IPvX — addresses, names and routes instead of IP and DNS
The source of truth is a blockchain registry. A node is an NFT, a name is a registry record, a path is a contract between NFTs in a smart contract. IPvX packets travel directly over the transmission medium; during the transition they can be carried over existing IP.
Where we are nowParticipants' forum
ipvx.org/forumQuestions, ideas and reviews of experiments, next to the documents under discussion. Anyone can read; posting requires signing in with Relcom ID.
Lab
lab.ipvx.orgA live testbed: five VMs on three physical hosts and synthetic agents without an LLM. It shows current routes, the timeline of an intermediary failure and signed evidence for every hop.
View only: internal addresses and decrypted results are hidden, and only the testbed operator can switch nodes off.
The four parts of IPvX
A registry instead of address allocation
A node gets its identity as an NFT in a blockchain registry. Owner, keys and path rules are recorded in smart contracts instead of being handed out by the ICANN → RIR → provider chain.
Tested on SepoliaPackets without IP
A packet carries the recipient's owner, NFT and connection rule and travels directly in Ethernet frames. The MAC names the nearest neighbor; the registry address names the final node.
Measured without the registryNames without the DNS hierarchy
The IRS resolver answers name queries from registry records. Names are flat and do not depend on the ICANN root zone.
Not startedRoute choice
Contracts between NFTs define the permitted paths. Among them a route is chosen by price, latency or contract terms; the original paper assigns this task to AI.
Not started
The parts are described in the original IPvX papers. Open publications →
Where we are now
First the registry, then packet delivery on live registry state, then names. Each experiment's protocol is recorded before launch; the result is published together with its limitations.
Agents and models are one application
Earlier experiments tested how language models exchange tasks through our own packet format. This is a use case for the network, not the definition of IPvX; the journals and conclusions of those experiments are preserved.
Writing the protocol together
RFCs are working project documents. Their numbers do not mean IETF publication or adoption of a standard.