Objective
Give every Dash Evonode operator the freedom to independently decide which documents their node serves through DAPI, without modifying blockchain data or interfering with network consensus.
How It Works
Each Evonode operator may optionally configure a URL pointing to a registry of restricted document identifiers.
Operators can maintain their own registries or use registries maintained by other Evonode operators or independent organizations.
All documents remain stored and synchronized across the Dash Platform network.
The restriction applies only to serving selected documents through the node's public DAPI interface.
No data is deleted, no blockchain state is modified, and no network-wide censorship is introduced.
Other Evonodes remain free to serve the same documents.
The mechanism must be compatible with cryptographic proofs, DAPI query behavior, and Proof of Service requirements.
Why This Matters
Different countries have different laws regarding the distribution of certain types of content.
Not all Evonode operators have access to abuse-resistant hosting.
Operators should have the ability to reduce their legal exposure without leaving the Dash network or compromising its decentralized architecture.
A Parallel with Mining Pool Policies
This approach is conceptually similar to how mining pools independently select transactions for inclusion in their blocks.
Some mining pools exclude transactions with low fees, while others apply different transaction selection policies.
This does not constitute network-wide censorship because other miners remain free to include those transactions.
I believe the same principle of operator autonomy should apply to Dash Evonodes.
Each Evonode should be free to decide which documents it serves through its public DAPI interface, while continuing to store the complete blockchain state and participate fully in network consensus.
Decentralization does not require every infrastructure operator to apply the same content distribution policy. It requires that no single operator can impose its policy on the entire network.
Availability-Based Rewards and Economic Incentives
Allowing Evonode operators to restrict content distribution introduces an important economic question.
Should an Evonode that serves only 50% of Dash Platform data receive the same compensation as an Evonode that serves 100%?
I believe the answer should be no.
I propose introducing an availability-based reward mechanism.
Evonodes would continue to receive compensation for consensus participation and maintaining the complete Platform state.
However, the portion of rewards associated with data availability could be adjusted according to the percentage of Platform data an Evonode is willing and able to serve.
The network could introduce randomized, independently verifiable DAPI availability checks to estimate this percentage.
An Evonode serving all available documents would receive the full availability reward.
An Evonode restricting some documents would receive a proportionally reduced availability reward.
An Evonode refusing to serve any documents would receive no availability reward.
This would create an economic incentive for operators to maximize content availability, including by choosing hosting providers and jurisdictions that allow broader distribution.
The goal is not to punish operators for complying with local laws. The goal is to ensure that rewards reflect the services actually provided to the network.
I propose investigating reward adjustments before considering collateral slashing, which introduces additional technical and economic risks.
The mechanism must preserve consensus integrity, prevent manipulation of availability measurements, and avoid penalizing temporary network failures.
DAO Request
Support the development of an optional, decentralized DAPI content distribution control mechanism, beginning with a technical specification and proof of concept.
Vote YES if you believe every Evonode operator should have the freedom to decide which content their infrastructure publicly distributes.
No centralized censorship. No deletion of blockchain data. Freedom of choice for every Evonode operator.
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