Axon Protocol

A privacy-first decentralized social network protocol built with Rust, featuring cryptographic identity management, domain registry, and content authentication.

Overview

Axon is the core protocol for a decentralized social web that prioritizes user privacy and content ownership. It provides:

• Cryptographic Identity Management: Ed25519-based QuID integration for secure, anonymous identities
• Domain Registry: Smart contract-based .axon domain system with adaptive pricing
• Content Authentication: SHAKE256 content addressing with zk-STARK authenticity proofs
• Privacy-First Architecture: Anonymous engagement tracking and optional content revelation

Project Structure

axon/
├── axon-core/          # Core protocol types and cryptography ✅
├── axon-contracts/     # Smart contracts for domains and governance ✅
├── axon-identity/      # QuID identity integration and authentication ✅
├── axon-social/        # Social networking features ✅ NEW
├── axon-cli/           # Command-line interface for testing ✅
└── docs/               # Documentation and roadmap

Features Implemented

Phase 1: Foundation (✅ Completed)

• Development Environment: Rust workspace with proper dependency management
• Core Cryptography: Ed25519 key management with serialization support
• Domain Registry: Smart contract for .axon domain registration with adaptive pricing
• QuID Identity Integration: Authentication service with anonymous proofs
• Content System: Post creation, signing, and verification
• CLI Interface: Working command-line tool for testing

Phase 2: Social Features (✅ COMPLETED)

• Privacy-Preserving Social Graph: Following/followers with zero-knowledge proofs
• Content Interaction System: Likes, replies, comments, shares with anonymity
• Feed Generation Engine: Chronological, engagement-based, and trending algorithms
• Privacy Controls: Comprehensive anonymization and privacy violation detection
• Anonymous Analytics: Engagement tracking without user profiling
• Anti-Spam Protection: Rate limiting, pattern detection, and abuse prevention

Technical Achievements

• Core social networking with complete privacy preservation
• Zero-knowledge proofs for all anonymous interactions
• Type-safe cryptography with proper serialization
• Smart contract foundation for domain management
• Privacy-first architecture throughout all social features
• Comprehensive test coverage for all components

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Rust 1.70+ with Cargo
• Basic understanding of cryptographic concepts

Installation

git clone <repository>
cd axon
cargo build --workspace

Usage

# Show protocol information
cargo run -p axon-cli -- info

# Generate a new cryptographic identity
cargo run -p axon-cli -- identity generate

# Check domain availability
cargo run -p axon-cli -- domain check mydomain

# Create and sign content
cargo run -p axon-cli -- content create "Hello, Axon network!"

Architecture

Core Components

1. axon-core: Fundamental types and cryptographic primitives

   • Ed25519 key management with custom serialization
   • SHAKE256 content hashing
   • Domain and content type definitions

2. axon-contracts: Smart contract implementations

   • Domain registry with adaptive pricing
   • Auto-renewal contract system
   • Revenue distribution mechanisms

3. axon-identity: Authentication and identity management

   • QuID identity integration
   • Session management
   • Anonymous proof verification

4. axon-cli: Command-line interface

   • Identity generation and management
   • Domain operations
   • Content creation and verification

Cryptographic Features

• Ed25519 Signatures: Fast, secure digital signatures
• SHAKE256 Hashing: Extensible output content addressing
• Pedersen Commitments: Privacy-preserving value commitments
• zk-STARK Proofs: Zero-knowledge content authenticity (framework)

Testing

Run the complete test suite:

# Test all components
cargo test --workspace

# Test specific component
cargo test -p axon-core

Current test coverage:

• ✅ Cryptographic operations (signing, verification, hashing)
• ✅ Domain creation and management
• ✅ Identity proof generation and verification
• ✅ Content creation and signature verification
• ✅ Serialization/deserialization of all types

Development Status

Current Phase: Foundation Complete ✅

IMMEDIATE PRIORITY (Phase 2 - Social Features):

• Following/Followers System with privacy-preserving social connections
• Content Interaction System (replies, comments, likes) with zk-STARK proofs
• Feed Generation Engine with chronological and algorithmic ranking
• Privacy Controls for all social features and content visibility

Next Priority (Phase 3):

• Privacy-preserving discovery and recommendation engine
• Content storage optimization with MimbleWimble-style cut-through
• Creator economy integration with Nym cryptocurrency payments
• Anonymous analytics and engagement tracking

Security Considerations

• All private keys are generated using cryptographically secure random number generation
• Signatures use Ed25519 with proper domain separation
• Content hashes use SHAKE256 for collision resistance
• Identity proofs include replay protection mechanisms

Contributing

This implementation follows the roadmap specified in docs/roadmap.md. Each component includes comprehensive tests and documentation.

License

[License information to be added]

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Built with privacy-first principles for the decentralized social web.