# Rhiza Protocol

> A DAG-based, feeless, mesh-networked cryptocurrency with Proof of Relay consensus.

## Overview

Rhiza (ρίζα — Greek for "root") is a decentralized digital currency built on a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) instead of a traditional blockchain. It uses Proof of Relay (PoR) consensus where participants earn rewards by relaying transactions rather than mining or staking.

## Key Properties

- **DAG Structure**: Every transaction references 2 previous transactions, enabling parallel processing and instant finality
- **Proof of Relay (PoR)**: Earn RHZ by relaying transactions — no mining hardware or staked capital needed
- **Zero Transaction Fees**: All transactions are free, always
- **Mesh Networking**: Works over TCP/IP, WiFi Direct, Bluetooth LE, and LoRa — functions without internet
- **21 Million Max Supply**: Hard cap with halving relay rewards
- **Bech32m Addresses**: Human-readable addresses starting with `rhz1`

## Technical Stack

- Written in Rust for memory safety and performance
- BLAKE3 cryptographic hashing (3x faster than SHA-256)
- Ed25519 digital signatures (same as Signal, Tor, SSH)
- libp2p for peer-to-peer networking
- Built-in web wallet UI at localhost:7471

## How Proof of Relay Works

1. A peer sends you a transaction
2. You validate it (check Ed25519 signature, verify parent transactions exist in DAG, check balance)
3. You relay it to your connected peers
4. You earn a relay reward (starts at 0.01 RHZ, halves every 1,000 relays)
5. Diminishing returns prevent any single node from dominating

## Comparison with Other Cryptocurrencies

| Property | Bitcoin | Ethereum | Solana | Rhiza |
|----------|---------|----------|--------|-------|
| Structure | Blockchain | Blockchain | Blockchain | DAG |
| Consensus | PoW | PoS | PoH+PoS | Proof of Relay |
| Transaction Fees | $1-50 | $0.50-100 | $0.001 | $0 always |
| Finality | ~60 min | ~15 min | ~0.4s | Seconds |
| Min. Hardware | ASIC ($5000+) | 32 ETH ($100k+) | High-spec server | Any device |
| Works Offline | No | No | No | Yes (mesh) |

## Protocol Constants

- Symbol: RHZ
- Max Supply: 21,000,000 RHZ
- Smallest Unit: 10⁻⁸ RHZ
- Base Relay Reward: 0.01 RHZ
- Halving Interval: 1,000 relays
- Hash Function: BLAKE3
- Signature Scheme: Ed25519
- Address Format: Bech32m (rhz1...)
- Default Port: 7470

## Installation

Requires Rust 1.70+.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/rhiza-protocol/rhiza.git
cd rhiza && cargo build --release
cargo run --bin rhiza-cli -- wallet create
cargo run --bin rhiza-node -- start
# Web wallet at http://localhost:7471
```

## Architecture

The project is organized as a Rust workspace with three crates:
- rhiza-core: Core protocol library (crypto, DAG, consensus, networking, wallet)
- rhiza-node: Full node daemon with REST API and embedded web wallet
- rhiza-cli: Command-line interface for wallet management

## Links

- Website: https://rhiza-protocol.github.io
- GitHub: https://github.com/rhiza-protocol/rhiza
- Whitepaper: https://github.com/rhiza-protocol/rhiza/blob/main/WHITEPAPER.md
- License: MIT