Technology
NuNet technology realizes a long-held vision of truly decentralized, open-ended, self-organizing computing across networks. It integrates breakthrough concepts and technologies in a robust, scalable, and secure open-source protocol.
Implementing Breakthroughs in Computer Science
NuNet protocol is based on Carl Hewitt's Actor model (1973) and Dennis & Van Horn's Object Capability Programming model (1966), long considered as theoretical breakthroughs in computer science. Dormant for decades due to tech limits and industry structure, these models are now powering NuNet’s dynamic, secure peer-to-peer computing across device and agent networks.
These foundational computing models are particularly well suited for coupling with economic systems—a not less long-held vision in computer science, at least since Miller's & Drexler's Agoric Open Systems concept (1988). The rise of blockchain and Web3 technologies, along with broader tech trends, made these visions feasible, and essential to meet growing demands in AI, robotics, sustainability, and security at all scales.
It is clear that in order to adapt to the needs of modern society, technology must be evolvable. Yet even in cutting-edge industries, engineers assume that designing a system requires defined boundaries, parameters, and control points. How else could a system be designed? NuNet introduces Open-Ended Decentralized Computing framework and shows how
The paradigm of Open-Ended Computing enables self-organization of a network without preset assumptions about its future participants, their architectures, requirements, or interactions. Each node is free to introduce and propagate its own constraints, and select its matching peers. The result is not a standard technological system—it’s a complex adaptive one!
Applied consistently at all levels of design and implementation, this approach makes evolvability NuNet’s core feature. There is no other core: only open-ended, open-source, decentralized protocols that allow today’s and tomorrow’s machines to meet and interact the way they see fit.
Open-ended Computing framework implementation leverages and complements decentralized compute stack.
Graph Computing and Decentralized Constraint Satisfaction
A major feature offered by the NuNet protocol that fundamentally enhances compute orchestration technology is search and matching compute demand (general compute and AI workflows) with supply (available compute devices onboarded on the network). Search and matching functionality is implemented using graph computing and constraint satisfaction models defined in Open-Ended Computing framework. By implementing the graph computing concept, the protocol enables each node in the network to query the whole network (via biased graph traversals) and find other nodes that exactly match the constraints set for search and match.
Learn MoreNuActor® Framework
NuActor® is a programming framework built specifically for secure interactions in decentralized systems. In such environments, stakeholders should not fully trust each other, which makes secure communication essential. NuActor tackles this challenge using a zero-trust model, authenticating every message individually at the interaction point.
NuNet's state-of-the-art implementation of the NuActor framework supports fine-grained capabilities anchored in decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and enabled via user-controlled authorization networks (UCANs) standard. This ensures that only authorized entities perform specific actions, while users retain full control over their network authorizations.
Electronic Rights
Access to compute resources is managed via transferable electronic rights, as per Miller’s Electronic Rights Transfer Protocol (2014), enhanced by blockchain for peer-to-peer micro-transactions and value sharing.
Software Architectures
NuNet implements Open-Ended Computing framework in separate layers interacting via internal APIs.
Electronic Rights
The Orchestration Layer is a NuActor framework based on procedures that enable direct peer-to-peer matching of compute demand and supply, without central control or databases. Once a device publishes its requirements or capabilities through NuNet's Device Management Service (DMS), the protocol dynamically queries the whole network and pairs it with other devices, finding optimally suitable resources for each computing task. NuNet's orchestration layer is designed to either work alongside or substitute established centralized compute orchestration and deployment technologies, including Kubernetes.
Contracts, Settlements and Blockchain Layer
The Orchestration Layer is a NuActor framework based on procedures that enable direct peer-to-peer matching of compute demand and supply, without central control or databases. Once a device publishes its requirements or capabilities through NuNet's Device Management Service (DMS), the protocol dynamically queries the whole network and pairs it with other devices, finding optimally suitable resources for each computing task. NuNet's orchestration layer is designed to either work alongside or substitute established centralized compute orchestration and deployment technologies, including Kubernetes.
DocumentationObservability Framework and Infrastructure
Decentralized systems, made of communication events between many moving and dynamic parts, require special provisions: users and developers need to be able to access system state or history, but these are scattered across many interconnected devices.
To address this essential requirement, NuNet provides an Observability framework and infrastructure. The DMS’s observability package delivers a comprehensive solution for configurable, structured logging. Outputs can be directed to the local console, files, or consolidated into an external database of choice (currently elasticsearch), including custom event emission from each DMS (monitoring, tracing, accounting, and any other events). Users and developers can host elasticsearch clusters in their own premises, or securely access permissioned cloud-hosted database. With this infrastructure, NuNet-powered service providers can build their own custom reporting and accounting systems, or integrate NuNet’s offering.
Components
The Device Management Service (DMS) is a core component of NuNet’s compute orchestration layer that enables devices to join a decentralized network. The DMS, installed on machines with Linux, MacOS, or Windows operating systems, allows a machine to participate in the network either as a computer provider—offering its resources (CPU, RAM, GPU, etc.) for processing tasks—or as a node that leverages distributed compute power to run jobs. In addition to basic device onboarding and management, the DMS handles tasks such as decentralized identity management, resource allocation, secure communication via fine-grained capabilities (anchored on decentralized identifiers), and orchestration of compute jobs across the network. Ultimately, the DMS serves as the foundation for creating a decentralized compute economy by ensuring that devices can securely and efficiently offer and utilize compute resources within the NuNet ecosystem.
NuNet® Appliance is a software solution designed to simplify the DMS installation and setup. It offers a user-friendly interface for effortless onboarding of a computer to the NuNet network (Windows, MacOS or Linux based), requesting and managing permissions needed to join organization or network, installing various DePIN nodes, deploying NuNet® Ensembles, observing local container execution and more. The appliance includes pre-installed setups, accessible via simple menu commands that streamline use of the NuActor framework on a locally installed DMS.
DocumentationThe NuNet Network Status Dashboard is a publicly accessible web application that displays real-time information on the activity of NuNet networks (currently testnet, but mainnet and others in the future). Monitored and reported activities include: the number of connected machines via active DMSs; the total, used, and idle amounts of compute resources across the network; details of active processes; and a geographic map of active node locations.
Open source is more than just a development strategy. It is world-view choice.
It is a committment.
“Once you make software open-source, you have to understand that the code is above you. The code is there to serve society. It shouldn't be about you.”
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Licensing Regimes
NuNet’s business model connects the open source world with the world of commercial applications, allowing both cultures to productively interact via open APIs and protocols. The NuNet Foundation has developed and follows a strict licensing policy which allows interaction of differently licensed components within the same ecosystem. Read more ⇀
The licensing framework consists of three component classes:
Documentation Hub
Here, you'll find everything you need to explore, develop, and engage with NuNet technology. Whether you're a developer, a researcher, or a curious explorer, this is your gateway to all the resources, policies, and technical documents that define NuNet's vision of a decentralized future.
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