# LinqProtocol — Full Documentation

> LinqProtocol is a decentralized compute marketplace by LinqAI that connects developers with compute providers through smart contracts. Real Kubernetes. On-chain payments. No middlemen. Up to 82% savings vs. AWS.

Website: https://linqprotocol.com | Docs: https://docs.linqprotocol.com | Dashboard: https://app.linqprotocol.com

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## / — Home Page

Decentralized Compute That Actually Works.

Trust badges: Up to 82% savings vs. AWS | Enterprise Kubernetes | On-chain Escrows

Real Kubernetes. On-chain payments. No middlemen. Up to 82% savings vs. AWS.

### The Problem
Cloud computing is broken. Today's cloud is controlled by a handful of giants. Prices are opaque. Vendor lock-in is the norm. And millions of GPUs sit idle while developers overpay for compute.

Traditional Cloud: Opaque pricing, Vendor lock-in, Centralized control.
LinqProtocol: Transparent pricing, Open protocol, Decentralized network.

### How It Works
01. Choose Your Stack — Select from 50+ production-ready templates or deploy your own containers. If it runs on Kubernetes, it runs on LinqProtocol.
02. Configure & Deploy — Set environment variables, choose your resource tier, and launch. Smart contracts connect you with optimal providers.
03. Pay On-Chain — Fund with LNQ via WalletConnect. Funds held in escrow - providers only get paid when they deliver.
04. Monitor & Scale — Access apps through secure endpoints. Real-time logs, metrics, and provider performance in your dashboard.

### Key Features
- Enterprise Kubernetes — Real multi-pod deployments with battle-tested orchestration. Not toy containers - production infrastructure.
- On-Chain Escrow — Payments held in smart contracts. Providers only get paid when they deliver. Verify everything.
- Crypto-Native Payments — Pay with LNQ via WalletConnect. No credit cards, no invoices, no accounts payable.
- Networking That Works — Argo Tunnels, Istio ingress, cert-manager, mTLS. Your apps are reachable without headaches.

### Aura Code (Featured)
Build anything with AI-powered development. Complete cloud development environment with AI assistance built in. Full Docker Sandboxes, Framework Scaffolding (React, Next.js, Express, Python), 3 Domain Slots per sandbox, AI context-aware assistance.

### Pricing Preview
Container Orchestration: LinqProtocol has Real Kubernetes vs EKS (Managed) on AWS.
Typical VM (4 vCPU, 16GB): ~$25/mo vs ~$120/mo on AWS.
Egress Bandwidth: Included vs $0.09/GB on AWS.
Payment Options: LNQ (Enterprise: Stables & Fiat) vs Credit Card.
Lock-in: None (Open Protocol) vs Vendor Lock-in.
Transparency: On-chain vs Opaque.

### Solutions — Built for Builders
- Developers: Deploy any container to real Kubernetes. No blockchain experience required. Deploy in minutes.
- Enterprises: Up to 80% savings vs. AWS with transparent, on-chain pricing.
- Providers: Monetize idle compute. Join the network and earn LNQ.
- Web3 Teams: Native crypto payments. On-chain escrows. No vendor lock-in. Pay with crypto.

### Provider Network
Powered by a global network. Data centers, GPU clusters, and edge nodes monetize idle capacity.
Stats: 20+ Providers | 1K+ vCPUs | 1TB+ Memory | 20TB+ Storage.

### LNQ Token
The fuel of the network. Pay for compute. Earn as a provider. Every transaction flows through LNQ.
~1B Total Supply | ERC-20 On Ethereum | 100% Utility Token.
Etherscan: https://etherscan.io/token/0xD4F4D0a10BcaE123bB6655E8Fe93a30d01eEbD04

### Ecosystem — Built on LinqProtocol
Featured: Aura Code — AI-powered cloud development environment with instant deployment.
Apps: Marketr (AI-powered marketing automation), Composr (Create graphics with AI), Researchr (AI research assistant), LinqHub (Community dashboard for LNQ holders).

### Community
Join 5,000+ builders and believers. Telegram: 5K+ members. Discord: Active community. Global: Contributors worldwide.

### Dashboard Stats
50+ Templates | 99.9% Uptime | <50ms Latency | 80% Savings

### Social Proof
Trusted by developers and teams worldwide. Partners: Bitget, CoinGecko, MEXC. 5K+ Community Members.

CTA: The decentralized compute revolution is here. Stop overpaying. Stop trusting middlemen. Start building.

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## /protocol — Protocol Overview

Decentralized compute that actually works.

The infrastructure layer for a new kind of cloud - open, affordable, and verifiable. Built on real Kubernetes. Secured by smart contracts. Powered by a global provider network.

### What is LinqProtocol?
LinqProtocol is a decentralized compute marketplace that connects developers with compute providers through smart contracts. Unlike other "decentralized compute" projects that are little more than whitepapers and testnets, LinqProtocol runs production workloads today.

Three layers:
01. Smart contracts for escrows & registry
02. Orchestration API for deployments
03. Kubernetes runtime on provider nodes

### Core Capabilities
- Template Marketplace: 50+ production-ready templates. LLM UIs, databases, monitoring tools - deploy with one click.
- Kubernetes Runtime: Real Kubernetes with multi-pod deployments, persistent volumes, and horizontal scaling.
- Virtual Machines: Full VMs via KubeVirt with SSH access. Bring your private key and treat it like any cloud.
- Aura Code: AI-powered dev environments with Docker sandboxes, framework scaffolding, and 3 domain slots.
- On-Chain Escrows: EIP-712 compliant escrow contracts. Providers get paid when they deliver.
- Provider Registry: All providers register on-chain with verified capacity and pricing. Trust the math.
- Enterprise Networking: Argo Tunnels, Istio ingress, cert-manager TLS, Istio service mesh.
- Full Observability: Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards, Loki logs. Fortune 500-grade monitoring.
- Blockchain API: RESTful API for all on-chain operations. Create escrows, query providers programmatically.

### Architecture
- USER: Dashboard / SDK / API
- API LAYER: Central Orchestrator (Kubernetes API, Deployments API, Blockchain API)
- SMART CONTRACTS: Escrow.sol, ProviderRegistry.sol, LNQ.sol
- PROVIDER NETWORK: Distributed compute nodes

Architecture layers:
01. Web Application — The dashboard is your control center. Browse templates, configure deployments, fund escrows, and monitor your apps.
02. Central Orchestrator — The control plane orchestrates containers across the provider network. Handles scheduling, secret injection, and lifecycle management.
03. Specialized Runtime — Each provider runs the LPStack: Kubernetes with GitOps (FluxCD), enterprise networking (Istio, Cloudflare), and full observability.
04. Smart Contracts — Escrow contracts hold funds until work is complete. The provider registry maintains an auditable record of all providers.

### Current State (Alpha v0.01)
What you can do today:
- Deploy 50+ templates with one click
- Use WalletConnect to fund deployments with LNQ
- Create on-chain escrows with transparent funding
- Spin up VMs with SSH access
- Build in Aura Code with AI assistance
- Access the Blockchain API for programmatic operations

Coming soon: Open marketplace with community providers, Custom domains, GPU support, Auto-renewal.

### Why LinqProtocol
The only serious player in decentralized compute. Most "decentralized compute" projects are vaporware — whitepapers, not products; testnets, not customers; marketing, not infrastructure.

- Real Kubernetes: Same orchestration system that runs Google, Spotify, and Airbnb.
- Real Networking: Network tunnels, TLS certificates, service mesh. Apps reachable without a PhD in networking.
- Real Payments: On-chain escrows that actually protect both parties.
- Real Workloads: Production apps running today, not demos scheduled for Q4 2027.

---

## /protocol/templates — Template Marketplace

Deploy production apps in one click.

Curated template marketplace packages the best open-source applications into ready-to-run containers. Deploy what you need without the configuration headache.

### How Templates Work
01. Browse & Select — Search by name or filter by category. Each template shows requirements, default settings, and what you'll get.
02. Configure — Add secrets (API keys, passwords), customize environment variables, and optionally review the YAML configuration.
03. Choose Resources — Select a plan based on your workload needs. See exactly what CPU, memory, and storage you'll get.
04. Fund & Deploy — Connect your wallet, fund the escrow, and launch. Your app gets a secure endpoint within minutes.

### Categories (50+ templates)
- AI & Machine Learning: Open WebUI + Ollama, Aura Code, Automatic1111. LLMs: Llama 3.2, Gemma 3, Qwen 3, DeepSeek R1, Phi 3, TinyLlama...
- Productivity & Collaboration: Wekan, BookStack, Excalidraw
- DevOps & Monitoring: Uptime Kuma, ChangeDetection, Gitea
- Business Applications: BudgetBoard, Baserow, ERPNext
- Databases & Storage: PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO, MongoDB
- Utilities: n8n, BentoPDF, Vaultwarden

### What's Included in Every Template
- Pre-configured Defaults: Sensible defaults for environment variables, ports, and volumes.
- Version Tracking: Deploy the most up-to-date versions. Templates are continuously maintained.
- Secrets Management: API keys and passwords encrypted at rest, injected only at runtime, never in logs.
- Built-in Observability: System logs, metrics, and uptime monitoring.
- YAML Access: Advanced users can view and edit the full Kubernetes YAML before deployment.
- Health Checks: Built-in health check endpoints. Auto-restart on failure.

### Popular Templates
- Open WebUI + Ollama: Run any LLM locally with a beautiful chat interface. 18+ model variants. Standard tier recommended.
- Uptime Kuma: Monitor your services with a self-hosted uptime dashboard. Notifications via Discord, Slack, email. Starter tier.
- Wekan: The open-source Trello alternative. Kanban boards without the subscription. Standard tier.
- Baserow: Open-source no-code database platform. Airtable alternative. Standard tier.

### Custom Deployments (Coming Soon)
Upload Docker images, custom resources, private templates. Need a specific app now? Request a template at info@linqai.com.

---

## /protocol/aura-code — Aura Code

Build anything with AI-powered development. Complete cloud workspaces with AI coding assistance built in.

Not just a code editor — a complete development platform running on LinqProtocol.

### How It Works
1. Create Sandbox — Spin up an isolated Docker environment
2. Build with AI — AI-powered coding assistance that understands your project context
3. Use Terminal — Full live terminal access
4. Deploy Instantly — Deploy your creation to LinqProtocol

### Features
- Full Docker Sandboxes: Complete isolated environments, not just code editors
- Framework Scaffolding: Quick Start, Vite+React, Express.js, Python, Fullstack Next, Vite+React+Python
- Live Terminal: Full terminal access in browser
- 3 Domain Slots: Each sandbox gets API, frontend, and console domains automatically
- AI Context-Aware: Built on a customized OpenCode fork that's aware of its environment
- Persistent Workspaces: Your work persists across sessions

### Use Cases
Rapid Prototyping, Learning & Education, Client Demos, API Development, Landing Pages

### Pricing
Runs on LinqProtocol compute resources. Pay for the underlying compute.

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## /protocol/kubernetes — Kubernetes

Real Kubernetes. Not containers pretending to be Kubernetes.

Stats: 5.6M+ developers use Kubernetes, 96% enterprise adoption, 15+ years production proven.

### Capabilities
Multi-pod deployments, persistent volumes, resource limits, health checks, rolling updates, namespace isolation.

### LPStack Components
Kubernetes, FluxCD, Longhorn, Cert-Manager, Argo Tunnels, Prometheus, Loki, Grafana, KubeVirt, Istio.

### Security
Namespace separation, network policies, mTLS mesh (Istio), resource quotas, no host access.

### Comparison vs Other DePIN
LinqProtocol: Real Kubernetes, multi-pod, persistent storage, service mesh, full observability.
Other DePIN: Typically single containers, no persistent storage, no service mesh, basic/no monitoring.

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## /protocol/virtual-machines — Virtual Machines

Full virtual machines on decentralized infrastructure.

Need more than containers? LinqProtocol supports complete virtual machines via KubeVirt. SSH in with your private key, run any OS, and treat it like any cloud instance.

### KubeVirt
Kubernetes add-on that runs VMs alongside containers. Capabilities:
- Run legacy applications requiring a full OS
- Use OS and kernels not available in containers
- True process isolation for security-sensitive workloads
- SSH into instances like traditional cloud VMs

### VM Capabilities
- SSH Access: Connect via SSH using your private key, like EC2 or DigitalOcean
- Multiple OS: Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS/Rocky, Alpine (custom images coming)
- Persistent Storage: Volumes survive reboots
- Networking: Full network access with public endpoints
- Resource Flexibility: Choose CPU, memory, storage
- Snapshot & Backup: Coming soon

### Use Cases
Legacy Applications, Development Environments, Security Isolation, Database Servers, Build Servers/CI/CD.

### When to Use Containers vs VMs
Containers: Dockerized apps, fast startup, stateless services, horizontal scaling.
VMs: SSH access needed, full OS required, kernel-level features, security isolation, legacy software.

### SSH Access Steps
1. Launch VM from dashboard
2. Download private key file
3. Connect: `ssh -i your-key.pem user@your-vm-endpoint.linqprotocol.com`
4. Full root access — install software, run processes, manage server

### Security
Key-based auth (passwords disabled), network isolation, firewall rules (only exposed ports reachable), encrypted storage at rest.

### Pricing
Billed per vCPU hours, memory (GB hours), storage (GB/month). Up to 80% savings vs AWS EC2 / GCP Compute Engine.

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## /protocol/networking — Networking & Tunnels

Your apps just work.

LinqProtocol handles networking so you don't have to. Automatic TLS, network tunnels for ingress, and mTLS service mesh. No port forwarding, no DNS headaches.

### The Challenge
Networking is the hardest part of self-hosting: port forwarding, dynamic IPs, TLS certificate management, load balancing, unencrypted service-to-service communication.

LinqProtocol solves all of this with a networking stack that handles complexity behind the scenes.

### The Networking Stack
1. Argo Tunnels: Apps reachable without opening ports. DDoS protection, works behind any firewall/NAT, global edge network.
2. Istio Ingress Gateway: Automatic hostname routing, load balancing, rate limiting, traffic splitting.
3. Cert-Manager: Automatic TLS via Let's Encrypt with auto-renewal and deployment to Istio Gateway.
4. Istio Service Mesh: mTLS for all internal traffic, identity-based access control, traffic policies.

### How Tunnels Work
1. User requests your-app.linqprotocol.com
2. Request hits edge network
3. Traffic routes through Argo Tunnel to provider
4. Istio Gateway routes to correct container
5. Response returns through same path

Benefits: Provider can be anywhere, no static IP required, no firewall changes, automatic failover.

### Endpoints
Every deployment automatically receives: Application Endpoint, API Endpoint, Console Endpoint (for Aura Code).
Coming Soon: Custom Domains, Wildcard Subdomains.

### Internal Networking
Service Discovery, Internal DNS, mTLS Encryption, Network Policies. Enables microservices architectures with secure default communication.

### Security Layers
- Edge Security (Cloudflare): DDoS protection, WAF, rate limiting, bot management
- Transport Security (Istio + Cert-Manager): TLS 1.3, auto certificate rotation, HSTS
- Internal Security (Istio): mTLS for all service-to-service traffic, identity-based authorization
- Namespace Isolation: Each deployment in own namespace, network policies prevent cross-namespace communication

---

## /protocol/observability — Observability

See everything. Debug anything.

LinqProtocol includes a complete observability stack out of the box. Prometheus for metrics, Grafana for visualization, Loki for logs. The same tools used by Netflix, Uber, and CERN.

### Why Observability Matters
Most decentralized compute platforms give you nothing. Maybe basic logs if you're lucky. LinqProtocol gives you enterprise-grade observability from day one.

### The Stack
- Prometheus: Scrapes metrics, stores time-series data, powers alerting, PromQL queries. Get CPU usage, memory, request rates/latencies, custom metrics.
- Grafana: Dashboards, custom queries/panels, alerting, exploration. Pre-built dashboards, drill-down, team sharing.
- Loki: Collects logs from all containers, indexing, searching, Grafana integration. Centralized logs, search by container/namespace/content.

### Dashboard Features
Status Overview, Resource Metrics (CPU/memory over time), Log Stream (real-time), Debug Panel (pod/namespace diagnostics).

### Metric Categories
- Container: CPU, memory, network I/O, filesystem usage
- Kubernetes: Pod status/restarts, deployment replicas, resource limits vs usage, events
- Application: Request count/rate, latencies (p50, p95, p99), error rates, custom metrics
- Provider: Capacity/utilization, network latency, uptime statistics

### Logging
Real-time streaming, search across all containers, filter by level/container/content, time-range selection, download for offline analysis.

### Debugging Panels
- Issues Panel: Container restart reasons, failed health checks, resource exhaustion, scheduling issues
- Pod-Level Diagnostics: Status, events, resource allocation vs usage, logs, connectivity
- Namespace-Level View: All pods, health status, recent events

### Alerting (Coming Soon)
Example alerts: CPU >90% for 5min, error rate >1% for 10min, pod restarts >3 per hour, custom metric conditions.
Notifications via: Email, Discord, Slack, Telegram, Webhooks.

### Comparison
LinqProtocol: Prometheus + Grafana + Loki, open standards, included in price.
Other DePIN: None/basic logs, N/A standards.
Basic Cloud: Proprietary tools, extra cost.

---

## /protocol/escrow — Escrow System

Trustless payments for compute.

### Flow
1. Create escrow
2. Funds locked in smart contract
3. Provider starts work
4. Work performed, earnings accrue
5. Provider can withdraw anytime
6. Finalize: remaining funds return to developer

### Features
- EIP-712 Signatures for authorization
- Budget Control: Set maximum spend
- Partial Withdrawals: Provider withdraws earnings as they accrue
- Automatic Refunds: Unused funds return when escrow expires
- Permissionless Finalization: Anyone can finalize an expired escrow

### Smart Contract: Escrow.sol
Functions: createEscrow, fund, startJob, withdraw, finalize.
Events: EscrowCreated, EscrowFunded, JobStarted, FundsWithdrawn, EscrowFinalized.

### Security
Open source contracts. No admin keys. Neither party has to trust the other — the smart contract enforces the rules.

---

## /protocol/registry — Provider Registry

On-chain identity for every provider.

The Provider Registry is a smart contract that maintains a verifiable record of all compute providers. Capacity, pricing, and reputation — all on-chain and queryable.

### What's Stored On-Chain
- Identity: Wallet address, metadata hash
- Capacity: vCPU, memory, storage, GPU classes
- Pricing: Base ranges per resource, GPU pricing
- Usage: Currently allocated vs available resources

### Registration Flow
1. LinqProtocol installer benchmarks hardware and calls register() with verified data
2. Transaction confirmed on-chain
3. Provider listed in registry

### Update Functions
updateBaseRanges() — Change pricing
updateCapacity() — Adjust resources
updateGpuClass() — Add/modify GPU offerings
updateMeta() — Change metadata

### Verification
- Before Deploying: Query capacity, check pricing, verify resources
- During Deployment: Escrow references provider's on-chain address, cryptographic verification
- After Deployment: Provider address recorded in events, auditable, reputation builds on-chain

### Smart Contract: ProviderRegistry.sol
Key Functions: register, updateBaseRanges, updateCapacity, updateGpuClass, updateMeta, unregister.
View Functions: getProvider, getProviders, getUsedCapacity, getCapacityTotals.
Events: ProviderRegistered, ProviderUpdated, ProviderUnregistered, CapacityChanged.

### Provider Registration Process
1. Use a Linux machine (or Windows/macOS with virtualization)
2. Run LinqProtocol installer to bootstrap, benchmark, and register on-chain
3. VM support enabled only if hardware virtualization passes checks
4. Stake a provider deposit to activate registry entry and set escrow limits
5. Start receiving deployment requests
6. Earn LNQ for resources provided

Providers stake a deposit to register. Stake (adjusted by reputation) limits total escrow value a provider can serve, ensuring providers can't earn more than they could lose if slashed.

---

## /protocol/api — Blockchain API

Programmatic access to on-chain operations.

The Blockchain API is your gateway to LinqProtocol's smart contracts.

Base URL: https://blockchain-api.linqprotocol.com/api/v1/
Auth: Bearer token (contact info@linqai.com for API key)
Swagger: https://blockchain-api.linqprotocol.com/api/v1/docs

### Escrow Endpoints
- POST /verify — Verify escrow signature
- POST /create — Create new escrow
- POST /fund — Fund an escrow
- POST /provider/update — Update provider status
- POST /start — Start job
- POST /withdraw — Withdraw earnings
- POST /finalize — Finalize escrow

### Registry Query Endpoints
- GET /providers — List all providers
- GET /providers/{address} — Get provider details
- GET /providers/{address}/used — Get used capacity
- GET /gpu-classes — List GPU classes
- GET /all/capacity — Network-wide capacity

### Registry Mutation Endpoints
- POST /register — Register as provider
- PATCH /base — Update base pricing
- PATCH /gpu-class — Update GPU class
- PATCH /meta — Update metadata
- PATCH /capacity — Update capacity
- DELETE /providers/{address} — Unregister

---

## /pricing — Pricing

Save up to 80% on compute costs.

Transparent, straightforward pricing. No egress fees. No surprise charges. No calculator required.

### Pricing Philosophy
- Per-resource rates: Pay for CPU, memory, and storage separately
- No egress fees: Move data in and out freely
- No hidden charges: What you see is what you pay
- Escrow protection: Funds held on-chain until work is complete

### Resource Rates (USD, paid in LNQ)
| Resource | Unit | LinqProtocol | AWS | GCP | Azure | Savings |
|----------|------|-------------|-----|-----|-------|---------|
| vCPU | per hour | $0.0072 | $0.040 | $0.023 | $0.035 | 82% |
| Memory | per GB-hour | $0.0004 | $0.0044 | $0.0031 | $0.005 | 90% |
| Storage | per GB-month | $0.01 | $0.08 | $0.04 | $0.05 | 80% |
| Egress | per GB | $0.00 | $0.09 | $0.12 | $0.087 | 100% |

AWS: EC2/Fargate on-demand (us-east-1), EBS gp3. GCP: E2 custom (us-central1). Azure: D-series v5 (East US). Feb 2026.

### Instance-Level Comparison
| Config | LinqProtocol | AWS | GCP | Azure | Savings |
|--------|-------------|-----|-----|-------|---------|
| 4 vCPU / 8 GB | $26/mo | $140/mo | $98/mo | $140/mo | 81% |
| 8 vCPU / 32 GB | $52/mo | $280/mo | $196/mo | $280/mo | 81% |
| 16 vCPU / 64 GB | $105/mo | $561/mo | $391/mo | $561/mo | 81% |

### Recommended Instances
- Spark ($6/mo): 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For personal projects, staging, small APIs, static sites. vs AWS $32/mo.
- Forge ($26/mo, Most Popular): 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For production web apps, databases, CI/CD, monitoring. vs AWS $147/mo.
- Titan ($52/mo): 8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 200 GB SSD. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For high-traffic apps, large databases, ML inference, multi-service. vs AWS $295/mo.

Available OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (default), Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Debian 12 (Bookworm), Alpine Linux 3.19.

### Real-World Workload Examples
- Open WebUI (LLM Interface): 4 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 50GB. AWS $144/mo → LinqProtocol $26/mo (82% savings).
- GitHub Runner (CI/CD): 2 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 40GB. AWS $76/mo → LinqProtocol $14/mo (82% savings).
- Grafana + Prometheus Stack: 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 100GB. AWS $43/mo → LinqProtocol $12/mo (72% savings).

### What's Included (No Extra Charge)
TLS certificates (Let's Encrypt), ingress and load balancing, network tunnel endpoints, Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards, Loki log aggregation, Istio service mesh (mTLS), egress bandwidth.

### What Others Charge Extra For
- AWS: Load balancing ($16+/mo), NAT Gateway ($32+/mo), CloudWatch ($0.30/GB logs), data transfer out ($0.09/GB)
- GCP: Cloud Logging ($0.50/GB), Cloud Load Balancing ($18+/mo), network egress ($0.12/GB)
- Azure: Application Insights ($2.30/GB), Load Balancer ($18+/mo), bandwidth ($0.087/GB)

### Payment with LNQ
1. Getting LNQ: Uniswap (swap ETH), Bitget, MEXC. In-app conversion support.
2. Funding: Connect wallet (MetaMask, Rainbow), approve transaction, LNQ locked in escrow.
3. Escrow: Fund in LNQ, balance held as workloads run, top up for more runway.

### Enterprise Options
Volume discounts, reserved capacity, OTC payments (fiat option), dedicated support.

### Pricing FAQ
- Cloud comparisons: Based on published on-demand rates for us-east-1/us-central1/East US, verified Feb 2026.
- Why so cheap: Decentralized bare-metal providers with unused capacity. No data center overhead, no middleman markup, LNQ token economics reduce costs.
- LNQ price changes: Pricing denominated in USD, LNQ calculated at funding time. Top up as needed.
- Free tier: Not currently. Exploring developer trial options.
- Escrow runs out: Warnings before depletion. Deployment stops. Fund new escrow to redeploy.
- Refunds: Unused funds in expired escrow automatically return to wallet.

---

## /solutions/developers — For Developers

Ship faster. Pay less. Own your infrastructure.

### Pain Points Solved
- Cloud bills keep growing → Transparent pricing, up to 80% savings
- Vendor lock-in → No lock-in, standard Kubernetes
- Over-provisioning → Pay for what you use, right-sized resources
- Crypto payment difficulty → WalletConnect, easy funding

### Deploy Categories
Web Apps, AI/ML, Databases, DevOps Tools, Business Apps.

### Developer Features
50+ one-click templates, Aura Code AI dev environments, Full observability (Prometheus/Grafana/Loki), SSH access, WalletConnect integration.

### Quick Start
Sign up → Browse templates → Configure → Connect wallet → Deploy. 5 minutes to first deployment.

### Savings vs AWS
vCPU: 82% | Memory: 90% | Storage: 80%.

---

## /solutions/enterprises — For Enterprises

Reduce cloud costs. Increase infrastructure resilience.

Up to 80% cloud savings. No vendor lock-in. Geographic distribution. On-chain transparency. Verified providers.

### Enterprise Capabilities
Real Kubernetes, enterprise networking (Istio, Argo Tunnels), full observability, VMs with SSH, compliance-ready (WIP).

### Comparison: LinqProtocol vs AWS/GCP/Azure
Kubernetes: Real K8s on all. Cost: Up to 80% cheaper. Egress: Free vs $0.09-0.12/GB. Lock-in: None vs High. Transparency: On-chain vs Opaque.

### Security
Workload isolation (namespaces), encrypted communications (Istio mTLS), on-chain audit trail, no middlemen, verified providers.

### Implementation Path
Discovery → POC → Integration → Scale.

### Enterprise Services
Dedicated onboarding, volume pricing, OTC payments (fiat option), priority support, custom solutions.

### FAQ
No minimum commitment. Fiat payment available via OTC. Compliance WIP. SLA options available. Existing Kubernetes tools work.

---

## /solutions/providers — For Providers

Monetize your idle compute.

### Provider Types
Data Centers, GPU Clusters, Edge Operators, Individual Operators.

### How It Works
1. Set up Linux host with LinqProtocol installer
2. Register on-chain (installer benchmarks hardware)
3. Receive deployment requests
4. Earn LNQ

### Economics
Per-resource pricing (set your own rates). Competitive market. Instant settlement via escrow. No middlemen.

### Requirements
Linux host, LinqProtocol installer, reliable internet, public IP or tunnels.

### LPStack (Installed Automatically)
Kubernetes, FluxCD, Longhorn, Prometheus/Loki, Argo Tunnels.

### Status
Currently alpha with curated fleet. Open onboarding coming soon.

---

## /solutions/web3 — For Web3 Teams

Infrastructure that speaks your language.

WalletConnect integration. On-chain payments with LNQ. No bank accounts needed. DAO treasury-compatible.

### Use Cases
dApp backends, RPC nodes, AI agents, NFT infrastructure, DeFi tools, community tools.

### LNQ Benefits
Utility (not speculation), escrow funding, ecosystem alignment, DEX/CEX liquidity.

No KYC. No credit cards. No waiting.

---

## /learn/how-it-works — How It Works

From deployment to settlement.

### 7 Steps
1. Choose template or custom container
2. Configure environment variables and secrets
3. Fund escrow with LNQ
4. Orchestrator matches with provider
5. Workload runs on provider's Kubernetes
6. Monitor via dashboard
7. Settle: provider earns, unused funds return

### Architecture
Dashboard → Orchestrator → Provider Cluster → Smart Contracts.

### Why Different
Trust-minimized (escrows, not handshakes). Transparent (on-chain, not opaque). Portable (standard K8s, not proprietary). Cost-effective (up to 80% savings).

---

## /learn/concepts — Core Concepts

The building blocks of LinqProtocol.

### 9 Core Concepts
1. Templates: Pre-configured app definitions for one-click deployment. 50+ available.
2. Deployments: Running instances on provider infrastructure, each in own namespace.
3. Escrows: Smart contracts holding LNQ for fair payment. EIP-712 compliant.
4. Providers: Entities supplying compute (data centers, GPU clusters, edge, individual).
5. Plans: Resource tiers — Starter, Standard, Pro.
6. Secrets & Environment Variables: Encrypted values injected at runtime.
7. LNQ Token: Native ERC-20 utility token.
8. Provider Registry: On-chain smart contract with provider capacity/pricing.
9. LPStack (DefaultStack): Runtime bundle — K8s, FluxCD, Istio, Cert-Manager, Argo Tunnels, Prometheus, Loki, Grafana, KubeVirt, Longhorn.

---

## /learn/why-decentralized — Why Decentralized Compute

The case against cloud monopolies.

Three companies control 65% of global cloud infrastructure. That's not a market — it's an oligopoly.

### Problems with Centralized Cloud
- Pricing Opacity: "Cloud cost optimization" is a $5 billion industry
- Vendor Lock-In: Migration is multi-year; they know you're stuck
- Egress Fees: $0.09/GB toll road with no exit
- Wasted Capacity: Servers at 30-50% utilization
- Single Points of Failure: AWS us-east-1 down = half the internet down
- Gatekeeping: Providers deny service based on their policies

### The Opportunity
Idle compute everywhere: data centers at 30-50% utilization, GPU clusters idle between training, edge devices sleeping 90% of time.

### Vision
Open, Affordable (up to 80% savings), Transparent (on-chain), Resilient (geographically distributed), Unstoppable (no central authority).

### Advantages
Cost reduction, Competition, Censorship resistance, Geographic flexibility, Trustlessness.

### Honest Trade-offs
Maturity (newer than hyperscale), Enterprise features (compliance harder), Variable quality (different providers). LinqProtocol addresses these through real Kubernetes, enterprise tooling, and on-chain reputation.

### Why Now
Kubernetes ubiquity, blockchain maturity, AI demand, privacy concerns, cost pressure.

### Who Benefits
Developers (lower costs, no lock-in), Enterprises (cost reduction, vendor diversification), Providers (new revenue), The Ecosystem (competition, innovation, resilience).

---

## /learn/why-lnq — Why LNQ Token

Why a token actually makes sense.

### Fair Skepticism
Most crypto tokens are cash grabs, governance theater, speculation vehicles, or solutions looking for problems. You're right to be skeptical.

### The Coordination Problem
LinqProtocol connects developers with anonymous compute providers. This creates a trust problem:
- Developers: How do I pay/trust someone I don't know?
- Providers: How do I get paid/prove service to someone I don't know?

In traditional cloud, reputation and legal contracts solve this. In a decentralized network, smart contracts and tokens are the mechanism.

### How LNQ Solves It
1. Developer funds escrow with LNQ (held by smart contract)
2. Provider sees locked funds before starting work
3. Earnings accrue as provider delivers
4. Automatic settlement — unused funds return

Neither party has to trust the other. The smart contract enforces the rules.

### Why Not Just ETH?
- Protocol Economics: Tokenomics specific to compute markets
- Escrow Utility: LNQ required for escrows, tying demand to real usage
- Ecosystem Alignment: LNQ holders incentivized for network success
- Fee Control: Independent of ETH gas economics

### Token Details
ERC-20, Ethereum Mainnet, 1B total supply, ~290M circulating, 113M burned, 0% tax, renounced contract.
Available on Uniswap, Bitget, MEXC.

---

## /learn/quickstart — Quick Start

Deploy your first app in 5 minutes.

### Prerequisites
- A wallet (MetaMask, Rainbow, Coinbase Wallet, or WalletConnect-compatible)
- Some LNQ (from Uniswap or Bitget/MEXC)
- Small ETH balance for gas fees
- Estimated: ~$5 worth of LNQ + gas for 1-day starter deployment

### Steps
1. Create account: Go to linqprotocol.com → Sign Up → Email + password → Verify email
2. Choose template: Browse marketplace, recommended first: Uptime Kuma, Draw.io, Wekan
3. Add configuration: Environment variables (review defaults), Secrets (API keys, passwords, encrypted at rest)
4. Choose plan: Starter (recommended first deploy), Standard, Pro
5. Connect wallet & fund: WalletConnect → Approve → LNQ locked in escrow
6. Review & deploy: Status progression: Creating → Pending → Running (1-3 minutes)
7. Access app: Click endpoint URL when status shows Running

### Troubleshooting
- Deployment stuck on "Pending": Check Issues tab, verify secrets, try redeploying
- Wallet won't connect: Use WalletConnect-compatible wallet, refresh, check Ethereum mainnet
- Insufficient funds: Check LNQ balance + gas fees, check token approval
- App not accessible: Wait 1-2 minutes, check Running status, refresh endpoint

### Need Help?
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/qpqVHef38t | Email: info@linqai.com

---

## /learn/cloudflare-tunnels — Cloudflare Tunnels

Using Cloudflare to Connect.

LinqProtocol uses Cloudflare tunnels as the default connectivity method for DDoS protection while the network is small. Setup requires installing cloudflared client and using SSH through the tunnel.

### Why Now
DDoS resilience, global reach via Cloudflare edge, operational stability for alpha phase.

### Long-Term Goal
Decentralized tunnel layer operated by providers themselves.

---

## /tokenomics — Tokenomics

LNQ Token Economy.

### Quick Stats
Token: LNQ (ERC-20) | Total Supply: 1,000,000,000 | Circulating: ~290,000,000 | Burned: 113,000,000 | Buy/Sell Tax: 0% | Renounced: Yes | Locked in Unicrypt: 582,000,000 | Txns: 31,000+

### What is LNQ?
ERC-20 token on Ethereum. Native currency for LinqProtocol. Every deployment, escrow, and provider payment flows through LNQ.

### Token Utility
- Payment for Compute: Fund deployments, locked in escrow
- Provider Earnings: Providers earn LNQ, withdraw from escrow
- Protocol Fees: Small fee sustains development

### Value Flow
Developer → LNQ → Escrow Contract → Provider Earnings + Protocol Fee

### Distribution
Marketing 15%, Partnerships 10%, Exchange Liquidity (CEX) 5.28%, DEX Liquidity 5.72%, Team & Advisors 15% (vested), Burn 15%, Ecosystem 14%, Treasury 10%, Provider Rewards 10%.

### Demand Drivers
- Compute Usage: Every deployment requires LNQ
- Provider Participation: More providers = more capacity = more usage
- Escrow Funding: Active deployments require LNQ held in escrow

### Supply Dynamics
- Fixed Supply: No more LNQ minted, capped at 1B
- Burns: 113M burned, potential ongoing burns
- Real-Usage Rewards: Value flows to providers proportional to compute delivered

### Where to Get LNQ
- DEX: Uniswap (swap ETH, no KYC)
- CEX: Bitget, MEXC, BingX, BitMart

Contract: 0xD4F4D0a10BcaE123bB6655E8Fe93a30d01eEbD04
Etherscan: https://etherscan.io/token/0xD4F4D0a10BcaE123bB6655E8Fe93a30d01eEbD04
CoinGecko: https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/linqai
CoinMarketCap: https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/linqai/

Disclaimer: LNQ is a utility token. No claims as to future value. Not financial advice. DYOR.

---

## /roadmap — Roadmap

Building the decentralized compute layer.

### Currently Live (Alpha v0.01)
- 50+ production-ready templates
- WalletConnect integration
- On-chain escrow contracts
- On-chain provider registry with verified providers
- Kubernetes runtime with enterprise tooling
- Virtual machines via KubeVirt with SSH
- Aura Code AI dev environments with sandboxes, terminals, scaffolding
- Network tunnels with custom subdomains and TLS
- Prometheus, Grafana, Loki observability
- Blockchain API for programmatic operations
- Helm chart support
- Persistent volume storage

### Current Limitations
- Curated provider fleet (not open marketplace)
- Limited template customization
- No custom domains yet
- No GPU support yet

### Q1-Q2 2026 — Coming Soon
- Custom Domains: Own domain names on deployment endpoints
- Auto-Renewal: Automatic escrow replenishment
- GPU Support: GPU-accelerated instances for ML, image generation, HPC
- Custom Templates: Upload Docker images, private templates
- Enhanced Aura Code: More frameworks, persistent files, team collaboration

### Q3-Q4 2026 — Later This Year
- Open Marketplace: Third-party providers, self-serve onboarding
- Provider Reputation System: On-chain reputation (uptime, completions, response time, feedback)
- Provider Dashboard: Earnings, capacity, deployment monitoring
- Regional Routing: Deploy to specific regions, filter by geography

### 2027+ — Long-Term Vision
- Decentralized Control Plane: Community-run orchestration operators
- Layer-2 Integration: Escrows on Arbitrum, reduced gas
- LinqBucket: Decentralized S3-compatible object storage
- LinqDB: Decentralized database storage
- GitLinq: Decentralized Git, censorship-resistant version control
- AI Model Deployment Hub: One-click AI model deployment, inference endpoints
- IoT Workload Support: Edge compute for distributed IoT
- Custom Blockchain (LinqChain): Optimized for decentralized compute

### Recently Shipped
Q4 2025: Mainnet alpha, escrows, registry, 50+ templates, K8s, observability.
Q1 2026: Aura Code v2 (isolated sandboxes), live terminals, VMs + SSH, custom domains, GPU support.

### How Priorities Are Decided
1. User Feedback: What developers and providers ask for
2. Network Growth: What enables more usage and providers
3. Technical Foundation: What makes the platform more robust
4. Decentralization: What moves toward truly decentralized network

---

## /changelog — Changelog

### v0.01.x (February 2026) — Aura Code Sandbox Overhaul
Complete rebuild of Aura Code sandbox system with isolated Docker environments, live terminals for real-time command execution, and framework scaffolding for quick project starts.

### v0.01.x (January 2026) — VMs & SSH
Full virtual machine support via KubeVirt. SSH access with key-based authentication. Connect through Cloudflare tunnels for secure access.

### v0.01.0 (December 2025) — Alpha Launch
The first public release of LinqProtocol. 50+ deployment templates, escrow system for trustless payments, provider registry for verified compute providers, Kubernetes runtime (LPStack), Argo Tunnels for secure networking, and the Blockchain API.

Alpha limitations: Curated provider fleet only, no custom templates, no GPU support.

Upcoming: Custom domains, GPU support, open marketplace, provider reputation.

---

## /about — About

Building the infrastructure for a decentralized internet.

LinqAI is the company behind LinqProtocol — the decentralized compute network built for real workloads.

### Story
Started as an AI SaaS company building Marketr, Composr, and Researchr. Built on traditional cloud. The problem: cloud costs were eating the business alive. Cloud spending exceeds $500B annually, AI is creating unprecedented compute demand, and millions of GPUs sit idle worldwide.

2024 refocus: pivot from AI SaaS to the infrastructure layer that AI (and everything else) runs on.

### Beliefs
- Infrastructure should be open: Not controlled by three companies
- Decentralization without compromise: Enterprise-grade tooling
- Token with purpose: LNQ exists because trustless compute markets need it
- The grown-up in the room: Real products, not whitepapers

### What We've Built
50+ templates, enterprise Kubernetes, on-chain escrows, global provider network, Aura Code AI dev environments, VMs with SSH, full networking with Argo Tunnels, Blockchain API.

### Ecosystem Tools
Aura Code, Marketr, Composr, Researchr, LinqHub.

### Vision
Open marketplace for compute, decentralized orchestration, cross-chain payments, storage/DB services (LinqBucket, LinqDB), AI model hub.

### Contact
info@linqai.com | Discord: https://discord.com/invite/qpqVHef38t | Telegram: https://t.me/linqai | Twitter: https://x.com/linq_ai

---

## /team — Team

The team building decentralized compute.

Experienced professionals across AI, blockchain, infrastructure, and business — united by a vision for open infrastructure. 2 decades of combined experience. 5 continents represented.

### Leadership
- Logan Audie — CEO/Developer: Leads company strategy and ships core platform features.
- George Fox — COO: Drives operations, partnerships, and execution.
- Ryan Kinney — SecOps/Developer: Hardens infrastructure security and builds core services.
- Aboubakr Benhass — Operations Manager: Oversees day-to-day operations and delivery.
- Ejay Rivera — Head of Design: Leads product and brand design across the ecosystem.
- Gor Sargsan — Full Stack Developer: Builds end-to-end platform features and tooling.
- Werner Van Der Walt — Fullstack Developer/DevOps: Ships features and maintains deployment infrastructure.

### Culture
- Distributed by Design: Global team, async work, ship fast
- Builder Mentality: Everyone builds, titles matter less than contributions
- Honest Communication: No corporate speak
- Long-term Thinking: Decisions for the next decade, not the next quarter

### Join Us
Looking for: Ownership mentality, technical excellence, comfort with ambiguity, belief in the mission.
Contact: careers@linqai.com

---

## /community — Community

Join 5,000+ builders and believers.

Stats: 5,000+ members, 5 continents, active Discord & Telegram.

### Channels
- Discord: Primary community hub — https://discord.com/invite/qpqVHef38t
- Telegram: https://t.me/linqai
- Twitter/X: @linq_ai — https://x.com/linq_ai
- GitHub: Coming Soon

### Values
Decentralization Matters, Builders Welcome, Purposeful Crypto, Open by Default.

### Ways to Contribute
Deploy applications, become a provider, give feedback, spread the word, build integrations.

### Events (Planned)
Community calls, AMAs, developer workshops, hackathons.

---

## /ecosystem — Ecosystem

Built on LinqProtocol.

### Featured: Aura Code
AI-powered cloud development environments with instant deployment. Full Docker sandboxes, framework scaffolding, 3 domain slots.

### SaaS Tools
- Marketr: AI-powered marketing automation
- Composr: AI content/graphics creation
- Researchr: AI research assistant
- Creatr/Designer: AI design tool
- LinqHub: Community dashboard for LNQ holders
- Synthetiq: Social media simulation platform

### Strategy
SaaS-demand-first: LinqAI creates initial demand by running their own SaaS tools on LinqProtocol, solving the chicken-and-egg problem for the compute marketplace.

---

## /protocol/providers — Provider Network

Powered by a global network of compute providers.

LinqProtocol connects you to compute resources from data centers, GPU clusters, and edge nodes around the world. Every provider is registered on-chain. Every transaction is verifiable.

### Live Stats
20+ Providers Registered | 200+ vCPUs Available | 1TB+ Memory | 20TB+ Storage.

### How the Network Works
1. Provider Registration: On-chain with verified capacity, pricing, metadata
2. Smart Matching: Orchestrator finds providers matching requirements
3. Escrow Settlement: Payments through on-chain escrows

### Provider Reputation (Coming)
Factors: Uptime History, Job Completions, Response Time, Community Ratings.

### Current State (Alpha)
Curated provider fleet managed by LinqAI team for reliability. Coming: Open marketplace, community providers, decentralized orchestration.

### Provider Incentives
Per-resource pricing (set own rates), automatic settlement, competitive market.

### Become a Provider
Provide: Data center capacity, GPU clusters, edge nodes, any K8s-compatible infrastructure.
Benefits: New revenue, flexible participation, real-time earnings, transparent settlement.

---

## /become-provider — Become a Provider

Join the decentralized compute revolution. Monetize your infrastructure and earn LNQ.

### Benefits
Monetize idle resources, no minimum commitment, instant payments via escrow, join growing network.

### Requirements
Min 4 CPU cores, 8GB RAM, 100GB storage, 100Mbps internet, 95%+ uptime, Linux recommended.

### Early Access Perks
Priority onboarding, direct team access, feature input, early reputation building, exclusive community access.

Application form available on the page with fields for infrastructure details.

---

## /enterprise — Enterprise

LinqProtocol for enterprise. Up to 80% savings vs. AWS.

### Benefits
Cost savings, no vendor lock-in, geographic distribution, transparent operations, verified providers.

### Enterprise Services
Dedicated onboarding, volume pricing, OTC payments (fiat option), priority support, custom solutions.

### Use Cases
Dev/test environments, overflow capacity, geographic expansion, cost optimization, vendor diversification.

### FAQ
No minimum commitment, fiat payment available, compliance WIP, SLA options, existing K8s tools work.

---

## /whitepaper — Whitepaper

Redirects to: https://linq-public-bucket.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/linqprotocol-whitepaper-2026-02-09.pdf

---

## /terms — Terms of Use

Last updated: December 10, 2025.

Standard terms covering: acceptance, service description, eligibility (18+), user accounts, acceptable use policy, payment and fees (blockchain-based), intellectual property, privacy, disclaimers, liability limitations, indemnification, termination, modifications, governing law, severability, entire agreement.

Contact: legal@linqprotocol.com

---

## /privacy — Privacy Policy

Last updated: December 10, 2025.

Covers: information collected (account data, wallet addresses, usage data, cookies), how information is used, sharing (service providers, compute providers, legal requirements), cookies, data retention, security measures, user rights (access, correction, deletion, portability, objection), international transfers, children's privacy (not for under 18), third-party links, changes.

Contact: privacy@linqprotocol.com | Legal: legal@linqprotocol.com