2.1 The Cypherverse Protocol Layers

The architecture of the Cypherverse is meticulously structured into three distinct layers:

Consensus Layer

At its core, the consensus layer is dedicated to tracking space ownership and its associated content. Within this layer, the ownership of individual spaces is solidified, and space content is referenced through cryptographic hashes of the content files. These references then enable the seamless retrieval of content, either via BitTorrent or the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS). The downloaded content files encompass comprehensive descriptions of objects, textures, sounds, and other essential elements required for rendering the virtual scenes. Moreover, they contain URLs pointing to rendezvous servers, responsible for orchestrating connections between peer-to-peer (P2P) users simultaneously exploring the same space.

Ownership Ledger

To uphold an immutable ledger of space ownership within the Cypherverse, we employ an Ethereum smart contract. These unique digital assets, referred to as "space," each possess distinct (x, y) coordinates, an owner, and a reference to the content description file, encapsulating the intentions of the space owner. Cypherverse clients regularly interface with the Ethereum network to acquire updates regarding the state of the Space Ownership smart contract. Acquiring space is achieved by burning Cyphercoin (CYPH), a fungible ERC20 token with a fixed supply. This token serves as a representation of the cost associated with claiming a new space. The Space Ownership contract employs a burn function to destroy Cyphercoin (CYPH) and create a new entry in the Space Ownership registry. It is noteworthy that new spaces must be adjacent to non-empty spaces.