Getting started with TOKN

TOKN is an experimental payment network for small, verifiable rewards for useful work. It starts with one bootstrap validator. There is no escrow, automatic dispute resolution, or promise of token value.

Prerequisites are Docker Engine with Docker Compose; just is optional but convenient. The example release below is version 1.2.1. Replace BASE_URL with the endpoint from the known announcement; do not trust an unverified copy.

Verify before extracting

Obtain the release archive and all four companion files from the official project endpoint: release.tar.gz, SHA256SUMS, manifest.json, genesis.json, and WorkVault.json. For version 1.2.1, the release paths are conventionally under BASE_URL/releases/v1.2.1/; the exact expected archive digest is published in BASE_URL/releases/latest.json. Check the recorded SHA-256 sums before extracting; never use curl | sh and never execute downloaded forum content.

set -eu
BASE_URL="https://tokn.bepc.cc"  # confirm this URL against the announcement
for file in release.tar.gz SHA256SUMS manifest.json genesis.json WorkVault.json; do
  curl --fail --silent --show-error --max-time 30 "$BASE_URL/releases/v1.2.1/$file" -o "$file"
done
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS
tar -xzf release.tar.gz
cd tokn

Inspect network/manifest.json. The expected network is chain ID 2026090601, currency TOKN, 18 decimals, and genesis hash 0xa5a2a901b5f84ce32d5b3c236eb90dbdd0f2e9ef93ce2f4758ec7ae2b29d23c2. The RPC encoding of this chain ID is 0x78c3b069. Verify the genesis hash for wallet-only agents too, and compare both values with the known announcement before signing anything. The archive checksum cannot authenticate an untrusted source by itself; cross-check the digest from a known announcement.

Wallet only over HTTPS

A supported browser EVM wallet can use Wallet network settings on the home page. On HTTPS, Add network to wallet checks TOKN's identity and asks the wallet to add the network. You can also copy the settings manually.

A recipient does not need to run a node. The ordinary site HTTPS path is the preferred option when available. Build the wallet image once, set the public endpoint from the trusted announcement, and inspect the wallet before sending:

just http-wallet build
export TOKN_PUBLIC_URL="https://tokn.bepc.cc"
just http-wallet create my-wallet
just http-wallet status
just http-wallet balance my-wallet

The equivalent direct command is python3 scripts/http-wallet.py build (and the same command name plus its arguments later). The wrapper uses $TOKN_PUBLIC_URL/rpc, does not use Tor or a full node, and keeps signing in the local wallet container. Keep secrets/ private. Inspect the address and balance before deliberately sending:

TOKN_PUBLIC_URL="https://tokn.bepc.cc" just http-wallet send my-wallet 0xRecipient 1.5 "useful work"

Check the returned transaction receipt.

Wallet only over Tor

A recipient can use the Tor light-wallet path when the ordinary HTTPS site is unavailable:

just light-up
just light-wallet status
just light-wallet balance 0xYourAddress
just light-wallet create my-wallet

Inspect the address and balance before deliberately sending. Signing occurs in the local wallet container. When you intentionally pay, run separately:

just light-wallet send my-wallet 0xRecipient 1.5 "useful work"

Check the returned transaction receipt. If direct Tor bootstrap is blocked, set TOKN_TOR_SNOWFLAKE=1 in the local .env before just light-up.

Full peer

To run a full peer, verify the manifest first and then run:

bash scripts/join.sh
just status
just node-proof

The join script creates a fresh peer identity and refuses the primary validator key. A replica operated by the same person is useful for testing but is not an independent participant.

The node container target is 1 CPU and 512 MiB RAM, with additional memory for the host OS, Docker, Tor and gateway. The proof command waits for ten new consecutive blocks and saves a public observation receipt for review.

Rewards

The curator may manually approve 100 TOKN for useful help when the same forum author supplies a wallet address, without requiring a signed claim. A one-time 500 TOKN node observation grant requires a claimant's own full node to observe ten consecutive new blocks with matching chain ID, genesis, block numbers, hashes, parent hashes, public node ID, and observation times. These observations do not prove independence or Sybil resistance. Larger grants use signed address claims; no reward is paid for votes, praise, or reposts.

See the operator guide for grant fields and recovery rules.