From 26062f7e332d347a98706e9982fd05de0d70118a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: barriebyron Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 13:37:02 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 1/6] create a landing topic for node operators to fix faq --- docs/node-operators/index.mdx | 31 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 31 insertions(+) create mode 100644 docs/node-operators/index.mdx diff --git a/docs/node-operators/index.mdx b/docs/node-operators/index.mdx new file mode 100644 index 000000000..c2f88da6e --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/node-operators/index.mdx @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +--- +title: Node Operators +sidebar_label: Overview +hide_title: true +description: Node operators participate in consensus and help compress data by generating zk-SNARKs. +keywords: + - node operators + - mina protocol + - block producers + - snarking + - staking + - earn rewards +------ + +:::note + +A new version of Mina Docs is coming soon! This page will be rewritten. + +::: + +# Node Operators + +Mina is secured by proof of stake consensus. Unlike other legacy protocols, any participant in a Mina network can validate transactions like a full node — making decentralization possible. + +Node operators play two specific roles: + +1. Block Producer - this is analogous to being a Bitcoin "miner" or a "validator" in other proof-of-stake networks. By staking MINA, you can be selected to produce a block and win the block reward. + +2. SNARK worker - this job is what helps compress data in Mina's network. The SNARK worker nodes generate proofs of transactions. The block producer buys these proofs on the network (a "snarketplace"). For their efforts, the SNARK worker gets rewarded a part of the block reward. + +See [Staking & Snarking](/node-operators/staking-and-snarking). \ No newline at end of file From 976c2cc6f21e4fba897a1053cf9eab2bb0f2e8d7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: barriebyron Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:12:56 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 2/6] add an overview landing topic for node operators --- sidebars.js | 1 + 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+) diff --git a/sidebars.js b/sidebars.js index ffcbc1335..ee31fcc72 100644 --- a/sidebars.js +++ b/sidebars.js @@ -337,6 +337,7 @@ module.exports = { type: 'category', label: 'Node Operators', items: [ + 'node-operators/index', 'node-operators/getting-started', 'node-operators/archive-node', 'node-operators/archive-redundancy', From fbee477d220efa7a56460dc120c7e15b0c78003b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: barriebyron Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:13:24 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 3/6] removed duplicate content in other FAQs - this topic is not used --- docs/mina-faq.mdx | 224 +--------------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 222 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/mina-faq.mdx b/docs/mina-faq.mdx index 3ee499e8f..bb757756c 100644 --- a/docs/mina-faq.mdx +++ b/docs/mina-faq.mdx @@ -1,94 +1,15 @@ # FAQ -## Testnet -#### Do I need any specific hardware? - -Currently, a 8-core processor and 16 GB of RAM are the minimum requirements. - -#### What about software? - -You can download all the software required to run a Mina node here. Right now, -we have builds that work on macOS, as well as Debian 9 and Ubuntu 18.04. You can -also [build from source](https://github.com/minaprotocol/mina) or run via Docker -/> for other unsupported systems. - -#### What can I do on the Mina network? - -Any node can send and receive transactions on the Mina network. Additionally, -any node can choose to be a "Node operator". Node operators play two specific -roles: - -1. Block Producer - this is analogous to being a Bitcoin "miner" or a - "validator" in other proof-of-stake networks. By staking mina, you can be - selected to produce a block and win the block reward - -2. Snark Worker - this job is what helps compress data in Mina's network. The - snark worker nodes generate proofs of transactions, and the block producer - buys these proofs on the network (we call it a "snarketplace" :) - thus, the - snark worker gets rewarded a bit of the block reward for their efforts. - -#### What is the point of a testnet? - -The Mina testnet's goal is to improve Mina's stability, improve the software -through bug fixes and addressing user experience, and to test the economic -incentive design in Mina. By participating in the testnet, you get to be the -first participants in the Mina protocol, and help develop it from ground zero. - -#### My daemon crashed -- where should I share the error log? - -First, check out [Github issues](https://github.com/minaprotocol/mina/issues) to -see if this is a known issue. If the error you experienced is a new issue, file -a Github issue with the appropriate tags (daemon, bug). Mina developers will -triage the issue and fix it in a future sprint -- thanks for your help! - -#### How can I report other issues / get in touch with the development team? - -It's better when we learn together. - -- The Mina community's live discussion channel is the - [Discord server](https://bit.ly/MinaDiscord) -- You can also create Github issues: https://github.com/minaprotocol/mina/issues -- If you need to get in touch, you can submit a ticket via the - [Mina Support chat](https://support.minaprotocol.com/). - -#### Is there a block explorer? - -Yes, check out these block explorers: - -https://minaexplorer.com/ - -https://mina.bitfly.at/ ## General Questions -#### What consensus algorithm does Mina use? -Mina's consensus mechanism is an implementation of Ouroboros Proof-of-Stake. Due -to Mina's unique compressed blockchain, certain aspects of the algorithm have -diverged from the Ouroboros papers, and the version Mina uses is called -Ouroboros Samisika. Stay tuned for more details on Ouroboros Samisika and some -technical writeups on its details and implementation. -#### How does Mina achieve scalability? -Mina achieves scalability through the use of recursive zk-SNARKs. By generating -a proof that attests to the validity of historic blockchain states, Mina can -keep the blockchain size fixed. This allows for increased throughput due to -block size limits not being as taxing on the network, thereby increasing the -scalability of the network. +### Why did you develop a new protocol? -#### Why did you develop a new protocol, rather than augmenting existing cryptocurrencies? - -The reason for developing a new protocol instead of offering services to other -blockchains is because adding SNARKs after the fact to a Layer 1 project is not -trivial. Even basic operations need to be optimized for performance inside a -SNARK, and existing implementations are not able to be retrofit as such. If we -look at hashing functions for example, SHA256 (used by Bitcoin) or Keccak (used -by Ethereum) are extremely expensive inside a SNARK circuit, but Poseidon (what -Mina uses) is optimized for performance. This and many other technical -considerations make it infeasible to easily add recursive SNARKs to existing -Layer 1’s, without entirely overhauling the base protocol. +The reason for developing a new protocol instead of offering services to other blockchains is because adding SNARKs after the fact to a Layer 1 project is not trivial. Even basic operations need to be optimized for performance inside a SNARK, and existing implementations are not able to be retrofit as such. If we look at hashing functions for example, SHA256 (used by Bitcoin) or Keccak (used by Ethereum) are extremely expensive inside a SNARK circuit, but Poseidon (what Mina uses) is optimized for performance. This and many other technical considerations make it infeasible to easily add recursive SNARKs to existing Layer 1 blockchains, without entirely overhauling the base protocol. #### How does Mina verify the current state of the chain without having historical data? How do you audit a transaction if you only keep a proof of the blockchain? @@ -127,16 +48,6 @@ blockchains the full history isn’t necessary for any actions that can be performed on chain, these are more for data analysis purposes than anything else. -#### Will you require a trusted setup? - -No! Mina uses a -[Pickles SNARK](https://medium.com/minaprotocol/meet-pickles-snark-enabling-smart-contract-on-coda-protocol-7ede3b54c250), -which requires no trusted setup. - -#### Does Mina support smart contracts? If so, what smart contracting languages does it support? - -See the documentation for zkApps, Mina's zero-knowledge proof based -applications. #### Does Mina support shielded transactions, like in Zcash? @@ -148,43 +59,8 @@ development roadmap. See here for information about using launchd or systemd with Mina. -## Block Producers - -#### How can I verify that I am indeed producing blocks? - -(Via the CLI): Execute `mina client status` - -As output, you should see a block of text, there will be a line similar to this -if your Block Producer is running: -`Block producers running: 1 (B62qrPN5Y5yq8kGE3FbVK...)` - -If your Block Producer has won a slot, you will see something like this: -`Next block will be produced in: in 17.52m` - -(Via the Logs): The following text appears each time the daemon produces a -block: - -`Producing new block with parent $breadcrumb` - -#### I produced a block, why wasn't it selected for the _Canonical Chain_? - -Due to a property of the Ouroboros Samisika consensus protocol, it's entirely -possible that more than one block is produced in a particular slot. The network -resolves the short-lived forks and will consolidate onto one block per slot by -random selection. - -Below is a visualization of the Mina Blockchain: - ## SNARKs and Snark Workers -#### If I run a Snark Worker, how do I get paid for my SNARKs that I generate? - -Block producers (the validators who add new blocks to the blockchain) are -required to buy SNARKs from the network (or from what we call the Snarketplace) -and will pay out some of their block reward as fees to the snark workers who -generated SNARKs. This creates a secondary incentive mechanism in the network to -reward nodes that help compress transactions. - #### Is generating SNARKs similar to Proof-of-Work (PoW) mining? No, they are different in several ways: @@ -207,99 +83,3 @@ No, they are different in several ways: where there will always be work to be done, and nobody needs to say ahead of time when they want to work. -#### Why have my SNARKs not been included? (A.K.A. How should I price my SNARKs?) - -Even though your SNARK Worker might be producing SNARKs at a breakneck pace, if -someone else produces a cheaper proof for a particular job you have already -completed, their SNARK would be preferred due to its lower fee. - -Pricing your SNARKs is a delicate balance between the cost of compute, the -market environment (demand for SNARKs), your SNARK throughput, and the speed at -which each of your SNARK Worker processes can produce SNARKs. Sometimes, it -might even be economically prudent to turn off your SNARK Worker altogether -until the market improves. - -#### Will Snark Workers require more storage and computing power over time? What about compared to Mina full nodes? - -Snark workers will not need more storage or computing power over time. Snark -workers simply query the mempool for pending transactions requiring Snark -proofs, and then generate said proof -- this does not require syncing historical -data. In addition, the underlying proving cost of Snark work doesn’t get more -expensive with time. - -If we are comparing Snark worker nodes with full nodes on Mina, then yes Snark -workers will benefit from specialized hardware as generating SNARK proofs is -currently compute intensive. Again, however, with the explosion of SNARK -research, this is likely to change and become more accessible to consumer -hardware. - -#### What is the difference between a SNARK, a SNARK proof, and snark work? - -SNARKs are a very overloaded term currently — when you read **SNARK**, it could -be referring to the concept of succinct non-interactive proof systems (eg. -SNARKs vs Bulletproofs), the specific technical implementation of the proof -system (eg. the construction, the circuit, or the prover), or the individual -instance of the proof itself (eg. the blockchain SNARK). - -When we speak about it, we will try to adhere to using: - -- SNARK: as the general concept of succinct, non-interactive zero-knowledge - proofs -- SNARK circuit: the specific circuit and prover, as pertaining to an app -- SNARK proof: an individual proof that is generated by a SNARK prover -- snark work: a Mina protocol data structure that is a wrapper around one or two - SNARK proofs and a price to be paid to the snark worker that generated the - proof(s). This is made unforgeable by a Signature of Knowledge scheme that - will be detailed in another section. - -#### Is there any concern about a single large snark worker [dumping]() work in the snarketplace, and then raising prices after monopolizing the market? - -In economics, there is a pricing strategy called predatory pricing (or dumping) -where one supplier of a product seeks to exhaust competing suppliers in the -market by undercutting the market price. The supplier prices their goods much -cheaper than the market rate, in order to drive out competitors, even if it -means incurring short-term losses. Once the market has been cleared, the -dominant supplier then increases prices -[above competitive market rates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supracompetitive_pricing), -as competition has been extinguished. - -However, this strategy is only effective in markets where there are high -barriers to entry. Meaning, competitors who were crowded out in the predation -stage are unable to rejoin the market. - -This is not the case for snark work, as the barriers to entry are low. Anyone -who has spare compute can join the snarketplace and produce as little as one -snark work, and profit on that unit of work. The only barrier to entry is the -initial capital expense on hardware, but we anticipate hardware requirements to -be low, such that users with spare equipment can come online and participate. If -any snark worker succeeds in driving out the market and increases prices, it is -anticipated that newcomers would reappear and drive prices back down. - -#### Does speed of producing snarks matter? If my computer is slower, will I be at a disadvantage? - -No, provided that the snark work produced is still required by block producers, -it doesn't matter who produced it first — only the price matters in the block -producers' eyes. The caveat here is that earlier inclusion into the snark -mempool is obviously beneficial, as block producers are likely to "see" the work -earlier. - -One could however envision a scenario where a set of snark workers are favored -because they produced the most number of snark works that are profitable, and -buying proofs from as few entities as possible would allow for more transactions -to be included in any block. - -There is also a threshold at which time becomes a factor, but this would only -apply to very underpowered devices. We will follow up with detailed benchmarks, -when we have run more tests. - -#### Will a full node need to store all intermediate SNARK proofs? Eg. Will the storage requirements grow linearly with blocks? - -Nope -- when a new block is generated, Mina computes the proof recursively over -the prior proof and the new block. This is the advantage of recursive -composition -- at any given time, nodes only need to store the most recent -proof. Intermediate proofs are not needed. See this talk for more clarity on how -this architecture emerged: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWVGATxEB6M - -#### How do you control or limit the number of cores Snark Workers use? - -You can use the `-snark-worker-parallelism` flag when starting up `mina daemon`. From fec7aa19b08cfbac8003d7a7763757006f29f89c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: barriebyron Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:13:52 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 4/6] remove duplicate unusued FAQ and move general FAQ here --- docs/about-mina/faq.mdx | 33 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/about-mina/faq.mdx b/docs/about-mina/faq.mdx index a742e07e2..b2138a7cf 100644 --- a/docs/about-mina/faq.mdx +++ b/docs/about-mina/faq.mdx @@ -1,10 +1,10 @@ --- -title: FAQ +title: Mina FAQ --- import Subhead from "@site/src/components/common/Subhead"; -# FAQ +# Mina FAQ @@ -17,24 +17,43 @@ The Mina node is written in OCaml. But you don't need to know OCaml to write sma ### What language are zkApp smart contracts written in? -Mina's zero knowledge smart contracts ("zkApps") are written in TypeScript. +Mina's zero knowledge smart contracts (zkApps) are written in TypeScript. Learn more about [how to write a zkApp](/zkapps/how-to-write-a-zkapp). ### How large is the Mina Blockchain? -22KB +22 KB -### Given Mina is only 22KB, where are past transactions stored? +### Given Mina is only 22 KB, where are past transactions stored? -The Mina node can run with an optional flag to make it an archive node. This means it stores historic transactions, which is useful for anyone running a service such as a block explorer. Still, this data is not needed in order to verify the current consensus state of the protocol. +A Mina node can run with an optional flag to make it an archive node to store historic transactions. Archive nodes are useful for anyone running a service such as a block explorer. Still, this historical data is not required to verify the current consensus state of the protocol. -### What ZK proof system does Mina use? +### What zk proof system does Mina use? Mina Protocol uses a custom proof system called Kimchi, which was developed by [O(1) Labs](https://o1labs.org/), and is the only blockchain offering infinite recursion. Check out the [Mina Book](https://o1-labs.github.io/proof-systems/plonk/overview.html) to learn more about Kimchi and the cryptography powering Mina Protocol. +### What can I do on the Mina network? + +Any node can send and receive transactions on the Mina network. Any node can also choose to be a node operator. See [Node Operators](/node-operators). + +### What consensus algorithm does Mina use? + +Mina's consensus mechanism is an implementation of Ouroboros Proof-of-Stake. Due to Mina's unique compressed blockchain, certain aspects of the algorithm have diverged from the Ouroboros papers. The version Mina uses is called Ouroboros Samisika. + +#### Is there a Mina block explorer? + +Yes, check out these block explorers: + +- https://minaexplorer.com/ +- https://minascan.io + +### How does Mina achieve scalability? + +Mina achieves scalability through the use of recursive zk-SNARKs. By generating a proof that attests to the validity of historic blockchain states, Mina can keep the blockchain size fixed. This allows for increased throughput due to block size limits not being as taxing on the network, thereby increasing the scalability of the network. + ### What security audits have been completed? You can review the results of the completed security audits here: From 41a84310fed3e410b564d6e7d5e9f0235add4519 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: barriebyron Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:16:25 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 5/6] remove double quotation marks --- docs/about-mina/index.mdx | 4 ++-- 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/about-mina/index.mdx b/docs/about-mina/index.mdx index a83aee0b6..2c49314d8 100644 --- a/docs/about-mina/index.mdx +++ b/docs/about-mina/index.mdx @@ -26,9 +26,9 @@ Watch this [video to learn about zero-knowledge proofs](about-mina/what-are-zero ### What are zkApps? -Mina’s zero-knowledge smart contracts are referred to as “zkApps”. zkApps provide powerful and unique characteristics such as unlimited off-chain execution, privacy for private data inputs that are never seen by the blockchain, the ability to write smart contracts in TypeScript, & more. +Mina's zero-knowledge smart contracts are referred to as zkApps. zkApps provide powerful and unique characteristics such as unlimited off-chain execution, privacy for private data inputs that are never seen by the blockchain, the ability to write smart contracts in TypeScript, and more. -Learn more about how [zkApps work](/zkapps). +See [zkApps Overview](/zkapps). ### How does consensus work on Mina? From 92669751ba60c46f59609d4f4c0001fbb757fa26 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: barriebyron Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:16:44 -0400 Subject: [PATCH 6/6] groom the node operator FAQ --- docs/node-operators/faq.mdx | 101 ++++++------------------------------ 1 file changed, 16 insertions(+), 85 deletions(-) diff --git a/docs/node-operators/faq.mdx b/docs/node-operators/faq.mdx index 824f58c51..b4038ec90 100644 --- a/docs/node-operators/faq.mdx +++ b/docs/node-operators/faq.mdx @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ --- -title: FAQ +title: Node Operators FAQ hide_title: true --- @@ -10,107 +10,38 @@ A new version of Mina Docs is coming soon! This page will be rewritten. ::: -# FAQ +# Node Operators FAQ -## Testnet +### What are node operators? -#### Do I need any specific hardware? +Node operators participate in consensus and help compress data by generating zk-SNARKs. -An 8-core processor and 16 GB of RAM are the minimum requirements. +See [Node Operators](/node-operators). -#### What about software? +### Where can I try out Devnet? -For instructions to download the required software to run a Mina node, see [Getting Started](/getting-started#installation). +See [Connect to Devnet](/node-operators/connecting-to-devnet) to learn more and get started. -#### What can I do on the Mina network? - -Any node can send and receive transactions on the Mina network. Any node can also choose to be a node operator. See [Getting Started](/node-operators/getting-started) in the Node Operators documentation. - -Node operators play two specific roles: - -1. Block Producer - this is analogous to being a Bitcoin "miner" or a "validator" in other proof-of-stake networks. By staking MINA, you can be selected to produce a block and win the block reward. - -2. SNARK worker - this job is what helps compress data in Mina's network. The SNARK worker nodes generate proofs of transactions. The block producer buys these proofs on the network (think of this as a "snarketplace"). For their efforts, the SNARK worker gets rewarded a part of the block reward. - -#### What is the purpose of a Testnet? - -The goal of the Mina Testnet is to improve the Mina network stability, improve the software with bug fixes and addressing user experience, and to test the economic incentive design in Mina. By participating in the Testnet, you get to be the first participants in the Mina protocol and help develop it from ground zero. - -#### Where can I try out Devnet? - -See [Connect to Devnet](/node-operators/connecting-to-devnet) [Devnet page](connecting-to-devnet) to learn more and get started. - -#### What is Mina Signer? +### What is Mina Signer? The [Mina Signer](https://github.com/o1-labs/snarkyjs/blob/main/src/mina-signer/README.md) NodeJS SDK allows you to sign strings, payments, and delegations using Mina's key pairs for various specified networks. The Mina Signer supersedes the deprecated Client SDK. -#### My daemon crashed -- where should I share the error log? +### Troubleshooting + +#### My daemon crashed. Where can I share the error log? First, check out existing [GitHub issues](https://github.com/minaprotocol/mina/issues) to see if this is a known issue. If the error you experienced is a new issue, file a GitHub issue with the appropriate tags (daemon, bug). Mina developers help triage the issue and fix it in a future sprint -- thanks for your help! -#### How can I report other issues / get in touch with the development team? +#### How can I report other issues and get in touch with the development team? -- The Mina community's live discussion takes place in the [Mina Protocol Discord](https://discord.gg/minaprotocol) server. +It's better when we learn together. + +- The Mina community live discussions take place in the [Mina Protocol Discord](https://discord.gg/minaprotocol) server. - You can also create GitHub issues: https://github.com/minaprotocol/mina/issues. - If you need to get in touch, you can submit a ticket by using the [Mina Support chat](https://support.minaprotocol.com/). -#### Is there a Mina block explorer? - -Yes, check out these block explorers: - -https://minaexplorer.com/ - -https://minascan.io - -## General Questions - -#### What consensus algorithm does Mina use? - -Mina's consensus mechanism is an implementation of Ouroboros Proof-of-Stake. Due to Mina's unique compressed blockchain, certain aspects of the algorithm have diverged from the Ouroboros papers, and the version Mina uses is called Ouroboros Samisika. Stay tuned for more details on Ouroboros Samisika and some technical writeups on its details and implementation. - -#### How does Mina achieve scalability? - -Mina achieves scalability through the use of recursive zk-SNARKs. By generating a proof that attests to the validity of historic blockchain states, Mina can keep the blockchain size fixed. This allows for increased throughput due to block size limits not being as taxing on the network, thereby increasing the scalability of the network. - -#### Why did you develop a new protocol, rather than augmenting existing cryptocurrencies? - -The reason for developing a new protocol instead of offering services to other blockchains is because adding SNARKs after the fact to a Layer 1 project is not trivial. Even basic operations need to be optimized for performance inside a SNARK, and existing implementations are not able to be retrofit as such. If we look at hashing functions for example, SHA256 (used by Bitcoin) or Keccak (used by Ethereum) are extremely expensive inside a SNARK circuit, but Poseidon (what Mina uses) is optimized for performance. This and many other technical considerations make it infeasible to easily add recursive SNARKs to existing Layer 1 blockchains, without entirely overhauling the base protocol. - -#### How does Mina verify the current state of the chain without having historical data? How do you audit a transaction if you only keep a proof of the blockchain? - -The average user does not need to know the entire transaction history. For example, when you make a purchase using a dollar, you also don't need to know where that dollar came from and how it was spent before arriving in your wallet. Other blockchains depend on the transaction history to verify that the current state is valid. Mina is using zk-SNARKs to prove that (see [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWVGATxEB6M) where co-founder Izaak Meckler explains Mina's recursive use of zk-SNARKs). This enables Mina to become the world's lightest blockchain and to always be accessible for all. - -For cases where a user wants to prove the inclusion of past transactions, Mina has a feature called the receipt chain. Each account has its own receipt chain, represented in the current state by a hash. When a user sends a transaction from an account, that transaction modifies the receipt chain of the account, to be the hash of the previous receipt chain, and the new transaction (a merkle list). This allows users to prove a particular transaction was sent from their account. - -For programs, Mina uses a different programming paradigm than other chains - instead of being able to reference past history, you can only reference the current state. This is akin to a filesystem that allows writing, deleting, and overwriting data, rather than the “append only” filesystem seen in the usual blockchain. This is intentional, so that Mina will always be lightweight, and sustainable - once the proof is available to stand in for the history, storing the history is more for archival or reference purposes, rather than security or necessary use. - -The programming paradigm in Mina will be designed to reflect this - right now Mina has minimal data per account. Programs storing more data will have to pay some amount for that data, likely when added with something like state rent. - -Clients that do seek to have the full archival history can operate as archive nodes, to store the full history as well. However, because unlike other blockchains the full history isn't necessary for any actions that can be performed on chain, these are more for data analysis purposes than anything else. - -#### Will I require a trusted setup? - -No! Mina uses a [Pickles SNARK](https://medium.com/minaprotocol/meet-pickles-snark-enabling-smart-contract-on-coda-protocol-7ede3b54c250), which requires no trusted setup. - -#### Does Mina support smart contracts? If so, what smart contracting languages does it support? - -zkApps (zero knowledge apps) are Mina Protocol smart contracts powered by zero knowledge proofs, specifically using zk-SNARKs. - -zkApps use an off-chain execution and mostly off-chain state model. This allows for private computation and state that can be either private or public. See [zkApps Overview](zkapps). - -#### Does Mina support shielded transactions, like in Zcash? - -No, Mina does not natively implement privacy features at the moment. However, privacy is a key consideration for cryptocurrencies, and is also on the development roadmap. - -#### Can I run the Mina daemon as a service - -[See here](connecting-to-the-network#creating-your-mina-env) for -information about using launchd or systemd with mina. - -## Block Producers - #### How can I verify that I am indeed producing blocks? By using the Mina CLI: @@ -143,7 +74,7 @@ Due to a property of the Ouroboros Samisika consensus protocol, it's entirely po ## SNARKs and SNARK Workers -#### If I run a SNARK worker, how do I get paid for my SNARKs that I generate? +#### If I run a SNARK worker, how do I get paid for SNARKs that I generate? Block producers (the validators who add new blocks to the blockchain) are required to buy SNARKs from the network (called the snarketplace) and pay out some of their block reward as fees to the SNARK workers who generated SNARKs. This workflow creates a secondary incentive mechanism in the network to reward nodes that help compress transactions.