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https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally

A fast, efficient and trust-minimized unidirectional micro-payments system.
https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally

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A fast, efficient and trust-minimized unidirectional micro-payments system.

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README

          

# Graph Tally

| Crate | Latest Version |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **graph_tally_aggregator** | [![GHCR](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/graphprotocol/graph-tally?filter=graph_tally_aggregator-*&label=ghcr.io)](https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally/pkgs/container/graph_tally_aggregator) |
| **graph_tally_core** | [![GitHub Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/graphprotocol/graph-tally?filter=graph_tally_core-*)](https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally/releases) |
| **graph_tally_eip712_message** | [![GitHub Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/graphprotocol/graph-tally?filter=graph_tally_eip712_message-*)](https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally/releases) |
| **graph_tally_graph** | [![GitHub Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/graphprotocol/graph-tally?filter=graph_tally_graph-*)](https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally/releases) |
| **graph_tally_receipt** | [![GitHub Release](https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/graphprotocol/graph-tally?filter=graph_tally_receipt-*)](https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally/releases) |

## Overview

Graph Tally (formerly TAP - Timeline Aggregation Protocol) facilitates a series of payments from a
sender to a receiver (Receipts), who aggregates these payments into a single
payment (a Receipt Aggregate Voucher, or RAV). This aggregate payment can then be
verified on-chain by a payment verifier, reducing the number of transactions and
simplifying the payment process.

## Documentation for Individual Components

- [graph_tally_aggregator](crates/aggregator/README.md)

## Key Components

- **Sender:** Initiates the payment.
- **Receiver:** Receives the payment.
- **Signers:** Multiple signers authorized by the sender to sign receipts.
- **State Channel:** A one-way channel opened by the sender with the receiver
for sending receipts.
- **Receipt:** A record of payment sent by the sender to the receiver.
- **ReceiptAggregateVoucher (RAV):** A signed message containing the aggregate
value of the receipts.
- **graph_tally_aggregator:** A service managed by the sender that aggregates receipts
on the receiver's request into a signed RAV.
- **EscrowAccount:** An account created in the blockchain to hold funds for
the sender-receiver pair.

## Security Measures

- The protocol uses asymmetric cryptography (ECDSA secp256k1) to sign and
verify messages, ensuring the integrity of receipts and RAVs.

## Process

1. **Opening a State Channel:** A state channel is opened via a blockchain
contract, creating an EscrowAccount for the sender-receiver pair.
2. **Sending Receipts:** The sender sends receipts to the receiver through the
state channel.
3. **Storing Receipts:** The receiver stores the receipts and tracks the
aggregate payment.
4. **Creating a RAV Request:** A RAV request consists of a list of receipts and,
optionally, the previous RAV.
5. **Signing the RAV:** The receiver sends the RAV request to the graph_tally_aggregator,
which signs it into a new RAV.
6. **Tracking Aggregate Value:** The receiver tracks the aggregate value and
new receipts since the last RAV.
7. **Requesting a New RAV:** The receiver sends new receipts and the last RAV
to the graph_tally_aggregator for a new RAV.
8. **Closing the State Channel:** When the allocation period ends, the receiver
can send the last RAV to the blockchain and receive payment from the EscrowAccount.

## Performance Considerations

- The primary performance limitations are the time required to verify receipts
and network limitations for sending requests to the graph_tally_aggregator.

## Use Cases

- Graph Tally is suitable for systems that need unidirectional, parallel
micro-payments that are too expensive to redeem individually on-chain. By
aggregating operations off-chain and redeeming them in one transaction, costs
are drastically reduced.

## Compatibility

- The current implementation is for EVM-compatible blockchains, with most of the
system being off-chain.

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please submit a pull request or open an issue to
discuss potential changes.
Also, make sure to follow the [Contributing Guide](https://github.com/graphprotocol/graph-tally/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).