Helios Project ($HEL) Whitepaper

Introduction

The Helios project ($HEL) introduces a decentralized marketplace designed to connect users with programming skills and node setup capabilities to those seeking access to mining resources across different blockchains. By leveraging geographical cost differences, Helios enables users from regions with high energy costs or limited technical expertise to rent out nodes and access direct mining capabilities without the need to maintain hardware themselves.

The core of Helios lies in its decentralized, Ethereum-based infrastructure, which uses smart contracts to manage rentals securely through a robust escrow mechanism. This mechanism ensures that all transactions are conducted transparently and securely, using ETH as the primary payment currency for rentals. Through the Helios Dapp, users can list, rent, and manage nodes, making the entire process user-friendly and automated.

This solution not only democratizes access to mining infrastructure but also addresses key inefficiencies in the current market for node rentals by enabling secure, on-chain verification of rental agreements. Users who own nodes can offer them for rent, while renters can benefit from mining tokens without needing the physical hardware. The Helios platform provides a seamless bridge between these two parties, fostering a new ecosystem where resources can be shared and optimized.

The Helios project aims to solve critical challenges in the decentralized node rental market, such as the verification of token transfers, security of rental payments, and ensuring compliance with rental agreements. To achieve this, Helios employs tailored verification methods for different blockchains and a role-based security model in its smart contracts. The following sections will delve deeper into the technical mechanisms and design considerations that underpin the Helios ecosystem.

Platform Overview

Helios is a decentralized platform that allows users to rent and lease mining nodes in a secure and automated environment. The platform leverages Ethereum smart contracts to manage rental agreements through a MultiEscrow mechanism, ensuring the secure transfer of funds between renters and node owners. The following subsections detail the core components of the platform and their respective functions:

Dapp Functionality

The Helios Dapp serves as the primary interface for all interactions related to mining node rentals. The Dapp provides users with a seamless experience to register nodes, browse available nodes for rent, and manage ongoing rental agreements. Key features of the Dapp include:

Node Registration: Node owners can list their mining nodes on the marketplace by providing essential details such as node name, chain type, rental duration, estimated token output, and rental price. Upon registration, a configuration file is generated, which links the node to the Helios backend using a setup script. This script installs monitoring services, such as Netdata, enabling real-time status tracking of the node's operations.
Node Rental: Renters can explore available nodes on the marketplace and initiate rental agreements through the Dapp. Each rental requires the renter to deposit the agreed-upon rental fee in ETH into an escrow managed by the Helios smart contract. This deposit is secured until the rental period is complete and the conditions are verified as fulfilled.
Profile Management: Both node owners and renters can manage their activities through dedicated profile sections in the Dapp. Owners can monitor the status of their nodes, edit listings, and claim rewards upon successful completion of a rental. Renters can track the rental duration, check token transfers, and claim refunds if the rental conditions are not met.

Escrow Mechanism

Central to the Helios platform is the MultiEscrow contract, which guarantees the security of funds during node rentals. The escrow mechanism holds payments made by renters until the completion of the rental agreement. This ensures that both parties are protected throughout the transaction, mitigating risks such as non-delivery of mining output or unauthorized fund transfers.

The escrow mechanism follows a defined state progression:

AWAITING_PAYMENT: The state is initialized when a node is listed on the marketplace, waiting for the renter to deposit the agreed rental fee.
AWAITING_DELIVERY: Upon successful deposit of funds by the renter, the state shifts to AWAITING_DELIVERY. During this phase, the node operates as per the rental agreement, with continuous monitoring of token transfers to the renter’s wallet.
COMPLETE: When the rental period concludes and the node has delivered the agreed amount of tokens to the renter, the escrow agent authorizes the release of funds to the node owner, shifting the state to COMPLETE.
REFUNDED: If the node fails to deliver the agreed output within the rental period, the escrow agent can approve a refund to the renter, changing the state to REFUNDED.

Role-based permissions are enforced within the smart contract, ensuring that only authorized parties, such as the escrow agent, node owner, and renter, can interact with specific functions. This role-based access prevents unauthorized actions, safeguarding the integrity of the rental process.

Token Transfer Verification

A critical aspect of the Helios platform is verifying that the rented node delivers the correct amount of tokens to the renter. Since each blockchain manages transaction data differently, Helios employs tailored verification methods for different supported chains. The Dapp makes API calls to blockchain explorers, validating the transactions between the node owner's wallet and the renter's wallet:

Siacoin & Conflux: These blockchains use timestamps to record transactions. The system filters transactions between the rental period start and end times, ensuring that the correct amount of tokens is transferred to the renter’s wallet.
Ergo: Ergo uses block height for tracking transactions. The Helios system retrieves blocks mined during the rental period, verifying that the agreed tokens were transferred to the renter based on the transactions within those blocks.

By conducting verification checks every hour during the rental period, Helios ensures that renters receive the agreed amount of tokens. This continuous verification process prevents discrepancies and secures the integrity of each rental agreement.

Technical Architecture

The technical architecture of Helios is built to ensure a secure, transparent, and automated environment for renting and leasing mining nodes. The platform is structured around smart contracts, blockchain interaction methods, and backend services, all of which work together to guarantee that rental agreements are executed fairly. This section delves into the key components of the Helios architecture, focusing on the MultiEscrow contract, blockchain-specific verification methods, and node monitoring systems.

MultiEscrow Contract

The MultiEscrow contract is the backbone of the Helios platform, managing the secure transfer of funds between renters and node owners. This contract uses Ethereum’s smart contract capabilities to automate the process, ensuring that funds are released only when the conditions of the rental agreement are met. The contract design incorporates several key features:

Escrow Structure: The escrow structure holds all relevant data for each rental transaction, including the renter’s and node owner’s addresses, the amount of ETH deposited, the rental deadline, and the current state of the transaction (e.g., AWAITING_PAYMENT, AWAITING_DELIVERY, COMPLETE, or REFUNDED).
Role-Based Access Control: Specific functions within the contract are restricted to designated roles, ensuring that only authorized parties can interact with critical operations:

Escrow Agent: The contract deployer acts as the escrow agent, with exclusive control over approving fund releases and refunds. This role ensures that only verified transactions result in the release of funds, protecting both renters and node owners.
Node Owner (Seller): After completing the rental period and meeting the agreement conditions, the node owner can claim the deposited funds, but only if the escrow agent has approved the transaction.
Renter (Buyer): The renter can initiate a rental by depositing funds and, if the conditions are not met, claim a refund once approved by the escrow agent.

State Management: The MultiEscrow contract enforces a strict progression through its states, using the inState modifier to ensure that functions can only be executed when the escrow is in the appropriate state. This prevents unauthorized actions and ensures that the process follows a logical workflow.
Security Considerations: The contract’s design incorporates various security features to protect against common vulnerabilities:

Reentrancy Protection: By restricting function calls and using secure coding practices, the contract mitigates risks associated with reentrancy attacks.
Deadline Enforcement: Both node owners and renters must wait until the rental period ends before claiming funds or refunds. This guarantees that all conditions of the rental are observed.

Blockchain Interaction & Token Verification

Given the decentralized nature of Helios, the platform relies on real-time verification of token transfers between the node owner's and renter's wallets. Different blockchains require specific methods to verify these transactions, depending on how they record data. The Helios platform supports various blockchains, each with a tailored verification approach:

Siacoin & Conflux:

These blockchains use timestamps to record when transactions occur. The Helios backend retrieves transaction histories from these blockchains using API calls to official explorers.
Transactions are filtered based on the rental period, ensuring that only those occurring within the specified timeframe are considered.
A calculation is performed to sum the tokens received by the renter’s wallet during the rental period, verifying that the agreed amount has been transferred. This method ensures that no discrepancies go unnoticed and that both parties adhere to the agreement.

Ergo:

Unlike timestamp-based chains, Ergo uses block height to track transactions. This method provides a precise way to identify transactions between specific blocks.
The Helios platform retrieves the list of blocks mined between the start and end of the rental period, checking for transactions directed to the renter’s wallet within those blocks.
The system sums the tokens received by the renter during the specified blocks, confirming whether the node owner fulfilled the rental conditions. Using block height offers higher accuracy in transaction verification and ensures no manipulation of the time-based criteria.

Continuous Verification:

To maintain the integrity of rental agreements, Helios performs checks every hour during the rental period. This frequency ensures that any discrepancies or issues are identified promptly, allowing for timely intervention if the terms of the rental are not met.

Node Monitoring and Backend Services

Helios integrates a Netdata service for monitoring the status of mining nodes connected to the platform. This service tracks various performance metrics, such as node uptime, hardware status, and token production rates. The following steps outline how nodes are connected to the Helios monitoring system:

Node Setup: Node owners are provided with a setup script, available on GitHub, which they must execute on their mining hardware. This script installs the Netdata service and links the node to the Helios backend, enabling continuous monitoring of node performance.
Data Collection: The Netdata service collects real-time information on the node's operations, which is sent to the Helios backend for analysis. This data allows the platform to verify whether the node remains operational throughout the rental period, providing additional security to renters.
Automated Notifications: The system can automatically notify both renters and node owners if any issues are detected with a node’s performance, such as a sudden drop in token production or node downtime. These notifications help maintain transparency and ensure that both parties are aware of any potential problems.

This technical infrastructure allows Helios to offer a secure, transparent, and user-friendly platform for decentralized node rentals, ensuring that all transactions are verified and that participants can trust the integrity of the process.

Security Measures and Risk Mitigation

Security is a paramount concern in the Helios platform, given the decentralized nature of node rentals and the need for trustless interactions between users. To ensure the protection of user funds and data, Helios integrates multiple layers of security within its smart contracts, backend infrastructure, and verification processes. This section outlines the key security features and risk mitigation strategies employed by Helios.

Role-Based Security Model

The Helios MultiEscrow contract implements a role-based security model to control access to critical functions. This model restricts specific actions to designated roles, preventing unauthorized users from manipulating the escrowed funds or altering the terms of rental agreements:

Escrow Agent: The contract deployer serves as the escrow agent and holds exclusive rights to approve fund releases or refunds. This role ensures that only verified transactions result in the release of escrowed funds, maintaining fairness and transparency.
Node Owner (Seller): Node owners can claim the deposited rental funds upon completion of the rental period, but only if the escrow agent approves the transaction. This restriction ensures that funds are released only after verifying that the rental terms were met.
Renter (Buyer): Renters can initiate rentals and claim refunds if the node owner fails to fulfill the agreed conditions. Refund claims require approval from the escrow agent, adding an additional layer of oversight to prevent misuse.

Smart Contract Security

The Helios platform leverages Ethereum smart contracts to automate key processes, such as fund management, verification of rental terms, and issuance of refunds. To ensure the security and robustness of these contracts, Helios incorporates several protective measures:

Reentrancy Protection: Smart contracts are designed to prevent reentrancy attacks by restricting access to functions that interact with the contract’s balance. This ensures that malicious actors cannot exploit the contract by repeatedly calling a function before the balance is updated.
State Validation: The use of the inState modifier enforces that functions can only be executed when the escrow is in a valid state. For instance, fund release functions can only be called when the contract is in the AWAITING_DELIVERY state, preventing out-of-order execution that could compromise the contract's logic.
Deadline Enforcement: Both node owners and renters must wait until the rental period concludes before claiming funds or refunds. This mechanism guarantees that all conditions of the rental agreement are observed before any financial transactions take place, protecting both parties.

On-Chain Verification of Transactions

Helios ensures that renters receive the correct amount of mined tokens during the rental period through on-chain verification methods. This process checks the blockchain for transactions between the node owner's wallet and the renter's wallet, verifying that the rental terms are met:

API-Based Verification: For blockchains like Siacoin and Conflux, the Helios backend makes API calls to blockchain explorers to retrieve transaction data. These calls filter transactions based on timestamps to ensure that only those occurring within the rental period are considered.
Block Height Verification: On chains like Ergo, transactions are verified using block heights. This approach provides a more precise method of tracking token transfers, as blocks are ordered sequentially. By monitoring blocks between the start and end of the rental period, the system ensures accurate verification of token delivery.
Hourly Checks: To maintain the integrity of the rental agreement, the Helios system performs hourly checks on token transfers. This frequent verification prevents discrepancies from accumulating, allowing for quick intervention if the rental terms are not met.

Escrow Mechanism for Payment Security

The escrow mechanism used in Helios provides a trustless payment system, ensuring that funds are held securely until the rental conditions are verified as fulfilled. This approach mitigates risks such as non-payment or under-delivery of mined tokens:

Fund Protection: Renter payments are locked in the escrow until the rental agreement is fulfilled. This mechanism ensures that node owners only receive payment when the agreed tokens have been delivered to the renter.
Refund Process: If the rental agreement is not met, the escrow agent has the authority to approve refunds to the renter. This process provides a safeguard for renters, ensuring they are not financially disadvantaged if the node owner fails to deliver the promised output.
Automated Claims: Both the fund release and refund processes are automated through the Dapp, with users being able to claim funds directly from their profiles. This reduces the potential for human error and enhances the user experience.

Backend Security and Node Monitoring

Beyond smart contracts, Helios implements security measures within its backend infrastructure to ensure the smooth and secure operation of the platform:

Secure API Interactions: The Helios backend communicates with various blockchain explorers through secure API connections, ensuring that transaction data is accurately retrieved without exposing sensitive information.
Node Performance Monitoring: The integration of the Netdata service provides real-time monitoring of node operations, tracking uptime and performance. This helps ensure that nodes remain operational throughout the rental period, reducing the risk of service disruptions for renters.
Automated Alerts: The system includes automated alerts for any irregularities in node performance, such as a sudden drop in token production or node downtime. These alerts enable proactive measures to be taken, ensuring that potential issues are addressed before they affect the rental agreement.

Risk Mitigation Strategies

Helios is designed to mitigate common risks associated with decentralized platforms and node rentals. Some of the key strategies include:

Prevention of Double-Spending: By locking funds in escrow until the rental conditions are fulfilled, Helios ensures that renters cannot withdraw their payment prematurely. This prevents double-spending and guarantees that node owners are fairly compensated.
Protection Against Data Manipulation: The use of verified API calls and blockchain explorers prevents data manipulation by external parties. The verification of token transfers through trusted sources ensures that the data used for escrow decisions is accurate.
Decentralization of Operations: By distributing key functions across smart contracts, the Dapp backend, and blockchain nodes, Helios minimizes single points of failure. This design ensures that even if one component experiences issues, the overall platform remains resilient.

Use Cases and Benefits

Helios offers a versatile platform with applications across a range of scenarios in the decentralized ecosystem. By providing a secure, automated marketplace for renting and leasing mining nodes, Helios enables participants to optimize their mining operations while benefiting from transparent transactions. Below are key use cases and benefits that highlight the value of the Helios platform:

Use Cases

Access to Mining Resources Without Hardware Investment:

Many users are interested in participating in blockchain mining but lack the technical skills or resources to set up their own mining hardware. Helios addresses this gap by allowing these users to rent mining nodes from experienced node owners.
This use case is especially valuable in regions where energy costs or access to hardware are prohibitive. By renting a node, users can access mining capabilities directly and efficiently, paying only for the rental period they need without investing in costly hardware.

Optimizing Mining Operations in Different Geographical Regions:

The costs and availability of energy and hardware vary significantly across regions. Helios enables node owners in regions with lower energy costs to list their nodes on the marketplace, offering a competitive advantage over users in higher-cost areas.
This allows miners to capitalize on their geographic location by earning rental income from users who find it more cost-effective to rent a node rather than operate one locally. It also benefits renters, who can access nodes that might provide better mining efficiency due to lower overhead costs.

Trustless Token Mining with Automated Payment Verification:

Helios’s escrow mechanism and blockchain-specific verification methods make it an ideal solution for users seeking a trustless environment for token mining. Renters are assured that they will receive the agreed amount of tokens, as the system automatically verifies token transfers using secure API interactions.
This trustless model allows participants to engage in mining agreements without relying on third-party intermediaries, reducing the risks typically associated with centralized rental platforms.

Secure Marketplace for Node Operators and Blockchain Projects:

Helios can serve as a platform for emerging blockchain projects looking to bootstrap their network’s node ecosystem. By allowing node operators to rent out their infrastructure, these projects can quickly scale their network, ensuring greater decentralization and resilience.
Node operators can earn revenue from their infrastructure while contributing to the stability and security of new blockchains. This creates a mutually beneficial environment where blockchain projects grow their node base, and operators gain a new income stream.

Benefits of Helios

Enhanced Security and Transparency: The Helios platform provides a high level of security through its use of Ethereum smart contracts, which automate key processes and enforce compliance with rental agreements. Role-based access control ensures that only authorized parties can execute critical functions, preventing unauthorized manipulation of escrowed funds.
User-Friendly Dapp Interface: The Helios Dapp is designed with usability in mind, making it easy for both node owners and renters to participate in the marketplace. The intuitive interface allows users to manage their profiles, list or rent nodes, and track ongoing transactions with minimal effort.
Automation of Rental Processes: The automation of rental agreements through smart contracts and the Dapp backend reduces the need for manual intervention, minimizing the risk of human error. Users can list, rent, and claim rewards directly through the platform without the need for third-party intermediaries.
Revenue Opportunities for Node Owners: For node owners, Helios opens up new revenue opportunities by allowing them to earn ETH through the rental of their mining nodes. This income is not limited to a single blockchain, as the Helios platform supports multiple chains with different verification methods.
Scalability for Blockchain Ecosystems: Helios’s architecture is designed to scale as the platform grows, making it suitable for blockchain projects of all sizes. The support for different verification methods across multiple blockchains ensures that Helios can adapt to the needs of new networks, providing a scalable solution for decentralized node management.
In summary: Helios provides a secure, automated, and user-friendly solution for decentralized node rentals, offering substantial benefits to both node owners and renters. By leveraging the transparency of blockchain technology and the robustness of Ethereum smart contracts, Helios positions itself as a valuable platform for those seeking to optimize their mining operations or access token mining capabilities without the need for costly hardware investments.

Roadmap and Future Developments

The Helios project aims to provide a secure, transparent, and automated platform for decentralized node rentals using smart contracts and tailored blockchain verification methods. The roadmap outlines key milestones and improvements that will enhance platform functionality, ensuring a reliable and user-friendly experience.

Roadmap

Platform Development and Initial Launch:

Dapp Release: Develop and release the Helios Dapp, enabling users to register and manage their mining nodes, as well as to browse and rent available nodes through a user-friendly interface.
MultiEscrow Smart Contract Deployment: Deploy the MultiEscrow contract on Ethereum, providing a secure mechanism for handling rental payments and ensuring funds are released only when rental conditions are met.
Integration of Node Registration and Verification Systems: Integrate the setup script and Netdata service for node owners, allowing them to link their nodes to the Dapp for monitoring and performance tracking.

Testing and Security Validation:

Alpha Testing of Rental Process: Conduct alpha testing to ensure the proper functioning of the rental process, including secure fund handling and compliance with the escrow mechanism. Testers will provide feedback on the Dapp's usability and the effectiveness of the verification processes.
Smart Contract Security Audit: Perform audits of the MultiEscrow smart contract to verify the robustness of role-based security measures and state management, ensuring protection against common vulnerabilities like reentrancy attacks.
Validation of Blockchain-Specific Verification Methods: Test the methods for verifying token transfers on supported blockchains (e.g., timestamps for Siacoin and Conflux, block height for Ergo), ensuring accurate and reliable validation of mining rewards.

Public Release and Marketplace Expansion:

Opening the Marketplace: Launch the platform to the public, allowing users to list their nodes and initiate rental agreements securely through the Dapp. This phase will focus on user acquisition and building a diverse node marketplace.
Escrow Automation: Enable automated fund release and refund processes through the Dapp, allowing users to claim funds or refunds without manual intervention once the conditions of the rental agreement are verified.
Enhancements to User Profiles: Improve profile management capabilities, allowing users to easily track their rental activities, view transaction histories, and manage their connected nodes.

Support for Additional Blockchains:

Expanding Blockchain Compatibility: Work on supporting additional blockchains that may not have conventional explorers but still require secure verification methods. This will expand the platform's reach and allow for a greater variety of rental options.
Optimized Verification Processes: Continue to refine the backend processes for token verification, ensuring that the system can quickly and accurately validate transactions between node owners and renters.

Ongoing Platform Improvements:

Enhanced Data Monitoring and Reporting: Develop improved reporting features for node owners, allowing them to better understand the performance of their nodes and identify potential improvements. This will include enhanced Netdata integration for real-time monitoring.
User Experience Optimization: Gather user feedback and make iterative improvements to the Dapp interface and rental processes, ensuring that the platform remains easy to use and accessible for both node owners and renters.