RTNC Architecture

Layers, components, and data flow in the RTNC system.

1. Layered Model

RTNC can be thought of as a layered system:

  • Layer 0: Consensus & base rules (PoW, emission, validation).
  • Layer 1: Core network (P2P, block propagation, mempool).
  • Layer 2: Transparency stack (explorers, metrics, dashboards).
  • Layer 3: Ecosystem tools (wallets, merchant apps, research tools).
  • Layer 4: Governance & Foundation (documentation and coordination only).

2. Data Flow

At a high level:

  1. Users construct transactions in wallets.
  2. Transactions are broadcast to nodes and stored in mempools.
  3. Miners select transactions from their mempools when building new blocks.
  4. New blocks are propagated across the peer-to-peer network.
  5. Nodes validate and append blocks to their local chain if valid.

3. Component Overview

  • RTNC Core: The reference node and wallet implementation.
  • Miners: Nodes (or external processes) performing proof-of-work.
  • Explorers: Web tools for viewing blocks, transactions, and metrics.
  • Wallets: Software for managing keys and constructing transactions.
  • Foundation: Non-profit coordinating docs, infra, and audits.

4. Example Text Diagram

[ Users & Wallets ]
         |
         v
[ RTNC Nodes ] <--> [ RTNC Nodes ]  (P2P network)
         |
         v
     [ Miners ]
         |
         v
   [ Blockchain ]
         |
         v
[ Explorers / Tools ]

This diagram is intentionally simple. It shows the flow of transactions from users, through nodes and miners, into the blockchain, and finally into transparency tools.

5. Extensibility

Because RTNC tries to keep the base protocol simple, most complexity is pushed outward to optional tools:

  • Indexers and analytics services.
  • Custom wallets for specific user groups.
  • Research dashboards or regulatory viewers.

These can evolve without needing to change Layer 0 or Layer 1 rules.