What is Core (CORE) ?

The Core network, also known as Core DAO, is a layer 1 blockchain that claims to solve the famous blockchain trilemma. This blockchain aims to combine the strengths of Bitcoin and Ethereum to offer a highly scalable, secure, and decentralized platform for decentralized applications (dApps) and decentralized finance (DeFi).

The project began with a passionate discussion between two friends, one a fervent defender of Satoshi Nakamoto's original vision embodied by Bitcoin, and the other convinced of the disruptive potential of smart contracts popularized by Ethereum. Faced with the respective strengths and weaknesses of the two platforms—Bitcoin's unmatched security and decentralization on one side, and Ethereum's flexibility and programmability on the other—the idea germinated to create a new blockchain capable of merging the best of both worlds.

This ambitious project was carried forward by Core DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization tasked with guiding the network's development and governance. After a design and development phase, the Core mainnet was officially launched in January 2023. This launch was quickly followed by a major airdrop, distributing the first CORE tokens to a large community, attracting more than 1.5 million participants and marking the beginning of the ecosystem's growth.

At the heart of the Core ecosystem operates the $CORE token, which is the native and utility cryptocurrency of this blockchain. Its design and functions are essential to the proper functioning and security of the network. Inspired by Bitcoin's economic model, the $CORE token has a limited maximum supply of 2.1 billion units, a figure that alludes to Bitcoin's 21 million, thus establishing a principle of digital scarcity.

The primary utilities of the $CORE token are twofold. First, it plays a crucial role in securing the network through the staking mechanism. $CORE token holders can choose to "lock" their assets (delegate them) to network validators. By participating in consensus this way, they actively contribute to the stability and security of the Core blockchain. In exchange for their participation and immobilization of their tokens, stakers are rewarded with new $CORE tokens, creating an economic incentive to secure the network.

Second, the $CORE token is used for paying transaction fees on the Core blockchain. Each operation performed on the network, whether it's a simple token transfer, execution of a smart contract, or interaction with a decentralized application (dApp), requires the payment of gas fees. These fees are paid in $CORE tokens and serve to compensate validators for their work of processing and including transactions in blocks. This mechanism ensures the economic functioning of the network and prevents spam of unnecessary transactions. A portion of these fees may also be burned, helping to reduce the circulating supply and support the token's value over the long term, similar to Ethereum's EIP-1559 mechanism.

The functioning of the Core network is based on its innovative consensus mechanism, Satoshi Plus, specifically designed to achieve balance between security, scalability, and decentralization. This consensus is the engine that allows Core to combine Bitcoin's hash power (DPoW – Delegated Proof of Work) with the flexibility of CORE token staking (DPoS – Delegated Proof of Stake).

At the heart of this system are several key actors and components that interact to maintain the integrity and efficiency of the network:

Validators: These are the actors responsible for producing new blocks and validating transactions. In principle, anyone can aspire to become a validator by registering and depositing (staking) a sufficient amount of CORE tokens as collateral. The network operates with a restricted set of 21 active validators at any given time. Every 200 blocks, a new group of validators is selected based on a recalculated performance score. This score takes into account both the delegated Bitcoin hash power (via miners) and the amount of staked CORE tokens (via token holders). This mechanism aims to prioritize the most reliable and high-performing validators, ensuring the quality and stability of the network.

Bitcoin Miners: Playing a unique role in Satoshi Plus, Bitcoin miners can contribute to Core's security by delegating their hash power. They inscribe their preferences for Core validators directly in the headers of the Bitcoin blocks they mine. In return for this contribution to Core's security and decentralization, they receive rewards in CORE tokens, without having to give up Bitcoin mining itself. This creates an alignment of interests and allows Core to indirectly benefit from the immense security of the Bitcoin network.

Relayers: These specialized nodes play a crucial role in synchronization between Bitcoin and Core. They read Bitcoin block headers and transmit them to the Core network, allowing Core validators to verify Bitcoin miners' contributions and integrate PoW security into the Satoshi Plus consensus.

CORE Token Stakers: CORE token holders can actively participate in network security by delegating their tokens to validators of their choice. This action strengthens the chosen validator's score and allows stakers to receive a portion of the staking rewards, proportional to their contribution.

Verifiers: These actors have the mission to monitor the network for suspicious