Topological consensus for post-quantum networks.
Disentangle implements Proof of Entanglement (PoE), a consensus mechanism that derives security from information theory and topology rather than game theory or thermodynamics.
Traditional consensus protocols answer: "who has authority to append blocks?" Proof of Work selects by computational expenditure; Proof of Stake selects by collateral. Both reduce consensus to a leader-election problem and inherit the game-theoretic assumptions that follow.
Proof of Entanglement asks a different question: "which state is structurally coherent with the network's history?" Transactions form a directed acyclic graph (DAG), and consensus emerges from measuring the topological curvature of that graph using discrete Ollivier-Ricci curvature (Jaccard variant). Blocks whose local geometry is consistent with the global structure are accepted; blocks that distort it are rejected. There is no mining, no staking, and no committee selection.
The protocol uses post-quantum cryptographic primitives throughout: ML-DSA-87 (Dilithium5) for signatures, ML-KEM-1024 (Kyber1024) for key encapsulation, and SHA3-256 for hashing. All consensus-critical arithmetic uses fixed-point representation (i32, SCALE=65536) to ensure deterministic cross-platform computation.
Disentangle is implemented as a Rust workspace of nine crates:
| Crate | Purpose |
|---|---|
disentangle-dag |
Core DAG structure and transaction graph |
disentangle-consensus |
Curvature-based consensus logic, confirmation rules |
disentangle-simhash |
Locality-sensitive hashing for Proof of Entanglement |
disentangle-crypto |
Post-quantum primitives (ML-DSA, ML-KEM, SHA3) |
disentangle-p2p |
libp2p networking layer, peer discovery |
disentangle-node |
Node binary and RPC server |
disentangle-cli |
Command-line interface |
disentangle-identity |
Decentralized identifiers, capabilities, petname system |
disentangle-zkp |
Zero-knowledge proofs (Plonky3 STARKs) |
cargo build --releasecargo testdocker compose upThis starts a five-node local testnet with pre-configured peer discovery.
disentangle-node <p2p-port> <rpc-port> [bootstrap-peer]Topological consensus. Finality is determined by the curvature of the DAG, not by vote counting or chain weight. Discrete Ollivier-Ricci curvature (Jaccard variant) measures structural coherence at each vertex, providing a mathematical criterion for accepting or rejecting state transitions.
Curvature freezing. Once a transaction reaches CONFIRMATION_DEPTH=6, its curvature score is frozen. This provides deterministic finality without probabilistic guarantees.
Bootstrap ramping. During the network bootstrap phase (blocks 1000 through 6000), the curvature weighting parameter alpha ramps linearly from zero to its steady-state value. This prevents cliff attacks during early-network conditions when the graph is sparse.
Post-quantum from day one. All cryptographic operations use NIST-standardized post-quantum algorithms at their highest security levels (NIST Level 5). No classical fallbacks are used in production paths.
SimHash binding. Locality-sensitive hashing binds each transaction to the structural context in which it was created, making retroactive graph manipulation detectable.
Privacy-preserving identity. Ephemeral keys and nullifiers provide transaction unlinkability while maintaining Sybil resistance through zero-knowledge reputation proofs.
The full protocol specification is available in SPEC.md (v0.3).
Disentangle is in alpha. The protocol specification is stabilizing, core crates compile and pass tests, and a Docker-based local testnet is operational. The protocol is not yet suitable for production use.
Current work includes:
- Testnet hardening and observability
- ZK reputation proof integration
- SDK development (Python, TypeScript)
- Formal verification of curvature properties
Contributions are welcome. Please open an issue to discuss proposed changes before submitting a pull request.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0. See LICENSE for details.
