Protocol architecture

Lumera separates consensus, protocol logic, decentralized services, and developer interfaces into distinct architectural layers. The blockchain serves as the protocol’s control plane, coordinating requests, governance, settlement, and cryptographic proofs, while economically bonded SuperNodes execute decentralized intelligent services. Together, these layers allow protocol services to scale independently while preserving the security and trust guarantees of blockchain consensus.

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Protocol Foundation

The protocol foundation provides consensus, accounts, governance, interoperability, and multiple smart contract execution environments. Together, these components provide the shared foundation upon which Lumera’s protocol services are built.

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Validator–SuperNode architecture

Lumera separates consensus from decentralized service execution through two complementary node types. This architectural separation allows the blockchain to establish shared truth while specialized infrastructure performs the protocol services applications consume. Validators secure the network through Delegated Proof of Stake, proposing and validating blocks with CometBFT, maintaining consensus, and participating in on-chain governance. Together, they provide the security guarantees upon which every protocol service depends. Run a validator → SuperNodes are specialized network nodes operated alongside validators. They execute decentralized intelligent services—including permanent storage, verification, retrieval, and decentralized execution—while remaining economically bonded to the validator they serve. Because protocol services execute outside of consensus, Lumera can scale sophisticated decentralized services without increasing the cost or complexity of block production. Learn more about SuperNodes → The blockchain acts as the protocol’s control plane, recording requests, commitments, payments, governance, and cryptographic proofs. SuperNodes form the execution and data plane, performing work directly for applications and returning verifiable evidence of completion. Data moves directly between clients and SuperNodes without passing through consensus, allowing the network to remain both scalable and trust-minimized.

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Protocol Modules

Lumera’s protocol logic is implemented through a set of custom Cosmos SDK modules that coordinate protocol services, decentralized identity, SuperNode operations, and network state. Support modules introduced with the Cosmos EVM extend interoperability while preserving the same architectural model. The EVM upgrade has added support modules (x/vm, x/feemarket, x/precisebank, x/erc20, x/evmigration) documented here.

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The action lifecycle

Every decentralized intelligent service is executed as one or more protocol Actions—on-chain records that move through a common lifecycle from registration to settlement. Fee escrow aligns incentives for both clients and service providers. Applications pay only when protocol services complete successfully, while SuperNodes are compensated only after verifiable completion. Governance determines the fee parameters for each protocol service.

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SuperNode registry and ranking

The x/supernode module is the source of truth for SuperNode registrations. It stores each node’s address, endpoint, and stake, maintains the ranked top list that x/action routes work to, and accounts for completed actions. A SuperNode must stay tied to an active validator. If the validator is jailed or unbonds, the SuperNode drops off the list.

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Protocol Services

Protocol services are the decentralized capabilities applications consume through Lumera. Every service is implemented through the Action framework, executed by economically bonded SuperNodes, and coordinated by the blockchain through a common execution and settlement lifecycle. Current protocol services demonstrate this architecture today, while future services extend the same framework rather than introducing separate systems. Each SuperNode runs the supernode binary alongside lumerad.

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Cascade

Cascade is permanent file storage with a pay once, store forever model. The SuperNode receives a file through its streaming gRPC endpoint, encodes it with RaptorQ erasure coding, and spreads the symbols across a Kademlia DHT. Any sufficiently large subset of symbols rebuilds the file, so the network self heals when nodes leave. Start with how Cascade works and go deeper in erasure coding.

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Identity with LumeraID

LumeraID anchors identity records to Lumera addresses through the x/lumeraid module. There is no separate username. Your address is your identity, and the record is controlled by your private key. The protocol uses it wherever ownership must be proven. Cascade downloads of private files require a signature that matches the registering identity, which is why files are private by default even though their encoded symbols live on a public network. Signatures follow ADR-036, the Cosmos standard for signing arbitrary data.

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Future Services

Lumera’s execution framework is designed to support a growing ecosystem of decentralized intelligent services. Because every service shares the same Action framework, execution lifecycle, settlement model, and verification architecture, new capabilities extend the protocol rather than introducing separate systems. Future protocol services extend this same architectural foundation to capabilities such as durable memory, decentralized identity, verifiable execution, settlement, and additional decentralized intelligent services.

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Developer Interfaces

Lumera Hub is the official client for web, desktop, and mobile at hub.lumera.io. It covers balances, staking, storage, and identity. See the Hub overview. LumeScope is a read-only REST API aggregator for developers who want decoded network state without running a node. It decodes action metadata, aggregates SuperNode metrics, and serves 16 endpoints with a Swagger UI. See the LumeScope API reference. lumerad is the chain binary and CLI. It runs nodes, manages keys, broadcasts transactions, and queries every module. See the CLI reference.

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Extending the Protocol

The architecture above is intentionally composable. Every new decentralized intelligent service is implemented as another protocol Action moving through the same registration, execution, verification, and settlement lifecycle. Rather than introducing separate systems for memory, identity, execution, settlement, or future protocol capabilities, Lumera extends a shared architectural foundation built on common protocol modules, economically bonded SuperNodes, and a unified execution framework. As the protocol evolves, developers continue building against the same APIs, execution model, and architectural foundation while inheriting new protocol capabilities as native services. The SDKs wrap the chain APIs and the SuperNode protocol for JavaScript and Go applications.

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Next steps