Protocol Specs

This section defines the core technical properties of the MindGrid protocol. It outlines how modules, payments, staking, and governance interact at the system level, independent of any single deployment or application.

MindGrid is designed as a modular, chain-agnostic machine economy protocol, with deterministic behavior, transparent accounting, and minimal trust assumptions.

1. Protocol Architecture

MindGrid follows a layered architecture:

Application Layer
  - Robotics software
  - APIs, SDKs, ROS2 adapters
  - Enterprise and developer integrations

Protocol Layer
  - Module registry
  - Staking pool contracts
  - Revenue accounting
  - Governance logic

Settlement Layer
  - x402 payment rails
  - On-chain accounting
  - Treasury and reward distribution

Execution Layer
  - Edge devices
  - Cloud inference
  - Fleet orchestration

Each layer is independently upgradeable without breaking system invariants.

2. Core Contracts

The protocol is composed of the following on-chain primitives:

ModuleRegistry
StakingPoolFactory
RevenueRouter
PaymentAdapter (x402)
GovernanceController
TreasuryVault

All contracts are permissioned only at the protocol boundary and permissionless at the usage level.

3. Module Identification

Each deployed module is assigned a unique identifier:

moduleID = hash(
  module_code_hash
  + version
  + deployment_metadata
)

This ensures:

• Immutable versioning

• Reproducible deployments

• Verifiable telemetry mapping

4. Staking Pool Parameters

Each module-specific staking pool defines:

pool {
  stakeToken: $MIND
  rewardSource: module_revenue
  rewardCurve: dynamic
  lockPeriod: optional
  slashingRules: optional
}

Pools operate independently and do not share reward state.

5. Revenue Accounting

Revenue is tracked on a per-module basis:

API Call
  -> x402 Payment
     -> RevenueRouter
        -> Module Pool
           -> Staker Rewards

Accounting rules:

• Revenue is immutable once recorded

• Distribution is deterministic

• No retroactive adjustments

6. Payment Settlement

MindGrid supports on-chain and off-chain execution with on-chain settlement:

Request
 -> Payment Authorization
    -> Execution
       -> Settlement
          -> Accounting

Payments are atomic with respect to accounting but not execution, allowing high-throughput systems without blocking robotic workloads.

7. Governance Constraints

Governance actions are bounded by protocol constraints:

• Cannot alter historical data

• Cannot redirect user funds

• Cannot bypass staking logic

• Cannot override payment settlement

All governance actions pass through:

Vote -> Timelock -> Execution

8. Security Model

Security assumptions:

• Smart contracts are the source of truth

• Telemetry is cryptographically signed

• Payments are verifiable and replay-resistant

• Module identity is immutable

Attack surface minimized by:

• No privileged execution paths

• No hidden admin keys

• Explicit upgrade boundaries

9. Upgrade Strategy

MindGrid uses a controlled upgrade model:

• Core logic via governance-approved upgrades

• Module-level upgrades via versioned deployments

• No silent migrations

Backward compatibility is preserved at the protocol layer.

10. Chain Compatibility

MindGrid is designed to be chain-agnostic:

• EVM-compatible networks supported initially

• Cross-chain accounting via adapters

• Settlement abstracted from execution

This enables future expansion without rewriting core logic.