Full Node

Full nodes are decentralized blockchain validator nodes that maintain the OpenGradient ledger. They handle node registration, payments, and validate all proofs and attestations generated by inference nodes and data nodes. By handling verification asynchronously after inference completes, full nodes enable web2-like latency while ensuring the integrity and security of the network.

TIP

You can find the OpenGradient network explorer at https://explorer.opengradient.ai.

Core Responsibilities

Full nodes perform several critical functions that maintain the security and correctness of the OpenGradient network:

Registration and Settlement

Full nodes manage registration and settlement for the network:

• Node Registration: Inference nodes register and are verified—for TEE nodes, this confirms they run correct, untampered software (no logging or request manipulation)
• Payment Processing: Handle payment verification and settlement for inference operations (for x402 LLM inference, payment settlement happens on Base Sepolia)
• Proof Settlement: After inference completes, full nodes verify and record proofs and attestations to the ledger
• Ledger Management: Maintain the verifiable ledger ensuring all operations are recorded and auditable

This settlement-based architecture keeps inference fast (requests go directly to inference nodes) while ensuring all results are cryptographically verified and recorded.

Proof and Attestation Validation

Full nodes validate all cryptographic proofs and attestations generated by specialized nodes:

• Inference Node Proofs: Verify ZKML proofs, TEE attestations, or Vanilla inference results from inference nodes to ensure correct model execution
• Data Node Attestations: Validate TEE attestations from data nodes to guarantee secure and untampered data retrieval This comprehensive validation ensures that all AI inference operations and data access are cryptographically verified before being recorded to the network ledger.

Network Coordination

Full nodes serve as coordination hubs in the OpenGradient network:

• State Propagation: Share validated state with other nodes over the P2P network, enabling efficient synchronization
• Verification Alerts: Broadcast alerts when invalid operations are detected
• State Sync: Provide state snapshots and historical data to nodes that need to catch up

Trust and Verification

Full nodes are the foundation of trust on the OpenGradient network. Through end-to-end validation of:

• Cryptographic Proofs: Validating ZKML proofs and TEE attestations from inference nodes
• Attestations: Confirming data node attestations and inference results
• Ledger Integrity: Ensuring consistency across all recorded operations

Full nodes guarantee that users and applications can trust the network without needing to run their own node. This is achieved through cryptographic verification rather than social trust, making the network secure and decentralized.

Interaction with Other Node Types

Full nodes coordinate with all other node types in the HACA architecture:

• Inference Nodes: Handle registration and receive proofs/attestations for settlement after inference completes
• Data Nodes: Validate attestations from data nodes providing secure external data access
• Storage: Reference Blob IDs from Walrus (via storage) when validating operations

Security Guarantees

Full nodes provide several critical security guarantees:

1. Cryptographic Verification: All proofs and attestations are cryptographically verified before acceptance
2. Invalid Operation Detection: Invalid operations are detected and alerts are broadcast automatically
3. Ledger Consistency: Verification ensures all recorded operations are correct
4. Decentralization: Multiple independent full nodes validate the same operations, preventing single points of failure

These guarantees ensure that the OpenGradient network remains secure, verifiable, and trustworthy for all AI inference and data access operations.