FAQ

DoubleZero is a purpose-built network for modern, high-performance distributed systems. It's a decentralized framework for creating and managing high-performance permissionless networks, optimized for distributed systems like blockchain. By leveraging fiber links from independent network contributors, DoubleZero offers increased bandwidth and reduced latency.

In short, the DoubleZero network is a new internet optimized for distributed systems.

Read the Whitepaper here.

Contributors connect to the network and set a service level agreement (SLA) enshrined in a smart contract, which includes details such as endpoint locations, bandwidth, latency, and compliant MTU size.

Distributed systems, especially Layer 1 blockchains, are increasingly bottlenecked by bandwidth limitations and variable latency in communication between validators, rather than by computing capabilities.

DoubleZero addresses this by optimizing data flows through specialized edge filtering and dedicated bandwidth routes, solving a problem at the heart of the internet and high-performance blockchains: global, base layer connectivity.

DoubleZero is not a new Layer 1 or Layer 2 blockchain. It is a decentralized framework for creating and managing high-performance permissionless networks, optimized for distributed systems like blockchain.

Read about Economics here.

IBRL stands for "Increase Bandwidth, Reduce Latency" - the core mission of DoubleZero.

DoubleZero offers two key improvements over the public internet:

  1. Edge-filtering of inbound transactions (removing spam and duplicates) before they're sent over the network
  2. Explicitly routed, tracked, and prioritized outbound messages that reduce latency and jitter during consensus

The DoubleZero network uses a two-ring architecture:

  • Outer Ring: Interfaces with the public internet, using specialized hardware (like FPGAs) to filter incoming traffic
  • Inner Ring: Connects validators over optimally-routed dedicated bandwidth lines for efficient consensus building

While network contributors can use various hardware, DoubleZero recommends commercially available FPGAs to balance performance, speed, and cost. These devices can handle deduplication, filtering, and signature verification for multiple Gbps of inbound data.

By distributing filtration across many geographic locations and using specialized hardware, a successful DDoS attack would require attacking hundreds of data centers and ISPs simultaneously, making it several orders of magnitude more difficult than attacking individual validators.

Anyone with underutilized private fiber links can contribute to the network, including:

  • Data center operators with excess connectivity
  • Enterprises with underutilized private network capacity
  • Telecommunications companies with dark fiber assets
  • Organizations with leased bandwidth they're not fully utilizing

Yes, there is abundant unused fiber capacity globally. The Federal Communications Commission has estimated that only 35% of installed fiber in the United States is being utilized, with 65% remaining unutilized. A modern fiber link, whether terrestrial or subsea, can support hundreds of terabits of data per second.

The primary users include:

  • Blockchain Validators - Operators who verify transactions and maintain consensus on Layer 1 blockchains
  • RPC Node Operators - Services that provide API access to blockchains for dApps and users
  • MEV Searchers/Builders - Entities involved in maximal extractable value who require extremely low latency
  • Layer 2 Operators - Sequencers and validators for Layer 2 chains
  • Content Delivery Networks
  • Gaming Applications
  • AI/ML Training Operations
  • Enterprise Users

Contributors can monetize their underutilized capacity, generating revenue from infrastructure that would otherwise sit idle. Additionally, a link's value increases when connected to the broader network through network effects.

The protocol uses a cryptoeconomic model where links that meet their stated service level agreements are eligible for rewards, while those that underperform are penalized and may eventually be excluded from the network.

Layer 1 blockchains benefit from:

  1. Filtering technology that reduces spam and duplicate transactions
  2. Low-latency, high-bandwidth connections for faster block building and consensus
  3. Potential support for multicast functionality for better propagation of state transitions

RPC nodes benefit through:

  1. Protection from traffic surges and DDoS attacks
  2. Improved deliverability of transactions to leaders or mempools
  3. Faster access to up-to-date blockchain state information

Yes, Layer 2 chains can benefit through faster communication with Layer 1 chains, improved coordination between multiple sequencers, and better connections to data availability layers.

The network can benefit:

  • Content delivery networks
  • Online gaming applications
  • Large language model training
  • Enterprise networking

March 2025

Q3 2025

The goal is simple: increase bandwidth and reduce latency, while increasing decentralization and censorship resistance, to unlock today's high-performance blockchains and enable entirely new types of network architectures to be built.

For more technical implementation questions, go here: https://docs.malbeclabs.com/faqs/