💻Node Rewards
In the YOM ecosystem, nodes are the backbone of a distributed cloud gaming platform. Unlike traditional crypto “nodes” that often sit idle or rely on speculative token emissions, YOM nodes perform real work – streaming live 3D game sessions to users – and get paid based on actual usage.
This chapter provides a comprehensive look at how YOM nodes function, how rewards are calculated, and how node operators can maximize their earnings. We’ll also explore practical examples and best practices, presented in a narrative yet professional tone to guide even first-time participants through the technical details.
What is a YOM Node and How Does It Work?
A YOM node is essentially a slice of a gaming computer or server dedicated to running a cloud gaming session for a player. When a player launches a game through YOM’s platform, the game is actually rendered on a node operator’s hardware and streamed to the player’s device in real-time. Each node in the network streams a AAA game to a single concurrent player.
In simpler terms, running a YOM node is akin to hosting a small game server that one player connects to for a session, except the player only sees the video feed. Because YOM is decentralized, these nodes aren’t in a corporate data center – they’re run by everyday operators on their own hardware. Every time content is streamed or rendered by your node, you get paid for that session.
Anyone can run a YOM node, provided they obtain a node license and have access to suitable hardware or cloud infrastructure. A node license is essentially an access token (often an NFT or code) that registers you as an official node operator in the network. Once you have a license, you can choose how to deploy your node: either self-hosted on your own PC/rig or delegated to a verified Node-as-a-Service provider who runs the node on your behalf.
How Many Nodes per Machine?
Notably, one physical machine can run multiple node instances (multiple licenses) in parallel if it has enough resources. YOM’s software modularizes nodes as containers or processes, each serving a different gamer. For example, a powerful GPU like an NVIDIA RTX 4080 can host about 5 concurrent game sessions by running 5 node licenses simultaneously on the same rig. In fact, each PC can run up to 8 nodes at once with the plug-and-play YOM setup
This means an operator with a high-end system can multiply their earnings by supporting several players at the same time using a single machine (essentially slicing their GPU/CPU to create multiple nodes). YOM’s recent node model update was designed to leverage this: by decoupling licenses from hardware, a single expensive GPU can replace what previously required multiple separate rigs. As a result, the network became more scalable and accessible – operators with modest setups can start with one or two licenses, while those with beefier hardware can scale up by adding more licenses to fully utilize their machine.
How Node Rewards Work
YOM’s reward model is session-based and usage-driven, aligning incentives with real player activity. This is a key differentiator from many crypto networks that simply act as token farms. Instead, YOM nodes earn in proportion to the gaming sessions they host and continuously attract buying demand.
Every game session your node hosts earns you a fixed reward. Each session typically lasts around 10 minutes and includes a brief advertisement, generating consistent revenue. More sessions translate directly into higher earnings. Let’s break down how the rewards are calculated:
Regional Modifiers
Advertising rates vary globally. YOM accounts for regional differences in ad revenue (CPM) and operating costs to ensure fair compensation:
High-Value Regions: Operators in markets with strong advertising demand (e.g., North America, Western Europe) receive proportionally higher per-session payouts.
Cost-of-Living Factors: For regions with lower ad rates but also reduced electricity or bandwidth costs, the network adjusts rewards to remain competitive and profitable for local operators.
By tuning rewards daily to reflect changing CPMs or electricity expenses, YOM ensures a stable earning environment for operators worldwide.
Workload Modifiers
Games that are poorly optimized or highly graphically intensive consume more processing power. Additionally, streaming at 4K, 60 FPS, or handling popular AAA titles can dramatically increase GPU usage. The simplified reward formula is:
Where:
Base Reward corresponds to the session-based ad revenue (aiming for ~$0.30/hour).
Difficulty Multiplier reflects game intensity or stream quality settings.
Regional Modifier adjusts for advertising CPM and local operating costs.
In simpler terms, your node earns more for harder work. This dynamic reward component incentivizes operators to accept and successfully run even the most demanding game sessions, since those yield higher returns. It also motivates game developers to optimize their content (because highly unoptimized content costs more to stream), balancing the ecosystem’s efficiency.
Earnings Expectations: Practical Examples
One of the most common questions potential node operators ask is “How much can I earn?”. YOM provides a realistic forecast by modeling node earnings as a Gaussian (bell curve) distribution centered around an expected average.
The assumption is that on average, a node will be utilized about 50% of the time it’s available. In other words, roughly half the hours your node is up, it will be actively streaming a session (the other half it might be idle, waiting for demand). Based on network simulations under current conditions, YOM estimates the following monthly earnings per node (for one license running full-time):
Average Monthly Earnings: $77 per node (assuming 50% workload allocation).
Lower Bound (-1 SD): $32 per node, reflecting minimal workload assignments.
Upper Bound (+1 SD): $121 per node, representing optimal demand and performance.
These figures give a typical range for a single node license’s monthly income. The distribution is roughly bell-shaped, meaning most months you can expect to be somewhere around the middle of this range, with occasional dips toward the low end or spikes toward the high end.
It’s worth noting that these numbers scale linearly with the number of node licenses you run on your hardware (assuming your machine can handle it). For example, if you operate a rig with 5 licenses concurrently (e.g. a high-end GPU running five game streams), your projected earnings would be about five times the single-node values. Concretely, five nodes could yield around $385 per month on average, with a lower-bound near $160 and an upper-bound around $605.
YOM also offers a minimum earnings guarantee of $10.80/month per node if your node remains consistently available (6 hours daily) but receives no sessions, ensuring a baseline reward.
Getting More Work: Maximizing Workload Allocation
Understanding how the YOM network distributes workload is crucial, because it directly affects your earnings. While node rewards are fixed per region, the key to increasing total earnings lies in securing more workload by optimizing several factors that influence allocation. Workload distribution is determined by a combination of demand-driven factors and operator performance metrics.
Reputation: High uptime, reliability, and active community engagement (accumulating XP through staking and active participation) significantly boost your node’s priority.
Connectivity: Nodes offering low ping and stable connections are preferred for session assignments. Improve this by hosting your node close to target players and using a reliable wired internet connection.
Time-of-Day: Gaming demand peaks evenings and weekends. Ensuring your node is available during these periods increases your likelihood of receiving session assignments.
Apart from the above factors, YOM’s orchestrator also performs some balancing to prevent any single node from hogging all jobs or remaining completely idle for too long. If two nodes are equally qualified to take a session (similar latency and reputation), the network might rotate assignments to spread out earnings. Likewise, during periods of low overall demand, not every node can be busy 50%+ of the time – some will sit idle. In such cases, the system may cycle through available nodes so that each gets at least a few sessions instead of one node taking them all. This balancing act is also constrained by regional demand: a surplus of nodes in one region won’t help another region’s users. Thus, part of being a node operator is understanding the supply-demand in your chosen region and possibly adapting (which we’ll address in the next section on increasing your workload).
Practical Steps to Increase Earnings
Optimize for Uptime: Aim for 99%+ uptime. Utilize reliable hardware, power backups, and monitoring tools to maintain consistent availability.
Strategic Deployment: Deploy nodes in high-value or underserved regions to capture higher session volumes and per-session rewards.
Scale Smartly: Add additional node licenses as your hardware comfortably allows, maximizing GPU usage and total earnings.
Engage Actively: Participate in community events and stake earned $YOM tokens to boost your node's reputation, placing you at the front of the line for session allocation.
Deployment Options: Self-Hosting vs. Node-as-a-Service
Choose based on your technical comfort and desired level of involvement. Many operators use a hybrid approach for convenience and to max out profitability.
Method
Pros
Cons
Self-Hosting
Higher earnings, full control
Requires technical skill and maintenance effort
NaaS Provider
Easy setup, minimal technical involvement
Lower earnings, dependency on provider reliability
Conclusion & Best Practices Summary
Running a YOM node is a practical opportunity to earn steady passive income from real-world gaming activity. Remember these best practices:
Maintain high uptime and reliability.
Optimize latency and connectivity.
Target high-demand periods and regions.
Actively manage your node reputation and XP.
By implementing these strategies – from technical tuning to strategic planning – you can maximize your node’s workload. The result is not only higher earnings but also a more resilient and valuable network. YOM’s model explicitly rewards performance and active contribution, so operators who put in the effort to optimize will see that reflected in their revenue. The network is still young, which means early and proactive participants can carve out a strong position as “go-to” nodes as demand scales up.
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