What is the Metanet Protocol?

The Metanet protocol uses a graph data model to create on-chain data structures for Metanet applications, websites and use cases. The protocol allows users to store, distribute and monetize their data using its native permissioning framework.

The Metanet protocol is a graph-based data structure protocol. The protocol uses the native directed acyclic graph (DAG) data model of the underlying Bitcoin SV ledger to create overlay DAG structures that exist natively within the ledger's own structure.

The protocol utilises nodes and edges to specify directed acyclic graph (DAG) data structures on the Bitcoin SV ledger. The Metanet protocol can be used to construct diverse systems such as file systems, internet domains, ownership structures and code repositories.

There are tools available to write and read Metanet graphs, and a growing a range of projects that use the Metanet protocol to structure their application data.

The Metanet Protocol is a protocol for creating graph structures comprising nodes and edges on the ledger. In the Metanet protocol the following definitions of node and edge are used:

• Metanet Node - A transaction using the Metanet protocol format.
• Metanet Edge - An input signature linking two Metanet nodes.

A Metanet node is a transaction that conforms to the Metanet transaction format specified in Metanet technical summary document produced by nChain. The basic components of a Metanet transaction include a protocol flag, Metanet-specific data attributes, and any content data that is to be stored by a Metanet node transaction.

The protocol flag is a 4-byte hexadecimal prefix that signifies that a transaction is using the format of the Metanet protocol. The hexadecimal value of the prefix was chosen to be the hexademical encoding 0x4d455441 of the string 'meta' by public poll on June 5th 2019.