Scottcjn/Rustchain

Sybil-resistant AI agent network with hardware-attested identity. Proof-of-Antiquity blockchain: physical machines across 15+ CPU architectures prove they are real silicon, not VM farms. Agent economy, micropayments, Solana bridge (wRTC). $0 VC.

What it solves

RustChain is a Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) designed to prevent e-waste and provide a Sybil-resistant identity layer for AI agents. It solves the problem of hardware obsolescence by rewarding the preservation of vintage computing hardware and addresses the issue of spoofable agent identities by verifying that agents are running on real, physical silicon rather than virtual machines or cloud containers.

How it works

The project implements a novel Layer-1 consensus mechanism called Proof of Antiquity. This system uses AI-augmented hardware fingerprinting to verify physical machines through six specific checks: oscillator drift, cache timing, SIMD unit identity, thermal drift entropy, instruction path jitter, and anti-emulation detection. Older hardware receives higher reward multipliers, making vintage machines more valuable over time. For AI agents, the project provides a permissionless payment rail (RTC/wRTC tokens) and a hardware-verified identity system where an agent's signing key is tied to its physical compute provenance.

Who it’s for

  • Vintage Computing Enthusiasts: People who own and maintain old hardware (PowerPC, SPARC, MIPS, etc.) and want to earn rewards for preserving it.
  • AI Agent Developers: Developers building autonomous agents that require unfakeable, hardware-attested identities and a native way to handle micropayments without traditional banking.
  • Sustainability Advocates: Those looking to reduce e-waste by extending the life of working machines.

Highlights

  • Proof of Antiquity: A consensus model where hardware appreciates in value as it ages.
  • Hardware Fingerprinting: Uses physics-based checks (like thermal curves and clock skew) to detect and block VMs and emulators.
  • Agent-Native Economy: Integrated support for AI agents via the Beacon discovery protocol and a native currency for machine-to-machine micropayments.
  • Broad Architecture Support: Compatible with 15+ architectures including RISC-V, PowerPC, and x86.
  • Proof of Provenance: A protocol (RIP-0310) that binds agent identity and verified hardware to published content.

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