Introduction

FoldDB is a peer-to-peer database system that gives users control over their data through schema-based validation, fine-grained permissions, and trust-based access control. It enforces strict schemas and permissions for every read and write operation, preventing unauthorized access. Schemas map to each other through explicit transformations, allowing users to access data from different sources while maintaining data integrity.

The system's immutable, append-only architecture prevents data overwrites, maintains a verifiable history of changes, and allows users to revert to previous states. All operations are atomic to ensure data consistency during transformations. Schema management analyzes patterns in data usage, suggests transformations, identifies potential issues, and generates migration scripts to simplify versioning. Trust-based permissions adjust based on usage patterns, ensuring secure access control while minimizing administrative overhead.

Schemas define field-level permissions and trust distance configurations, controlling data access. The trust-based model, combined with public key authentication, enforces access control—lower trust distances grant higher access rights. Pattern-based security analysis detects anomalies in access behavior and recommends updates to permission settings. Automated validation examines data structures to detect inconsistencies and improve accuracy.

Applications use FoldDB's shared schemas and existing user data instead of storing data in proprietary silos. This enables new tools to work with structured, secure data without duplicating infrastructure. Schema transformations allow access across different schema versions and formats. Natural language processing translates user input into schema-compliant queries, allowing interaction with data without requiring complex query syntax.

FoldDB supports Lightning Network micropayments for data access. Payment calculations adjust based on trust relationships—trusted parties access data at lower costs. Users configure data accessibility and pricing through field-level permissions and payment settings. Usage-based pricing models analyze transaction patterns to optimize costs and refine trust distance calculations for efficient monetization.

Key Features

• Schema-based data validation and transformation
• Field-level permissions with trust distance scaling
• Immutable versioning with atomic operations
• Lightning Network micropayments for data access
• Public key authentication and access control
• JSON-based schema definitions and mapping
• Natural language query processing
• Schema and permission management
• Pattern-based security and anomaly detection
• Usage-based performance optimization