Trusted Node $TNODE WhitePaper

The Gateway to PoS Rewards and Governance. Liquid Staking ◆ Validator Rewards ◆ DAO Governance

Abstract

Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains are on the rise, offering higher scalability and minimal environmental impact in comparison to Proof-of-Work (PoW) protocols. For users, the allure of PoS lies in the promise of passive income from staking native tokens. Many also find the ability to vote and participate in the project's future rewarding. However, the variety of protocols and requirements for staking and governance can be daunting even for seasoned crypto investors. Additionally, many DeFi protocols offer better incentives than PoS rewards, taking capital and securing power away from PoS networks.

Trusted Node builds a range of incentives and state-of-the-art UX to facilitate staking and voting and improve global PoS security. The platform offers users intuitive, multichain access to native (D)PoS protocols. It allows anyone to directly participate in a wide range of PoS protocols without personally running validator nodes. It also increases staking incentives through a variety of yield multipliers inspired by DeFi solutions. Finally, it unlocks staking liquidity, enabling both PoS and DeFi staking and allowing for capital flow between protocols rather than competition.

Trusted Node DAO represents different trusted validators that can be staked by the Trusted Node user base in exchange for automated rewards and access to PoS governance. Thus it can improve the physical and economic resilience of the global PoS network by:

1. Increasing the number of nodes,

2. Diversifying validators,

3. Increasing the amount of staked coins and the cost of PoS attacks.

Unlike similar services, Trusted Node staking is decentralized, non-custodial, and run by a Trusted Node DAO.

Executive Summary

Trusted Node is a decentralized, non-custodial validator service and governance hub enabling users to participate in PoS blockchain rewards and governance without the need to personally operate the validator nodes. Trusted Node DAO and its partners own and operate an array of validator nodes. Users have the ability to delegate coins to their chosen PoS networks, and rewards are subsequently distributed back to them. Depending on the platform’s feature utilized, rewards will be paid in blockchains’ native token, liquid derivatives, or Trusted Node token (TNODE).

Trusted Node utilizes the concept of liquid staking to promote staking and bring capital back to PoS. Users staking their coins can create liquid, synthetic tokens, i.e. representations of their locked coins, which they can then hold, trade, sell, or deposit into Trusted Node vaults or DeFi protocols. Liquid staking enables users to gain dual rewards from securing the PoS networks AND providing liquidity to high-APY vaults.

Unlike PoS staking pools and staking services, Trusted Node is decentralized, non-custodial, and governed by Trusted Node DAO. It gives users complete ownership and control of their assets. The platform also focuses on promoting DAO and user participation in the PoS governance through state-of-the-art UX.

Our mission is to improve the safety, usability, and resilience of the PoS ecosystems and enable all users to directly participate in staking rewards and decentralized governance.