Key Terminology 📝
🌐 Network and Protocol
Lava Network
A marketplace for blockchain data, driven by open-source software and protocols, aiming for modular peer-to-peer data accessibility and availability.
Lava Protocol
The practical implementation of Lava's features in code, both on and off-chain.
Token (LAVA)
LAVA is the native digital asset of the Lava Network, central to its economic model. It serves multiple purposes within the network, including as a means to pay for gas fees required for transactions, a governance token allowing holders to participate in network decisions, and as rewards distributed to validators, providers, and contributors.
Governance
The decentralized decision-making process in Lava Network, where token holders have control over key aspects.
Specifications
Modular blueprints for Lava's multichain and multi-API support, defining chain and method requirements, costs, and verifications. Specs are the minimum module necessary for Lava API support.
💰 Subscriptions and Plans
Subscription
Commitments made by consumers to access Lava Network's services, which include pricing, resource allocation, and usage rules.
Plans
Frameworks for defining various subscription offerings that consumers can purchase, including pricing and resource limits.
Projects
Segmented environments within a subscription, allowing consumers to customize service provisioning and management for specific use cases.
📊 Quality of Service (QoS)
Excellence QoS
A set of metrics designed to ensure a high Quality of Service (QoS) for consumers, enabling monitoring and customization of provider performance.
Passable QoS
A simplified binary metric indicating whether a relay meets a minimum usability standard, influencing payouts and penalties.
👥 Roles on the Network
Consumers
Individuals who purchase subscription plans to access blockchain data and services offered through the Lava protocol.
Providers
Entities that stake tokens to offer services to consumers, playing a critical role in maintaining data integrity.
Validators
Network participants who stake tokens to secure the network, create blocks, execute transactions, and vote on important matters.
LAVA Token Holders
Individuals who hold LAVA tokens, with the option to delegate tokens, participate in governance, and potentially earn rewards.
Contributors
Members of the network who create and maintain RPC and API specifications and software, while also participating in the community through bounties and contributions.
🔌 SDK and Integrations
SDK
A JavaScript/TypeScript package that simplifies the process of sending data relays to providers, offering compatibility with various development environments.
Integrations
Compatibility of the SDK with well-known libraries like CosmJS, Web3JS, EthersJS, and viem, making it easier for developers to interact with the Lava Network.
🏅 Product Offerings
Gateway
A management system that empowers consumers to purchase subscriptions, create projects, and manage policies without the need for running nodes or consumers themselves.
Lava Info
A web application providing insights into the Lava protocol, including data on relays, Compute Unit (CU) usage, provider statistics, and more.
Server Kit
🎖️ Badges, Pairing, and Rewards
Badges
Special permissions required for end-users to send relays when connecting to the Lava Network from frontend applications, generated by Dapp owners using a subscription private key.
Pairing
A time-based mechanism ensuring that consumers are connected to the most suitable service providers based on various factors like location, preferences, and more.
Rewards
In LAVA tokens, these incentivize honest participation in the Lava Network, distributed to validators, providers, and contributors for their contributions and services.
Accounts & Wallets
Keyring
The keyring holds the private/public keypairs used to interact with a node. For instance, a validator key needs to be set up before running the blockchain node, so that blocks can be correctly signed. The private key can be stored in different locations, called "backends", such as a file or the operating system's own key storage. (learn more here)
Keypair
A keypair in the context of the Lava Network consists of two essential components: a public key and a private key. This cryptographic pair is crucial for securing accounts and authorizing transactions within the Lava ecosystem.
Public Key
A public key is a cryptographic key that is openly shared and used for various purposes, including encrypting data, verifying digital signatures, and establishing secure communication within the Lava Network. It is one half of a key pair, with the other half being the private key. Public keys are essential for securing Lava assets, verifying transactions, and ensuring data integrity.
Example Key: lava@16g2y9l2zj5yrwcftd6lrwepnhjnl0f2gd70tjg
Private Key
In the Lava Network, a private key is a highly confidential and secret cryptographic key that forms a key pair with a corresponding public key. The private key is used for critical tasks such as decrypting data, signing transactions, and providing access to Lava assets and sensitive information. It should be securely stored and never shared publicly, as it grants full control and ownership over cryptographic assets and secure communications.
Example Key: (64 character hexadecimal string)