General
Beginner
Updated 1/15/2025
What is
Proprietary IP?
Closed-source intellectual property owned by specific entities. Ergo is fully open-source with no proprietary components, ensuring transparency and community ownership.
Proprietary IP (Intellectual Property) refers to technology, code, or designs owned by a specific entity and not freely available. Unlike proprietary systems, Ergo is fully open-source - all core code, protocols, and fundamental tools are publicly available under permissive licenses. This means anyone can audit the code, fork the project, or build upon it without permission. The absence of proprietary IP in Ergo's core ensures true decentralization, prevents vendor lock-in, and allows the community to maintain the project independently if needed.
Key Points
- Ergo has no proprietary core components
- All code is open-source and auditable
- Prevents vendor lock-in
- Community can fork if needed
- Ensures true decentralization
- Contrast to closed-source projects
Use Cases
1
Understanding Ergo's open-source nature
2
Evaluating project transparency
3
Assessing decentralization claims
4
Comparing licensing models
Technical Details
Ergo's core components are licensed under permissive open-source licenses (typically MIT or Apache 2.0). This includes the node software, SDKs, and core libraries. Some ecosystem projects may have their own licensing, but the fundamental infrastructure is open. This contrasts with some blockchain projects that have proprietary components or restrictive licenses.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about Proprietary IP
Common questions about this topic
How to get started with Ergo?
Start by getting a wallet (Nautilus for browser, Terminus for mobile). Back up your seed phrase securely offline. Get some ERG from an exchange (Gate.io, KuCoin) or DEX (Spectrum). Make a test transaction. Then explore: try DeFi on Spectrum, check out NFTs, or dive into the technology if you're a builder.
How-to
Getting Started
Is Ergo a good investment?
This is not financial advice. Ergo has strong fundamentals: fair launch (no VC dump risk), innovative technology (eUTXO, Sigma Protocols, NiPoPoWs), active development, and a cypherpunk ethos. It's a smaller market cap project with higher risk/reward than established chains. Research thoroughly, understand the technology, and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Comparison
Getting Started
What can I do with Ergo?
Ergo supports a full ecosystem: trade on Spectrum DEX, use SigmaUSD stablecoin, mix transactions with ErgoMixer, collect NFTs on SkyHarbor, mine with GPUs, lend/borrow on DuckPools, bridge to other chains via Rosen, and build dApps with ErgoScript. It's a complete platform for decentralized finance and applications.
Explainer
Getting Started
How do miners earn money on Ergo?
Ergo miners earn from three sources: block rewards (newly minted ERG), transaction fees, and storage rent. Block rewards decrease over time according to the emission schedule, but storage rent ensures long-term income even after all ERG is mined. Most miners use pools for consistent payouts.
How-to
Mining