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Encryption Nodes ​

Overview ​

QuStream Encryption Nodes are specialized blockchain nodes that handle dynamic key generation, sharded key distribution, and quantum-safe encryption processing. Unlike standard validator nodes, Encryption Nodes do not store complete encryption keys, ensuring that no single entity—including QuStream—has full access to the encryption data.

These nodes are decentralized, community-run, and designed for high scalability, providing a secure infrastructure for quantum-resistant encryption services.

How Encryption Nodes Work ​

1️⃣ Processing Encryption Requests ​

  • A user or system submits a Key Request via the QuStream network.
  • Validator Nodes validate and approve the request, ensuring the sender has sufficient funds or permissions.
  • Once approved, the encryption request is forwarded to the Encryption Nodes, where the key generation process begins.

Learn More → Key Request Process

2️⃣ Dynamic Key Generation via QRNG ​

  • Encryption Nodes utilize a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) to generate a 2,097,152-bit random block (R).
  • Within R, 18 segments of key generation material (kGen) are randomly inserted.
  • Each key segment is obfuscated using a 40-bit suffix (P) and a bitwise XOR operation for additional security.

Learn More → Quantum-Safe Cryptography

3️⃣ Sharded Key Storage & Distribution ​

  • Encryption Nodes do not store full keys—instead, data is sharded across multiple nodes.
  • A portion of the encrypted key data is stored on QuStream-run nodes (100 total).
  • The remaining portion is distributed across 400 community-run nodes.
  • Even if an attacker compromises the community nodes, they still lack access to the entire encryption key.

Learn More → Sharded Data Storage

4️⃣ Secure Key Retrieval & Authentication ​

  • When the user retrieves their encryption key, their device scans the modified sharded key block (R') for their rUIDs.
  • The system reconstructs the encryption key by extracting, ordering, and combining the distributed key segments.
  • The final encryption key is generated and used to encrypt, decrypt, or sign transactions.

Why Encryption Nodes Are Secure ​

✅ No Single Point of Failure – Encryption data is sharded, ensuring that no entity controls the full key.
✅ Decentralized & Community-Run – Encryption Nodes operate independently, reducing trust dependency.
✅ Quantum-Safe Encryption – Dynamic key rotation eliminates long-term cryptographic exposure.
✅ Scalable & Efficient – Supports high-throughput encryption requests for blockchain users and institutions.

Conclusion ​

Encryption Nodes form the backbone of QuStream’s quantum-safe encryption system, ensuring data privacy, security, and decentralized key management. By leveraging sharded storage, QRNG-based randomness, and real-time key distribution, these nodes provide a scalable and future-proof encryption model for Web3 and enterprise applications.

Next Steps ​