What is Lava?

Lava's vision is to enable AI agents and anyone to use blockchain apps, 24/7, with no downtime.

Lava is a protocol which coordinates traffic from AI agents, apps and wallets on every blockchain. Specifically, the protocol focuses on RPC requests, which are used by everyone to make basic blockchain interactions such as sending any transaction or checking your wallet address. Lava aggregates data providers and directs RPC traffic based on the speed and reliability of the provider. The protocol has chains and apps like NEAR, Starknet, Filecoin, and Axelar already paying LAVA stakers and providers $1m+ to offer ultra-reliable service.

What makes Lava unique?

Lava coordinates a global, distributed network of independent RPC providers such as Alchemy (Bware Labs), Blockdaemon, Chainstack and many individual node runners. This ensures uptime, reliability and helps both newer or smaller chains to bootstrap their own infrastructure in minutes. Lava already supports 1m+ users daily on 40+ chains, and has secured over $1M in onchain revenue.

For AI agents, Lava unlocks fully peer-to-peer and permissionless multi-chain RPC, and other services such as indexed data. The protocol supports basic integrations with popular frameworks such as web3.js, ethers.js, cosm.js and viem. It is also possible to extend these integrations to AI agent development kits - so agents can truly use blockchains 24/7, without any obstacles.

Adding new chains and services to Lava is open-source and permissionless. Contributors, or chains themselves, write JSON files to define specifications such as API methods and compute requirements. Blockchains increasingly feel like digital cities, with their own thriving economies and citizens. Integrating specifications to Lava is akin to expanding Uber to new cities, making previously underserved regions easier to reach and faster to navigate.

What is the LAVA token used for?

If blockchains are cities, Lava owns the roads. Holding LAVA = owning the roads.

(Data) Providers e.g. RPC node runners, indexers are entities who stake LAVA to register on the Lava blockchain. Providers offer services such as RPC
Validators stake LAVA to secure the Lava blockchain
LAVA stakers delegate to Validators to secure the Lava blockchain.
LAVA restakers delegate to top Providers to direct more RPC traffic to them
Consumers e.g. dapps, wallets are entities who can purchase onchain subscriptions in LAVA, for high-scale infrastructure services

## Lava tools include:
*SDK with Badge Server and integrations - An SDK with an innovative badges system used to obscure and protect private keys for front-end dApps. SDK also supports native integrations with viem, web3.js, ethers.js, CosmJS and more soon.
*Lava Server Kit - consumers can have multiple concurrent sessions with different API providers from the protocol’s provider pairing lists. High throughput API requests from multiple sources are easily handled for enterprise-level usage.
*info.lavanet.xyz - an analytics page tracking Lava supported chains and provider metrics