messages.md

Messages

All message contain following basic fields:

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
magic	uint32	4	0x42042042, Indicating that this is a message.
type	VarInt	>=1, <= 8	Usually 1 bytes
length	uint32	4	length of the message. Currently ignored.
checksum	uint32	4	CRC32 checksum.

All messages have a fixed message type. Additional fields of specialized messages will be added behind.

Version Message

This message type = 0 sends out the status of this node, including it's protocol version, peer address, genesis block hash, and the hash of the latest block in its blockchain (the head).

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
version	uint32	4	version of the protocol
peer address	uint32	4	Three address types; see below
genesis hash	Hash	32	Hash of Genesis block
head hash	Hash	32	Hash of latest block in node's blockchain.

Three addresses can be used, a Web Socket address, a Web RTC address or a pain/dumb address.

WS Peer Address

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
protocol	uint8	1	1
service mask	uint32	4	0 none, 1 nano, 2 light, 4 full
timestamp	uint64	8	Used by other nodes to calculate offset.
net address	string	> 8 - 16	IPv4 address as string
host	string	>10	Hostname.
port	number	2	Port number for Web Socket Connector to listen to.

RTC Peer Address

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
protocol	uint8	1	2
services	uint32	4	see previous
timestamp	uint64	8	see previous
net address	string	> 8 - 16	see previous
signal ID	uint16	2	Signaling ID
distance	uint8	1	0: self, 1: direct connection, 2: 1 hop

Dumb Address

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
protocol	uint8	1	0
services	uint32	4	see previous
timestamp	uint64	8	see previous
net address	uint16	2	see previous
id	uint64	8

Request and Receive Inventory

A typical situation:

1. Node A enters the network and needs to synchronize
2. B sends out a get blocks message
3. B receives and sends an relay inventory with hashes of blocks that B considers useful for A
4. B compares the list with the blocks it has already
5. B uses get data to request the data for the blocks it doesn't have yet.

Similarily

1. Node A wants to update it's mempool and
2. A sends out a mempool message
3. Node B receives and sends an relay inventory message with blocks and transaction they have in their mempool
4. ... same like previous

Get Blocks

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
count	uint16	2	Number of hashes requested
locators	[Hash]	count * 32	List of block hashes from where to start sending more blocks. The receiving node will start sending from the first block it finds in it's blockchain.
max inventory size	uint8	2	The number of blocks that are been asked.
direction	uint8	1	1 forward (blocks afterwards); 2 backwards (previous blocks).

The response can be type = 6 for blocks, 7 for header, 8 for transaction, or type = 4 if the requested inventory could not be found.

Relay Inventory

Announcing it's blocks and transmissions, a node sends out an inventory message:

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
count	uint16	2
hashes	[Type+Hash]	count * 36	Depending on type, hashes of transactions or blocks

Requesting Data

Request headers via type = 3, and block or transactions data via type = 2

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
count	uint16	2
hashes	[Type+Hash]	count * 36	Depending on type, hashes of transactions or blocks

The type for each element in the hashes list can be 0..2: error, transaction, and block. 0 is not being used.

Block Message

This message is used to send one block at a time (in serialized form).

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block	Block	<= 1MB	Full block

Header Message

This message is used to send one header at a time (in serialized form).

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
header	Header	162	Block header

TX Message

This message is used to send one header at a time (in serialized form).

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
transaction	Transaction	XXX	Transaction

Mempool Message

This message is used to request peers to relay their inventory/mempool content. No additional fields, type = 9, cf. message types.

Reject Message

This message is used to signal to a peer that something they sent to the node was rejected and the reason why it was rejected.

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
message type	VarInt	1	message type
code	uint8	1	Reject message codes
reason length	uint8	1
reason	string	length	The reason why.
extra data length	uint16	2
extra data	raw	length	Extra information that might be useful to the requester.

Subscribe Message

This message is used to subscribe to messages from the node that this message is sent to, two version exist, "addresses" and "min fee".

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
subscription type	uint8	1	2 for "addresses" or 3 for "min fee"

Type "addresses" adds:

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
address count	uint16	2	Number of addresses
addresses	[Address]	count * 20	List of addresses to subscribe to

Type "min fee" adds:

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
fee	uint64	8	Min fee per byte in Satoshi required to subscribe

Relay Addresses

This message is used to relay the addresses to other peers.

Get Addresses Message

Ask for for addresses to peers that use the specified protocol and provide the specified services.

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
protocol mask	uint8	1	0 dumb, 1 ws, 2 rtc
service mask	uint32	4	0 none, 1 nano, 2 light, 4 full

Addresses Message

A list of address in return for a get addresses message.

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
address count	uint16	2	Number of addresses
addresses	[Address]	count * 20	List of addresses of other peers in the network.

Heart Beat Messages

This messages are used to make sure that the other peer node is available still.

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
type	uint16	2	22 for ping, 23 for pong (response)
...
nonce	uint32	4	Make pings and pongs unique, avoid replay

Signal Message

Signaling is needed for the browser clients to establish a connection with other clients of the same type.

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
sender id	raw	16	16 bytes address of sender
recipient id	raw	16	16 bytes address of recipient
nonce	uint32	4	aviod replay
time to live	uint8	1	TTL
flags	uint8	1	unroutable: 0x1, TTL exceeded: 0x2
payload length	uint16	2
payload	raw	length	signed data, cf. signature
sender public key	uint32	32	if payload payload length > 0
signature	raw	64	if payload payload length > 0

Relay Proofs

Chain Proof

To get chain proof, sent a basic message with type = 40.

The response (type = 41) contains blocks and headers.

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block count	uint16	2	amount of blocks attached
blocks	Block	max count * 1MB	full blocks
header count	uint16	2	amount of headers attached
header chain	Header	count * 162	headers

Accounts Proof

A node can ask (type = 42) for proofs for certain accounts by using the hash of it's accounts tree root.

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block hash	Hash	32	hash of block these accounts should be in
address count	uint16	2
addresses	Address	count * 20	Addresses to be checked

To get a response (type = 43) with following data:

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block hash	Hash	32	block these accounts are in
has proof	uint8	1	1 means the proof is attached, otherwise 0
proof count	uint16	2
proofs	AccountsTreeNode	count * variable size	Proofs for the requested accounts as nodes from the Merkle tree.

To request a paricular chunk of of account tree nodes (type = 44)

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block hash	Hash	32	hash of block these accounts should be in
start prefix length	uint8	1
start prefix	string	length	Defining the part of the tree where accounts are needed from.

The node should respond a message type = 45:

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block hash	Hash	32	hash of block these accounts should be in
has chunks	uint8	1	1 means chunks are attached
node count	uint16	2
nodes	AccountsTreeNode	count * variable size	Account tree nodes from the requested part of the tree.
proof count	uint16	2
proofs	AccountsTreeNode	count * variable size	Account tree nodes as proof

Transactions Proof

This message is used to send one transaction at a time (in serialized form) but can also contain an accountsProof.

Request Transaction Proofs

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block hash	Hash	32	Hash of block the transactions belong to
transactions count	uint16	2	count of transactoins being requested
transactions hash	[Transaction]	count * 20	Hashes of transactions being requested

Receive Transaction Proofs

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
block hash	Hash	32	Hash of block the transactions belong to
has proof	uint8	1	1 means the proof is attached, otherwise 0
proof length	uint16	2	if has proof was set
proof	raw	proof length	the proof if has proof was set

Transaction Receipts

Get transactions receipts via message type = 49

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
address	Address	20	Address of transaction

Receive transactions receipts in a type = 50 message:

Element	Data type	Bytes	Description
receipt count	uint16	2
receipts	2x Hash	64	transaction hash and block hash