Full node
The full node maintains chain state in SQLite, handles P2P, persistent peerbook, headers-first synchronization, and exposes the public HTTP API.
Architecture
The current public architecture keeps mining, node validation, wallet use, and Node Rewards separate but connected.
Chipcoin’s public testnet is not a single process demo. It is a stack with a full node, external miner, browser wallet, faucet, explorer/API, snapshot bootstrap, and native on-chain reward-node settlement.
External miner
Mining runs outside the node and consumes HTTP block templates. That separation keeps the protocol boundary clearer and allows independent mining automation.
Wallet and user path
The browser wallet, faucet, and explorer form the visible user path for testnet testing. They are public services, not substitutes for the node itself.
Node Rewards
Reward-node registration, renewal, attestation, and settlement are native protocol behavior. The payout path is not a website feature layered on top. It is part of the on-chain rules.
Snapshot bootstrap
New nodes can import a trusted snapshot and then sync only the delta after the anchor height. That reduces startup and recovery cost for the public testnet.
Explorer and API
The explorer and public API make chain activity, blocks, transactions, and reward settlement observable without exposing internal operator surfaces.
Reward Flow
The architectural novelty is that consensus-visible node rewards exist alongside PoW mining.
Reward nodes register on-chain and become visible to the protocol.
Eligibility depends on completing warmup and renewing at the required cadence.
Assigned verifiers produce signed attestations for deterministic control windows.
At epoch close, reward settlement is produced and payout outputs enter the closing block coinbase.
Why It Matters
Chipcoin is not just another miner-only PoW stack.
The central design point is straightforward: miners produce blocks, but verified nodes also have an explicit economic role. That changes how infrastructure participation is represented at the protocol level.
The website should make this visible because it is the main differentiator compared with a Bitcoin-style miner-only payout model.