentivization of all protocol layers : packet routing, delivery, holding, file storage, and data services
Will include smart contracts and oracles with incentivization layers
Advantages
- A* team with good experience in tech and blockchain
- Low hardcap
- Project is hyped with 7k twitter followers and 24.5k telegram follower
- Prototype (Alpha release) Onyx messenger app available to download and try: https://mainframe.com/onyx
- improves models of current communication services we use today (slack, telegram, whatsapp etc) — offers decentralised and distributed network
- Has SDKs for easy integration with various blockchain supporting different programming languages
- Features ensure that users are in control of their own data and prevents traceability
- Incentivisation allows the network to grow and thrive
Comparison and Competition
Loki
- Both provide private transaction and communication
- Loki is built off Monero code whereas Mainframe is built on ethereum
- Mainframe incentivise file storage and data services
- Both provide encrypted end to end messages but loki does not provide delivery services and packet routing
- Mainframe has SDKs allowing it to be integrated to various blockchains
Mercury Protocol
- Both built on Ethereum platform
- Both provide private transaction and communication
- Mercury Protocol does not have a clear incentive on packet routing and delivery
- Mainframe provides surveillance and censorship resistance
- Mercury Protocol does not provide data services and file storage
Status
- Both built on Ethereum platform
- Both provide privacy in communication
- Status is a DApp whereas Mainframe is a privacy layer for web3 world that DApps can build upon (their alpha release, Onyx, is DApp messaging tool to test the network of mainframe)
- Mainframe provides interopability across blockchains
- Mainframe provides other incentivised services such as file storage, data services, packet routing , and delivery
Team
Partners
Conclusion
Mainframe’s privacy layer provides a fundamental security in form of encryption, surveillance- proof packet routing. This idea breaks the oligopoly and data monetization of centralized messaging services we have now (Whatsapp, Telegram, Slack etc). It can pave the way to censorship resistant communities. Government and private entities could use it to confidently secure all their data and communication and individual users can take control of what they want to share in public. Although the whitepaper does not give a clear token metrics and roadmap with dates, they have released their alpha prototype indicating the project’s viable proposition. Unlike their competitors, this project focuses on building a secure system from the ground up to its unique features and services.