Hex Nodes. Own the infrastructure of truth.
The Mālama Hex Node is the primary decentralized infrastructure component of the protocol. It validates hardware-signed environmental data from carbon sites and AI data centers, anchors verified packets to Cardano, and earns MLMA verification yield. Phase 1 Hex Node launchpad is coming soon.
Coming soon.
Hex Node availability will be constrained by H3 geographic cell allocation and zone classification. Frontier and strategic gap zones earn up to 3× verification yield.
NFT-HEX. Hex Node. Two layers, one role.
The Mālama protocol separates the right to operate from the act of operation. NFT-HEX is the geographic rights object. Hex Node is the validator infrastructure that runs inside the cell. Together they create a coordinated, geographically-distributed validator network.
NFT-HEX
An H3 hex cell rights and policy object. Encodes geographic rights, capacity constraints, reward weighting, acquisition policy, and regional governance for a specific cell of the planet. Resolution 5 cells are approximately 252.9 km² each.
- · Owns the right to operate a Hex Node
- · Governs reward weighting per H3 zone
- · Tradeable, transferable, governance-weighted
- · Frontier and strategic cells earn up to 3×
Hex Node
The validator infrastructure component. Authenticates encrypted data streams from AI power sensors and carbon SaveCards. Participates in Proof-of-Truth consensus. Generates dMRV cryptographic proofs. Maintains regional grid carbon intensity metadata.
- · Operates inside a specific NFT-HEX cell
- · Validates carbon and AI compute packets
- · Earns MLMA verification yield
- · Cloud-hosted, bare metal, or managed
Buying an NFT-HEX gives you the right and obligation to operate a Hex Node validator within that specific H3 cell. The cell determines your reward multiplier (urban 0.5×, rural 1.5×, frontier 2×, strategic 3×). The Hex Node is the actual infrastructure you run. One NFT-HEX, one Hex Node, one cell.
Technical requirements.
Protocol Version: 1.0 (Verity Architecture). Network Role: Validation, Consensus, and dMRV Data Integrity. To maintain network uptime and ensure low-latency validation of global AI inference and carbon sensor streams, Hex Nodes must meet the following minimum specifications.
Three reward streams. One node.
MLMA per Validation
Earn MLMA for every successful validation of a rack-level AI compute packet or carbon SaveCard. Rewards scale with validation volume and packet complexity. Multi-stream validation (carbon and AI compute) compounds yield.
99.9%+ Bonus
Bonus rewards for nodes maintaining greater than 99.9% uptime. Ensures the live data stream at aipower.fyi never drops and the carbon SaveCard pipeline maintains continuity. Sustained downtime forfeits multipliers.
1 Hex Node = 1 Vote
Each Hex Node gets one vote in the Mālama DAO regarding methodology updates, sensor deployment priorities, validator set changes, and treasury distribution. Stewardship of the protocol is held by the operators.
Emissions stop after Year 3.
Many DePIN protocols depend indefinitely on token inflation to sustain participation. When emissions decline or token price weakens, operators leave and data quality deteriorates. Mālama is designed not to. Scheduled MLMA emissions are constrained to a three-year cold-start period. Years 4 and 5 are modeled as revenue-funded.
| Year | MLMA Allocation | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9.0M | Cold-start |
| Year 2 | 25.2M | Scaling |
| Year 3 | 45.0M | Breakeven |
| Year 4 | 0 | Revenue-funded |
| Year 5 | 0 | Revenue-funded |
Three ways to run a node.
One-Click Deploy
Partner cloud providers offer one-click Hex Node deployment for immediate participation. Recommended for operators who want to skip infrastructure management entirely.
Maximum Efficiency
Manual installation on owned or co-located hardware. Recommended for operators who want maximum control, lowest long-term cost, and the highest uptime multiplier potential.
Hands-Off
Third-party hosting partners run the node on your behalf for a fee. Recommended for operators who want passive participation without operational burden.
Hardware-grade protocol resilience.
AES-256 End-to-End
All data streams from sensors are AES-256 encrypted before reaching the node. Sensor private keys never leave the ATECC608B secure enclave.
HSM Compatible
Hex Node operator keys are compatible with Hardware Security Modules to prevent private key compromise. Recommended for managed and bare metal deployments.
Third-Party Audited
Core Hex Node software is undergoing third-party security audits to ensure protocol resilience against 51% attacks on the dMRV stream. Audit completion target Q2 2026.
10% for Fraud
Validators face 10% asset slashing for fraudulent attestations. The Byzantine Fault Tolerant network requires economic skin in the game from every participant.