mfahampshire
a70e68c7bd
* Smolmix documentation * Add smolmix docs: landing page, tutorials, and developer page links * Add Exit Gateway services page (NR vs IPR) and link from existing docs * Update auto-generated command and API outputs * Reorg of tutorials and architecture pages * License information + remove TODO from docs.rs visibile comment + reorg readme * Add versions file for doc-wide versioning * Relative -> absolute links * Relative -> absolute links * Update license + add old tutorial code as examples * Streamline smolmix docs * Clippy * Clean up doc comments * Last pass * Add larger file download to list * set new versions * Clippy * Remove blake pin from docs + add version range to root Cargo.toml * Format example logging * Remove crate blocked component * Loose whitespace * Add doc verification script for inline mdx * Formatting * Components regen * Reorg + tighten text * Voicing cohesion pass + remove bloated examples * Voicing cont. * Reduce max download size * Small suggested clarifications * Max/docs voicing consistency (#6769) * Reduce max download size * voicing consistency across docs * New landing order w smolmix * Tweaks * Final tweaks
30 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
30 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: "Epochs in the Nym Network"
|
|
description: "How epochs organise time in the Nym Network: reward distribution, topology reshuffling, SURB validity windows, and future automatic role assignment."
|
|
schemaType: "TechArticle"
|
|
section: "Network"
|
|
lastUpdated: "2026-03-15"
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Epochs
|
|
|
|
Time in the Nym Network is organised into epochs: discrete periods during which certain network operations occur. The current epoch length is one hour.
|
|
|
|
## What happens at epoch boundaries
|
|
|
|
**Reward distribution** calculates performance metrics for each node and distributes NYM token rewards based on routing reliability and uptime, so that nodes successfully forwarding packets earn more than those with poor performance.
|
|
|
|
**Topology rerandomization** shuffles the arrangement of nodes in each layer. This prevents long-term route prediction attacks and limits the damage from any compromised nodes. Nodes may also enter or leave the active set based on uptime monitoring and stake changes.
|
|
|
|
## Future changes
|
|
|
|
In upcoming releases, epochs will trigger automatic role assignment. Nodes will switch between Mix Node and Gateway roles based on network demand, without operators needing to manually configure roles.
|
|
|
|
## SURB validity
|
|
|
|
SURBs are tied to key rotation cycles. Node keys rotate on an odd/even schedule with a default validity of 24 epochs. A SURB remains usable for `(validity_epochs + 1) * epoch_duration`, roughly 25 hours at the current 1-hour epoch. After that, the routing keys it was built with are no longer accepted by the network. Clients automatically purge stale SURBs and request fresh ones.
|
|
|
|
## Querying epoch information
|
|
|
|
Current epoch data is available through Nyx blockchain queries and Nym API endpoints.
|