FLAN: Financial Ledger Applications Network

Using specialized radio-data protocols and the XRPL to facilitate access to financial networks for people in developing nations, and to help local entrepreneurs flourish in their own communities.

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What it does

Click here for an IN DEPTH project description video with demonstration

Solving the last mile problem for CBDCs and Public blockchains in the developing world. Acting as primary or redundant public messaging infrastructure using license free, cheap and widely available audio radio transceivers. Allows for the rapid deployment of a financial data network and interface terminals to locations where no infrastructure exists or is unreliable.

Uses the XRPL for inter-village payments and international remittance in under 3 minutes via radio networks in isolated and un-banked communities, all on solar powered infrastructure.

Challenges we ran into

Handling finance data over conventional acoustic radio transceivers demands aggressive error detection and forward error correction, as well as adaptive data rate control and remote signal quality reporting. Since the protocol guarantees reliability under most interference conditions, inline data compression and AES transport encryption become possible.

VSAT and Iridium satellite constellations have high contention, extreme bandwidth limitations and abnormally long round trip times, therefore we developed a custom UDP based protocol that facilitates reliable batch DLT transaction processing over these limited links.

Finally, when dealing with money, its important that transaction sessions provide disaster recovery and end-to-end encryption, in addition to transport security to provide the level of service expected when dealing with large sums of money.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Able to use license free radio spectrum, compatible with a huge range of commercial and amateur transceivers. TCP-Like reliable data transfer using commodity radio transceivers and LoRa (IOT). Over the air software installations and upgrades.

All supported hardware is off the shelf and available in most locations worldwide. No use of proprietary or specialized interface hardware, local population can be trained to support and maintain the network. ALL transactions are on chain, no multiple layer settlement.

All radio control and protocol functionality are based entirely in software and are therefore remotely and centrally upgradable. The FLAN uses Ubuntu as the host operating system and has executable binaries to support a wide range of single board, laptop and desktop computers, allowing installers to use repurposed or recycled equipment when available.

What's next for FLAN: Financial Ledger Applications Network

Proper user interface design. Full featured XRPL implementation, energy generation and management, QR input via camera, ruggedized cabinet development, using shared satellite telephone handsets (Iridium and Inmarsat) to provide economical DLT access to the network.

U.S. Patent Pending 63531554

Built With

  • aes
  • afsk
  • error-correction
  • inmarsat
  • iot
  • iridium
  • lora
  • ubuntu
  • udp
  • uhf
  • vhf
  • vsat
  • xojo
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