Introduction

CoopHive is a two-sided marketplace for computing resources. It allows clients to run arbitrary Docker containers or WASM images over arbitrary data, from IoT devices all the way up to GPU servers. It does this by leveraging the Bacalhau distributed computing platform, which was developed to have native compute capabilities over IPFS CIDs, and can also run computations over S3. Since CoopHive is a trustless and permissionless protocol, it has mechanisms for verification and mediation to resolve disputes, thus maintaining a reliable marketplace.

At the core of CoopHive are a series of deals, results, and, when necessary, mediations. This flexible structure accommodates a wide array of computational tasks, from simple data processing to AI model inference. Users can negotiate terms (deals), submit jobs, receive outputs (results), and engage in a fair dispute resolution process (mediations) if discrepancies arise. This flexibility ensures that CoopHive can adapt to the evolving needs of its users.

Additionally, CoopHive features pluggable mediation protocols. This means in the process of arriving at a deal, clients and compute nodes can select or develop mediation mechanisms that best fit their specific requirements, ensuring that dispute resolution is both effective and aligned with the unique nuances of each task. This pluggability is key to maintaining trust and efficiency within the marketplace, catering to the diverse preferences and needs of its user base.

CoopHive has many applications, like AI inference, ZKP generation, computations over sensor data, privacy-preserving computations, supply chain management, compute sharing, hardware profiling, public goods computing, and more. See the Whitepaperfor more information.