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Peer Networks

When one tries to visit a website, the request from a computer client often goes through a short series of centralized servers owned by corporations or data centers. These servers take on a vital role in making the service available and, therefore, become inaccessible when they go offline. Blockchains, however, don't rely on centralized servers. Instead, they use a network of computers in a peer-to-peer manner, where hundreds or thousands of servers communicate directly with each other.

Each of the peers maintains its own copy of all the pertinent blockchain details, and helps distribute it to others. The structure forms a distributed mesh network that is not held by any one organization. Rather than depending upon a centralized server for distribution of the packets of data, all parties link with others and help with the distribution of the details. All of the peers are both server and client, facilitating passing of the data directly from parties to parties without the need for go-between intermediaries. It is a resilient system that is harder to censor and that provides increased transparency.

Blockchain Peers​

In a blockchain network, peers are individual nodes that collectively maintain the system. Because these nodes are distributed across various geographic regions, the network becomes decentralized by design, making it extremely difficult for any single actor to manipulate the ledger or disrupt its operation. While nodes have varying roles depending on their setup, all of them contribute to data validation, storage, and propagation.

Each peer is responsible for:

  • Maintaining a local copy of the chain’s latest state
  • Validating new transactions and blocks against protocol rules
  • Broadcasting verified data to other connected peers
  • Receiving updates in real time to maintain network consensus
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Since all peers independently confirm the same sata and reach onsensus through clearly defined rules and protocols, users don't need to rely on a source of truth. Blockchains are therefore also referenced as the trustless web.

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Further details on how peer nodes connect and communicate with each other can be found on the Peer Discovery page.

Operation Layers​

EVM-based blockchains like LUKSO use two overlapping peer networks, each with different focus points.

LayerPurpose
Execution LayerBroadcasting transactions, propagating blocks, and syncing blockchain data with other nodes.
Consensus LayerCoordinating validators, attestations, signatures, and finality votes.
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When a node joins the network, it automatically operates as peer for both of these networks through the Ethereum clients, managing all connections in the background. More details can be found on the Client Types and Client Providers pages.

Bootstrap Nodes​

Before your node can start participating in the network, it needs a way to find its first peers. Here, bootnodes come into play, describing special nodes with a well-known and static network address. These nodes act like signposts on the internet within the network configuration. Your node can contact them to get directions to other active nodes. When a node starts, it:

  1. Connects to one or more bootnodes
  2. Asks for a list of known peer addresses
  3. Contacts it's first listed and active peers
  4. Discovers more nodes through interconnections
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Bootnodes don’t send blocks or transactions themselves. They can be seen as phonebooks of the network, representing starting points for deeper connections. As such bootnodes come with extremely high peer count limits, always updating and discovering active node lists, they are operated by core institutions and professional setups. Stability and high uptime must be guaranteed, as their addresses are permanently written in the configurations.

Bootnode Hosting
  • LUKSO provides several bootnodes across different regions, operated by the core team, ensuring redundancy.
  • Having multiple bootnodes ensures reliability and full geographic distribution and low latency.

Architectural Benefits​

Decentralized networks like blockchains offer several advantages over traditional centralized services. Here’s how they compare:

PropertyCentral ServersPeer-to-Peer Mesh
Fault Tolerance If the server fails, the service becomes unavailable.The data is replicated across thousands of nodes, meaning no single failure can bring it down.
Scalability The server must scale resources to match user growth.Each new node contributes bandwidth and storage, helping the network scale naturally.
Censorship Resistance A central authority can block, modify, or restrict access.No single point of control means it's nearly impossible to censor or shut down.
Trust Model Users must trust the operator.Trust is replaced by cryptographically verified math.
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This decentralized, self-healing design is what makes public blockchains uniquely resilient and democratic.

Bootnode Addresses​

Here are the bootnode connections for the LUKSO Mainnet based on the official network configuration.

Mainnet Execution Bootnodes
# Address 1
enode://c2bb19ce658cfdf1fecb45da599ee6c7bf36e5292efb3fb61303a0b2cd07f96c20ac9b376a464d687ac456675a2e4a44aec39a0509bcb4b6d8221eedec25aca2@34.147.73.193:30303

# Address 2
enode://276f14e4049840a0f5aa5e568b772ab6639251149a52ba244647277175b83f47b135f3b3d8d846cf81a8e681684e37e9fc10ec205a9841d3ae219aa08aa9717b@34.32.192.211:30303