Operators

The Backbone of the Network.

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, our nodes perform real work, streaming live 3D game sessions to users, and get paid based on actual usage.

What is a Node?

A node is essentially a container inside 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 can stream a gaming session 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 can be 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 node, provided they obtain a node license and/or have access to suitable hardware or cloud infrastructure. A Node License is essentially an access token that gives you the right to stream more nodes from your host pc or the right to delegate it to other host. Every NANO Node Runner comes with a free embedded license by default. Subsequent licenses are digital NFTs. Once you have such a license, you can choose how to deploy your node: either assign it to your own PC/rig or delegate it to a verified Node-as-a-Service provider who runs the node on your behalf​.

Restrictions on the emmission of devices and NFTs allow the protocol to scale with the demand of the ecosystem. In practice that means we emit new Node Runners and Node Licenses to the market as we scale beyond the 60% utilization treshold.

How Many Nodes per Host?

Notably, one physical machine can run multiple nodes (consuming multiple licenses) in parallel if it has enough resources and bandwidth available. 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 1 NANO Node Runner + 4 Node Licenses simultaneously on the same rig.

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 into virtual machines to create multiple nodes).

Node Reputation

The reputation of a node is defined by various factors and is represented by a soul-bound (non-tradeable) metric called XP. The more XP a node operator acquired, the higher their position on the operator leaderboard. The higher your position on the leaderboard the more workload gets assigned to your node, meaning the higher your node utilization rate. Additionally high XP can also translate into winning prizes, badges, perks or bonus multipliers for node earnings. Core earning avenues are:

1. Network Operation. Node owners who run stable, high-uptime machines accumulate XP in proportion to the reliability and performance of their nodes. This ensures that those contributing critical infrastructure earn corresponding reputation points. And as a bonus simply by holding your rewards in your wallet, your nodes can accrue more XP.

2. Community Participation. Active Discord or forum participation, creation of high-quality guides or tutorials, and social media advocacy all generate XP. This mechanism rewards both the technical and cultural contributors who help grow and educate the community. The Web App and Discord facilitate easy access for members to participate in activities where they can earn XP.

3. Community Jobs: Periodic events hosted by the YOM Foundation or community-driven committees can offer bonus XP for tasks like stress-testing new features or helping onboard new members. Certain XP awards are distributed through peer recognition, where outstanding contributions or helpful community moderation receive upvotes or endorsements from other members.