Proof-of-Collaboration (PoCol)

Flex is a community-owned platform that rapidly boosts dApp user growth, ensuring the value generated directly benefits the Flex community.

The Flex ecosystem is a dynamic network comprised of diverse user types, known as Actors. These Actors, each with unique roles, motivations, and skill sets, are united by an innovative consensus model: Proof-of-Collaboration (PoCol). PoCol incentivizes and rewards collaboration among dApps and ecosystem participants, beyond just staking and transaction processing.

Proof of Collaboration is designed to address some of the limitations and inefficiencies of traditional proof-of-stake (PoS) and proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanisms, which tend to favor short-term speculation and mining power over long-term value creation and ecosystem health.

The key principle behind Proof of Collaboration is to align the rewards and incentives of validators and token holders with the overall growth and sustainability of the Flex ecosystem At the heart of PoCol lies a fundamental principle: harnessing the collective potential of all participants. This model aligns all Actors with the Flex vision and is designed to incentivize meaningful contributions to the ecosystem.

What Makes the Proof-of-Collaboration (PoCol) model unique?

The Proof-of-Collaboration (PoCol) model distinguishes itself through its comprehensive approach to recognizing and rewarding value creation within the Flex ecosystem. Unlike traditional systems, PoCol acknowledges even intangible contributions, ensuring a holistic valuation of all ecosystem activities.

Proof-of-Collaboration works by combining on-chain and off-chain metrics and signals to assess and reward each Actor's collaborative efforts and value creation.

This multifaceted evaluation system encompasses:

Project Collaborations

Collaboration between projects and the Flex ecosystem enhances value creation and resource utilization:

• IP monetization: Projects contribute their IP value to the ecosystem, and in return, gain access to Flex’s resources. Projects would contribute IP with the expectation that by the Flex ecosystem using the IP, the project that developed the IP would unlock more economic value for the project than if they were to be the sole consumer of said IP.

• Resource sharing: Flex ecosystem assets can be divided into those owned by Flex and those owned by other projects but controlled by Flex. While Flex-owned assets are freely available, project-owned assets become available through a trade model, encouraging cooperative interactions.

Ecosystem assets, however, cannot be enforced for cooperation but are facilitated through governance and incentive mechanisms.

Flex Ecosystem Token (FLEXE Token) Metrics:

These metrics track user interactions with the FLEXE token, including purchasing, holding, and staking activities. They reflect the economic engagement of participants within the ecosystem:

• Purchasing and holding FLEXE tokens

• Staking FLEXE tokens to support network security and earn rewards

• Participating in token-based activities like liquidity provision

Let 𝑈 U be the set of users, 𝐻 𝑢 H u ​ the holding score, 𝑆 𝑢 S u ​ the staking score, and 𝑃 𝑢 P u ​ the participation score of user 𝑢 u. The total economic engagement score 𝐸 𝑢 E u ​ is given by:

$$E u ​ =w 1 ​ H u ​ +w 2 ​ S u ​ +w 3 ​ P u ​$$

Where: 𝑤 1, 𝑤 2, and 𝑤 3 w 3 ​ are weight coefficients.

Ecosystem contributions and engagement:

This category measures the various ways community members add value to Flex beyond token transactions. It includes content creation, event organization, partnership development, and participation in governance.

• Producing and sharing high-quality content that educates and promotes the Flex Ecosystem

• Organizing and hosting events to foster community growth

• Facilitating partnerships and attracting investments to expand the network

• Participating in and leading community governance, forums, and events

Validator Metrics:

These metrics assess the performance and integrity of validator nodes. They track the authentication of on-chain and off-chain contributions, reward distribution accuracy, and the auditing processes that ensure the network's reliability.

• Authenticating on-chain and off-chain contributions by all Actors

• Rewarding contributors according to their validated activities

• Auditing other validators to ensure tamper-proof validation

Let 𝑉 be the set of validators, 𝐴𝑣 is the activity validation score, 𝑅𝑣 is the reward distribution accuracy score, and 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑣 is the auditing score of validator 𝑣. The total validator performance score 𝑃𝑒r𝑓𝑣​ is given by:

$$Perf v ​ =w 8 ​ A v ​ +w 9 ​ R v ​ +w 10 ​ Aud v ​$$

Where: 𝑤8, 𝑤9, and 𝑤10 are weight coefficients.

Node operators' validations of each other's activities form a critical component of PoCol. This peer validation mechanism ensures that collaborative efforts are accurately assessed and rewarded, fostering a more cohesive and supportive ecosystem.

Let 𝑃𝑒𝑒𝑟𝑉𝑎𝑙 𝑣1, 𝑣2 be the validation score given by validator 𝑣1 to validator 𝑣2. The collaborative validation score 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑣 for validator 𝑣 is the average of all peer validation scores:

Collab v ​ = ∣V∣−1 ∑ v1∈V,v1  =v ​ PeerVal v1,v ​ ​

Did You Know?

Flex-powered dApps are also Actors in the ecosystem, rewarded based on key performance metrics:

• User growth and transaction volume

• User retention and satisfaction rates

• Code contributions to Flex core protocol and ecosystem projects

• Quality integrations with other ecosystem dApps

The collaboration scores are dynamically updated and adjusted based on the changing behavior and contributions of validators over time, creating a continuous feedback loop and incentive mechanism for collaboration and value creation.

We invite developers, researchers, and enthusiasts to work with our contributors for this section. Start contributing here.