Transmitter Agents Live

Transmitters and Transmitter Agents are crucial to the Entangle ecosystem. They serve as intermediaries between data sources and the Entangle blockchain to create a robust data pipeline. In today's blog, we'll delve into the roles of Transmitters and Transmitter Agents within the Entangle ecosystem and outline the steps to becoming an Agent.

What Are Transmitters & Transmitter Agents?

Transmitters are vital units within the Entangle ecosystem, responsible for sourcing, aggregating, and transmitting data from diverse on-chain and off-chain sources. Equipped with sophisticated algorithms for data extraction, normalization, and packaging, Transmitters ensure that the information transmitted accurately mirrors the state of observed systems. 

This meticulous process minimizes latency and maximizes data fidelity, guaranteeing that the data used in smart contracts and other on-chain applications is both precise and timely.

Transmitter Agents are the entities—whether individuals or organizations—that own and operate these Transmitters. Each Agent is dedicated to a specific protocol within the Entangle network, ensuring a streamlined and efficient allocation of transmission responsibilities. This one-to-one correspondence between an Agent's Transmitter and the protocol enhances the overall integrity and reliability of the network. External developers may deploy customized Transmitter Agents to verify, receiving $NGL tokens as compensation.

Agents play a crucial role in ensuring efficient cross-chain operations in the Entangle ecosystem, bearing significant responsibility as they manage Photon Messaging on behalf of the network. To ensure integrity and honest behavior, Agents must:

• Stake $NGL tokens to participate and reach a consensus for data to be validated on the Entangle Blockchain.
• Follow rigorous know-your-customer (KYC) policies.

These actions guarantee that they have considerable skin in the game and are fully vested in the Entangle network.

How Can I Become a Transmitter Agent in the Entangle Network?

To become a Transmitter Agent, one must complete the following steps:

Step 1: KYC and Registration

To become a Transmitter Agent in the Entangle ecosystem, individuals must complete a KYC process. The KYC process will be conducted by a independent third party provider.

If you have any questions regarding the same reach out to the Entangle team.

Step 2: Staking $NGL and Delegation

Transmitter Agents in the Entangle ecosystem must lock up a minimum amount of $NGL tokens to participate, with the exact amount varying based on network governance and security needs. 

The Agent should execute this function through the StakingManager smart contract.

function depositPersonalStake(uint _amount) external

Agents are involved in several key activities: they must declare or revoke support for specific protocols, set up the necessary programs for these protocols, and secure the required stake from delegators. 

Delegators, attracted by the potential for attractive APY, delegate their NGL tokens to Agents, aligning their withdrawals and claims with the network's approximately one-week cycle for rounds.

The selection of Transmitters for protocol tasks depends on their combined stake (self-stake plus delegated stake). Agents with smaller total stakes may not be selected if fewer Transmitters are needed than are available. 

To enhance their selection prospects, Agents should increase their total stake by encouraging delegators to invest their NGL tokens with them. The StakingManager smart contract facilitates managing and increasing stakes, helping Agents maintain a competitive edge by holding a significant combined stake.

Step 3: Register Transmitter Address

To register a Transmitter address for a specified protocol, access the AgentManager contract and invoke the declareProtocolSupport function with your Transmitter address and the specified protocol. This action registers your Transmitter address and declares your support for the protocol, allowing you to participate in protocol tasks.

Step 4: The Consensus Process

When proposing an operation or data, Transmitter Agents place a bet from their stake, the size of which is specified by protocol parameters. All Transmitters have equal voting power in the consensus process, regardless of the size of their stake. 

The consensus mechanism ensures that only accurate and timely data is committed to the blockchain. Transmitters validate data points before they are added to the blockchain, and consensus is reached in the Master Smart Contract (MSC) on the Entangle Blockchain. Bets are returned to participants only after the operation is successfully executed. 

A fee is deducted from the External Developer's stake for each protocol operation, managed by the Staking Manager contract, which varies by protocol. The Staking Manager handles the bets placed by Transmitters, ensuring they are incentivized and fairly compensated for their efforts. 

Step 5: Claiming Rewards

Upon successful consensus and data finalization, Transmitter Agents are compensated based on the accuracy and relevance of their contributions. To claim these rewards, Agents use the StakingManager contract. By executing the claimAgentRewards function, they can transfer all unclaimed rewards to their specified reward address, as registered in the AgentManager contract.

The staking mechanism imposes penalties to maintain integrity and deter malicious behavior. Transmitter Agents who submit incorrect data or fail in their duties can have their stakes reduced or "slashed," making dishonesty costly. Additionally, such Agents may be removed from protocol operations for the current round, leaving their positions vacant until the next selection. This ensures that Transmitter Agents have a strong incentive to perform accurately and reliably.

What About Webverse Agent NFTs?

During the Webverse NFT mint, Agents had the exclusive opportunity to acquire 300 Webverse NFTs out of the total 5,000 minted. 

Owning an Agent NFT is a remarkable advantage for those aiming to operate a Transmitter node. Any Transmitter Agent Node Operators who own an Agent NFT are eligible to receive a year’s worth of delegated stake towards their Transmitter Node.

This stake will be directly allocated to your Transmitter Node upon completing the application process, giving your node a substantial head start and setting you apart from other Transmitter Nodes.

As Entangle’s blockchain continues to grow, more opportunities to run Agent Transmitters will arise. In the meantime, owning an Agent NFT positions you perfectly to participate in the next exciting phase of the Agent network's expansion.

Conclusion

Becoming a Transmitter Agent in the Entangle ecosystem is a structured process designed to ensure efficiency and integrity within the network. Transmitter Agents are vital in bridging data sources and the Entangle blockchain. Following the steps mentioned in this blog, you can become an Agent and play a key part in the Entangle network's success.