Protocol & Core Development
Pocket Network Shannon is built on the Cosmos SDK (v0.53.0) with CometBFT consensus (v0.38.19). The protocol is implemented in the poktroll repository.
Module Architecture
Shannon is organized into 9 application-specific modules (x/):
| Module | Purpose |
|---|---|
| application | Application staking, delegation, and session participation |
| supplier | Supplier staking, service registration, and relay serving |
| gateway | Gateway registration and delegation management |
| service | Service definition, compute unit pricing, relay mining difficulty |
| session | Deterministic session assignment — matching Applications to Suppliers |
| proof | Claim and proof lifecycle — submission, validation, settlement triggers |
| tokenomics | Token Logic Modules (TLMs) — burn, mint, distribution, PIP-41 deflation |
| shared | Cross-module parameters and shared state |
| migration | Morse → Shannon account migration (ETVL process) |
Proto-First Development
Shannon follows a proto-first development model. All messages, queries, and state objects are defined as Protocol Buffers before implementation. This ensures type safety, enables auto-generated clients, and provides a canonical API specification.
What’s in This Section
- Architecture — Module interaction map, Cosmos SDK patterns, proto definitions
- Sessions, Claims & Proofs — The relay lifecycle in technical depth
- Tokenomics Deep Dive — Token Logic Modules, relay mining math, settlement
- Governance Internals — Parameter storage, authorization, on-chain updates
- Repository Guide — All 7 active repos and their roles
- Development Setup — LocalNet, DevNets, TestNet environments
- Contributing — Code review guidelines, observability, PR process
- Testing — Unit, integration, E2E (Gherkin BDD), and load testing
Quick Links
- Repository: github.com/pokt-network/poktroll
- Docusaurus docs: 123 pages of protocol documentation in the repo
- Language: Go
- License: MIT
- Active development: Daily commits, multiple contributors
The legacy pocket-core (Morse protocol) is deprecated. All new development targets Shannon via poktroll and PATH.
In this section
Contributing
How to contribute to Pocket Network — code review guidelines, PR process, observability standards, and contribution paths.
Learn more →Development Setup
Set up a poktroll development environment — LocalNet with Tilt, DevNets, TestNet, and essential shell commands.
Learn more →Governance Internals
Technical governance mechanics — how on-chain parameters are stored, updated, authorized, and enforced across Shannon modules.
Learn more →Repository Guide
Map of all active Pocket Network repositories — what each repo does, how they relate, and where to start contributing.
Learn more →Sessions, Claims & Proofs
How Pocket Network's session lifecycle works — relay serving, claims, proofs, and settlement.
Learn more →Shannon Architecture
Deep dive into Pocket Network's Shannon protocol — modules, actors, relay flow, and the proto-first development model.
Learn more →Testing
Poktroll testing guide — unit tests with table-driven patterns, integration tests with in-memory chain, and E2E tests with Gherkin BDD on LocalNet.
Learn more →Tokenomics Deep Dive
Developer-oriented tokenomics — Token Logic Modules, settlement math, relay mining difficulty, and the path to deflation.
Learn more →