Hex Nodes. Own the infrastructure of truth.
The Mālama Hex Node is the operating role at the heart of the protocol. Operators run signing hardware in a specific H3 hex cell, validate hardware-signed environmental data from carbon sites and AI compute facilities, and anchor verified packets to Cardano. In exchange for that continuous service, operators are compensated in milestone-vested MLMA. Phase 1 Hex Node launchpad opens Late May 2026.
Late May 2026.
Phase 1 covers 200 hex cells across five city batches: Los Angeles, New York, London, Tokyo, and Idaho/Sun Valley. Availability is constrained by H3 cell allocation and zone classification. Frontier and strategic gap cells earn up to 3× the geographic multiplier on validation rewards.
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
A non-exclusive geographic operating license for one H3 Resolution 5 cell. Encodes geographic rights, capacity constraints, reward weighting, and acquisition policy for that cell. Resolution 5 cells are approximately 250 km² each.
- · Holds the non-exclusive right to operate a Hex Node in this cell
- · Governs reward weighting per H3 zone
- · Transferable subject to protocol terms
- · Frontier and strategic cells earn up to 3× geographic multiplier
Hex Node
The operating role for a Mālama validator. A Hex Node operator runs signing hardware in their cell, validates data packets from carbon sites and AI compute facilities, and participates in Proof-of-Truth consensus. The Genesis 200 bundle includes the hardware, the NFT-HEX license, and a milestone-vested MLMA allocation.
- · Operates inside one specific NFT-HEX cell
- · Validates carbon SaveCards and AI compute attestations
- · Compensated in milestone-vested MLMA for verifiable service performance
- · Backbone deployment for the Genesis 200 phase
A Genesis 200 bundle ($2,000) gives you everything needed to take on the Hex Node operating role for one specific H3 cell: signing hardware and a non-exclusive geographic operating license (NFT-HEX). Operators are compensated for sustained verification service through a 125,000 MLMA allocation that vests across twelve months as operational milestones are met. Tokens are not granted at purchase; they are earned over time as service is rendered. The cell determines your geographic multiplier (urban 0.5× to strategic 3.0×).
Technical requirements.
Protocol Version: 1.0. Network Role: Validation, Consensus, and dMRV Data Integrity. To maintain network uptime and low-latency validation of global AI compute and carbon sensor streams, Hex Nodes must meet the following minimum specifications.
Compensation for verification service.
Hex Node operators are compensated for verification service rendered to the network. Compensation is denominated in MLMA and structured to track sustained operational performance over time. The model is service-for-pay, not token-for-investment: operators earn through what they do, on the conditions defined below.
Monthly Pool, Multiplier-Weighted
Each month, a fixed emission pool is released to active validators according to a KPI-scaled function. Per-operator compensation scales with geographic multiplier (0.5× urban to 3.0× strategic), uptime multiplier (1.0× baseline to 1.5× at 99.9%+), Genesis Year 1 multiplier (1.5× for Genesis 200 operators in Year 1), and stewardship multiplier (1.5× for operators in qualifying community-stewardship hexes). The mechanism compensates sustained coverage, not per-packet activity, eliminating volume-gaming incentives.
99.9%+ Bonus
Operators maintaining greater than 99.9% uptime earn a 1.5× multiplier on monthly compensation. The same metric supports continuity for the live data stream at aipower.fyi and the carbon SaveCard pipeline. Sustained downtime forfeits the multiplier until uptime is restored.
PONO-Weighted, UBO-Capped
Active operators earn a PONO credential (non-transferable) through KYB and operational milestones. PONO holders vote in the Mālama DAO on methodology, validator parameters, fee schedules, and treasury. A 10% cap per ultimate beneficial owner prevents governance capture; coordinated entities aggregate against the same cap. Stewardship of the protocol is structurally tied to active operation, not token accumulation.
Smooth taper. Revenue takes over.
Many DePIN protocols depend indefinitely on token inflation. When emissions decline or token price weakens, operators leave and data quality deteriorates. Mālama is designed against that failure pattern. Scheduled MLMA emissions taper smoothly across eight years on a KPI-scaled schedule, while protocol revenue scales to fund operator rewards by Year 4 to 5. After Year 8, the protocol operates on revenue distribution alone. Total emissions are capped at 60.0M MLMA (12.0% of supply); the hard cap of 500M is immutable.
| Year | Emission Ceiling | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 12.0M | Cold-start (emission-dependent) |
| Year 2 | 14.0M | Scaling (emission-dependent) |
| Year 3 | 12.0M | Transitioning |
| Year 4 | 9.0M | Revenue-majority |
| Year 5 | 6.0M | Revenue-funded |
| Year 6 | 4.0M | Revenue-funded |
| Year 7 | 2.0M | Revenue-funded |
| Year 8 | 1.0M | Revenue-funded |
| Year 9+ | 0 | Permanent revenue-funded |
Monthly release scales with on-chain network growth metrics (validator count, SaveCard count, veMLMA TVL) under a smooth function with a 25% floor and 100% ceiling. The mechanism prevents emission cliffs and discourages threshold-edge gaming.
125,000 MLMA, earned over twelve months of service.
Every Genesis 200 operator's compensation pool includes a 125,000 MLMA allocation released in tranches as operational milestones are met. Tokens are not granted at purchase. They are earned over twelve months of verifiable network service, on the conditions defined below.
| Milestone | MLMA | Cumulative | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boot tranche | 18,750 (15%) | 15% | Hardware registered, KYB complete, first signed reading on Cardano |
| 90-day PONO qualification | 18,750 (15%) | 30% | PONO credential issued |
| 6-month operational milestone | 25,000 (20%) | 50% | ≥99% uptime, no tamper events, no falsification |
| 9-month operational milestone | 25,000 (20%) | 70% | ≥99% uptime, no tamper events, no falsification |
| 12-month operational milestone | 37,500 (30%) | 100% | ≥99% uptime, no tamper events, no falsification |
Operators failing a milestone forfeit that tranche and all subsequent tranches. Forfeited tokens roll back into the protocol's post-emission governance reserve. The 85% post-boot vesting structure ties operator compensation to sustained verification service rather than to deployment alone. Operators are compensated for work performed; if work is not performed, compensation does not vest.
Three ways to run a node.
Genesis 200 operators receive the field signing hardware as part of their bundle. The validator role (Hex Node software) runs separately on cloud, bare metal, or managed infrastructure. Operators choose how they want to run validation; the signing hardware in the field is identical across deployment models.
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 validator. Sensor signing keys never leave the device's hardware secure element.
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, the Cardano SaveCard contracts (Aiken/Plutus V3), and the Base MLMA contracts (Solidity) are undergoing third-party security audits in advance of mainnet migration. Audit completion target H2 2026.
PONO Revocation + Vesting Forfeiture
Fraudulent attestations result in PONO credential revocation and forfeiture of unvested operator rewards. With 85% of the operator allocation milestone-conditional, the economic deterrent against falsification is structural rather than a fixed slashing percentage. The Byzantine Fault Tolerant network requires operational skin in the game from every participant.