Status

RadioDoge is a fully working prototype leveraging LoRA, VaraHF radio and the Starlink network. We are looking for partners or even regular shibes in remote areas who would be interested in establishing regional hubs, and working with local communities to demonstrate and develop the technology for their needs.

We are looking to collaborate with NGOs, Governments or anyone who sees the potential for equipping farmers, teachers, tradespeople in remote or under facilitated areas with financial tools to engage with the top of the supply chains and not be exploited by greedy middlemen.

Please contact Michi Lumin via the forum: forum.dogecoin.org if you want to get involved.

How it Works?

RadioDoge is a decentralized communication and data transmission network that relies on a combination of radio frequency technologies and blockchain.

1. Blockchain on the Internet: RadioDoge operates within a blockchain network that can be accessed via the regular internet.
2. Main Hubs (A): These are primary network access points, located in various regions such as North America and South America. These hubs have direct internet connectivity, with their main access via services like Starlink, making them resilient to internet outages.
3. Backhaul Connections: To reach these main hubs, there is a network of backhaul connections using radio frequency technologies. This includes HF (High Frequency)/shortwave, LoRa (Long Range), or VHF (Very High Frequency) point-to-point links. Backhaul connections ensure that even regions without direct internet access can still connect to the blockchain via the main hubs.
4. Regional Hubs (B): These hubs are connected to the main hubs (A) via the backhaul network. They host Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) and data libraries (Lib) and serve as intermediaries for areas without direct internet connectivity. The data is relayed from the main hubs to the regional hubs.
5. Local and Short-Range Connectivity: Community hubs and ShibeStation endpoints, which may not have direct internet access, can connect to regional hubs or other hubs using technologies like LoRa, VHF/UHF, WiFi, PSK, and AX.25. These connections use various modulation methods, including LoRa for long-range, low-power links and HF for long-distance, high-power links.
6. Data Protocol: Regardless of the method used for the radio transmission (LoRa, HF, FM), the data protocol remains consistent. LoRa and VARA HF are described as "containers" or pipes for the data, with each having its strengths - LoRa for local, low-power links and HF for long-distance, high-power links.
7. Addressing: The addressing scheme is hierarchical. Main hubs (A) have addresses like 10.0.1 in North America and 11.0.1 in South America. Regional hubs (B) have addresses like 10.1.1 in North America and 11.1.1 in South America. Community hubs and ShibeStation endpoints have their own addresses based on their location. For example, community hubs in Colorado may have addresses like 10.2.1, while ShibeStation endpoints in Colorado may have addresses like 10.2.58 or 10.1.35.

In summary, RadioDoge is a decentralized communication network that uses blockchain technology and a combination of radio frequency technologies to ensure connectivity in regions with limited or no internet access. It employs a hierarchy of hubs, each with its addressing scheme, to relay data and maintain connectivity even in areas where direct internet access is challenging.

RadioDoge Demo

Using RadioDoge pre-release 10.0.1
we set up the hub on just a windows PC in a frends office and put the Hub dongle with a decent antenna, sitting it on a shelf indoors.

We took the Dogecoin Node setup to a park far away, and we just put it on top of an overturned box so it wasn't in the grass.

Solar panel powering the whole setup (there's a USB PD battery pack there too that gets charged by the solar panel.), running all disconnected now.

Starting up RadioDoge. It runs a few tests just to make sure everything (LibDogecoin, LoRa, Radio etc) are working.

So then we hit enter, and wait at the menu, until we see a hub. This is what people would do in an area, RadioDoge will just show which hubs are beaconing in range. Here, a hub broadcast from the hub we had set up in the office, is received, and it shows on the OLED of the LoRa dongle;

And it shows up on the terminal too. Now we know that there's an active hub in the area at Address 10.0.1.

Just to make life easier there's an 'address book', (this is just the 'demo addressbook') - but we're choosing the source address (and wallet). So for this demo we just pick addressbook entry #3, "DGYr..." as the source address. (anyone can just enter one but it needs to enter in a private key as well to make it a source. In this case, the pub/priv keypair is saved in an encrypted and password protected file on the node. Since the node, using LibDogecoin, forms the transactions completely - the hub does NOT need to ever see the private key.)

Then we pick a destination address. Also from the addressbook but also can take direct entry. (Or QR code, etc. No private key needed for the destination address.)

Picking Addressbook entry #1, "D6JQ...." as the receiver. (of course again it can be any address)

Registering a source address/wallet with the hub. It's transmitted encrypted, over the air, but the registration just allows you to check your balance live; which the hub updates and sends to you. It's encrypted with a PIN, but all this does or needs to do is make sure other people can't read your balance, since some people don't like that. Still zero possibility of fund movement or malleability. Just for privacy-of-balance.

If you decide to move to another hub, too, you can unregister and the hub deletes all records of your addresses and balances. Which are encrypted-at-rest anyways.

So we've registered our node and a watch /source/balance address (which we have the keys to on our little pi box) - on the hub. (Just another reminder that the hub does NOT have the private key and it NEVER gets transmitted over the air, even encrypted.) And we've picked a destination address that we want to send to. So now we can pick #4, send dogecoin.

We now will send 12 dogecoin and it reverifies the from-and-to addresses that you're working with.
We hit enter and it creates the transaction and sends it. Showing the raw transaction here that's about to be sent. It's split into 3 burst packets (which have forward error correction - they're all or nothing; in other words, the message cannot get 'mangled', it either has correctable erasures or it's no go.) Hub sends an ACK as well that it received it

Back at the Office: on the Windows PC (the hub), running LibDogecoin's SPV node, transmits the transaction to the Blockchain and gathers some data on where it's seen, to verify that it went through. It then sends a response:

Note: the hub can be connected directly to the internet OR it can use the HF Long Haul to forward the message to another hub that has access, if it has none. That was the experiment we did last year. It works similarly to the node to hub transaction send, just over an HF/shortwave link. We did not have a distant HF/shortwave setup here because we'd kinda have to fly somewhere to do it, but thats in the plans. to set some up permanently (the tower, and another remote/distant location).

Back at the portable/remote node: here we see a message from 10.0.1 (the hub) to the remote node (10.0.2); giving confirmation and the TXID. (of course the hex data could be hidden, we just have it there for debug) - but this also shows that the system can be used to send general purpose messages between nodes. But, this is basically the 'receipt' with the TXID that the doge has been sent.

Don't trust, verify!
4d5c88d3b791df1ffa445034fbda4d8f0dec0efed445a38e64e64e6ed2d4a15f

The Dogecoin address DGYr.. sends 12 Doge to D6JQ... Dogecoin address from its balance of 900 Doge*.

In summary