Protocol Mechanics

Efficient Sampling

After data is promoted to the Publish Ledger, the network continuously verifies that it remains available.

Each 16TB partition is divided into fixed ranges. On testnet, these ranges are approximately 200MB each.

During a sampling cycle:

1. 1
   A range is selected at random
2. 2
   The responsible miner must produce a valid storage proof for that range
3. 3
   The range is marked as verified for the current cycle

All ranges in a partition are verified within approximately 24 hours, which corresponds to the time required to read the entire drive sequentially.

Random selection ensures miners cannot predict which portion of their partition will be checked next.

Storage verification relies on a bounded proving window. When selected for verification, a miner must produce the required proof within a limited time frame. This constraint prevents a miner from reconstructing missing data on demand — for example by retrieving it from elsewhere or repacking it at the time of challenge.

If the miner fails to respond within the proving window, the protocol treats it as a failure of availability. Stake may be slashed and the affected partition may be reassigned.

Because verification is range-based and distributed over time, the network can enforce continuous storage guarantees without re-reading the entire partition in every block.