feat(p2p): add decentralized P2P mode with Bittensor block linking (#2)

* feat(p2p-consensus): add bootstrap nodes config and peer count methods

- Add DEFAULT_BOOTSTRAP_NODES constant for production bootstrap peers
- Update production() config to use DEFAULT_BOOTSTRAP_NODES
- Export DEFAULT_BOOTSTRAP_NODES from lib.rs
- Add len() and is_empty() methods to PeerMapping
- Add connected_peer_count() and has_min_peers() to P2PNetwork

* feat(p2p): add Bittensor block linking to ChainState

- Add bittensor_block and bittensor_block_hash fields to ChainState
- Add link_to_bittensor_block() and linked_block() methods
- Update Default impl with zero-initialized fields
- Link state to Bittensor block on NewBlock events

* feat(challenge-sdk): add P2P submission storage and evaluation status support

- Add StoreSubmission, RequestEvaluationStatus, EvaluationStatusResponse message types
- Add ValidatorEvaluationResult struct for tracking validator evaluations
- Add store_submission() method to P2PChallengeClient for distributed storage
- Add get_evaluation_status() method to query submission evaluation progress
- Update decentralized runner to handle new message types
- Add comprehensive tests for new message types and methods
- Export ValidatorEvaluationResult from lib.rs and prelude

* refactor: make centralized server optional, add deprecation notices for P2P migration

* docs: add P2P decentralized mode documentation

* feat: add Docker configs for decentralized P2P mode

* style: format code with cargo fmt

Author: echobt

AGENTS.md

@@ -184,8 +184,11 @@ Challenge Repositories (separate)
 
 ## Links
 
-- [Platform Server](https://chain.platform.network) - Central coordination
+- [Platform Server](https://chain.platform.network) - Central coordination (centralized mode)
 - [Bittensor Docs](https://docs.bittensor.com) - Network documentation
 - [Validator Guide](docs/validator.md) - Running a validator
 
+**Note:** For P2P mode, validators communicate directly without the central server.
+See the main README for decentralized deployment instructions.
+
 For challenge-specific questions, please refer to the appropriate challenge repository.

Dockerfile

@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 # =============================================================================
-# Platform Network - Unified Docker Image
+# Platform Network - Unified Docker Image (Centralized Mode)
 # =============================================================================
+# NOTE: This Dockerfile builds the centralized validator which requires
+# chain.platform.network. For decentralized P2P mode, use:
+#   validator-decentralized --data-dir /data --listen-addr /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/9000
+#
 # Single image that can run as either server or validator mode:
 #   docker run platform server [OPTIONS]
 #   docker run platform validator --secret-key <KEY> [OPTIONS]
@@ -82,8 +86,9 @@ RUN mkdir -p /data && chmod 777 /data
 
 # Default: run validator-node (reads VALIDATOR_SECRET_KEY from env)
 # Validators can use their existing docker-compose without changes
+# Note: In P2P mode, use validator-decentralized instead
 ENTRYPOINT ["validator-node"]
-CMD ["--data-dir", "/data", "--platform-server", "https://chain.platform.network"]
+CMD ["--data-dir", "/data"]
 
 # Labels
 LABEL org.opencontainers.image.source="https://github.com/PlatformNetwork/platform"

Dockerfile.decentralized

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+# =============================================================================
+# Platform Network - Decentralized Validator Docker Image
+# =============================================================================
+# Fully P2P mode - no dependency on chain.platform.network
+#
+# Build:
+#   docker build -f Dockerfile.decentralized -t platform:decentralized .
+# =============================================================================
+
+# Build stage
+FROM rust:1.92-bookworm AS builder
+
+# Install dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
+    pkg-config \
+    libssl-dev \
+    protobuf-compiler \
+    cmake \
+    clang \
+    libclang-dev \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Set up cargo-chef for caching
+RUN cargo install cargo-chef --locked
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Prepare recipe for caching dependencies
+COPY . .
+RUN cargo chef prepare --recipe-path recipe.json
+
+# Cache dependencies
+FROM rust:1.92-bookworm AS cacher
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
+    pkg-config \
+    libssl-dev \
+    protobuf-compiler \
+    cmake \
+    clang \
+    libclang-dev \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+RUN cargo install cargo-chef --locked
+WORKDIR /app
+COPY --from=builder /app/recipe.json recipe.json
+RUN cargo chef cook --release --recipe-path recipe.json
+
+# Build stage
+FROM rust:1.92-bookworm AS final-builder
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
+    pkg-config \
+    libssl-dev \
+    protobuf-compiler \
+    cmake \
+    clang \
+    libclang-dev \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+WORKDIR /app
+COPY --from=cacher /app/target target
+COPY --from=cacher /usr/local/cargo /usr/local/cargo
+COPY . .
+
+# Build only the decentralized validator
+RUN cargo build --release -p validator-decentralized
+
+# Runtime stage (Ubuntu 24.04 for glibc 2.39 compatibility)
+FROM ubuntu:24.04
+
+# Install runtime dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
+    ca-certificates \
+    libssl3t64 \
+    curl \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Copy binary
+COPY --from=final-builder /app/target/release/validator-decentralized /usr/local/bin/validator-decentralized
+
+# Create data directory
+RUN mkdir -p /data && chmod 777 /data
+
+# Environment defaults
+ENV RUST_LOG=info,validator_decentralized=debug,platform_p2p_consensus=info
+ENV DATA_DIR=/data
+ENV SUBTENSOR_ENDPOINT=wss://entrypoint-finney.opentensor.ai:443
+ENV NETUID=100
+
+# Expose P2P port
+EXPOSE 9000
+
+# Health check
+HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=30s --retries=3 \
+    CMD test -f /data/distributed.db || exit 1
+
+# Default entrypoint
+ENTRYPOINT ["validator-decentralized"]
+CMD ["--data-dir", "/data", "--listen-addr", "/ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/9000"]
+
+# Labels
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.source="https://github.com/PlatformNetwork/platform"
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.description="Platform Validator - Decentralized P2P Mode"
+LABEL org.opencontainers.image.licenses="Apache-2.0"

README.md

@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 
 ## System Overview
 
+> **Note:** Platform now supports two operating modes: **Centralized Mode** (default, using platform-server) and **P2P Mode** (recommended, fully decentralized). See the [Decentralized P2P Mode](#decentralized-p2p-mode-recommended) section for the peer-to-peer architecture.
+
 Platform involves three main participants:
 
 - **Miners**: Submit code/models to challenges for evaluation
@@ -368,6 +370,54 @@ docker compose up -d
 
 The validator will auto-connect to platform-server at `chain.platform.network` and sync.
 
+## Decentralized P2P Mode (Recommended)
+
+Platform supports a fully decentralized architecture where validators communicate via P2P without requiring a central server.
+
+### Benefits
+- **No single point of failure** - No dependency on chain.platform.network
+- **Fully trustless** - Validators reach consensus via PBFT
+- **Bittensor-linked state** - State changes are linked to Subtensor block numbers
+- **DHT storage** - Submissions and evaluations stored across the network
+
+### Quick Start (P2P Mode)
+
+```bash
+git clone https://github.com/PlatformNetwork/platform.git
+cd platform
+cp .env.example .env
+# Edit .env: add your VALIDATOR_SECRET_KEY (BIP39 mnemonic)
+docker compose -f docker-compose.decentralized.yml up -d
+```
+
+### Architecture (P2P Mode)
+
+```
+┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
+│   VALIDATOR 1   │◄───►│   VALIDATOR 2   │◄───►│   VALIDATOR N   │
+│   (libp2p)      │     │   (libp2p)      │     │   (libp2p)      │
+└────────┬────────┘     └────────┬────────┘     └────────┬────────┘
+         │                       │                       │
+         └───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┘
+                                 │
+                                 ▼
+                    ┌─────────────────────────┐
+                    │     BITTENSOR CHAIN     │
+                    │     (Weight Commits)    │
+                    │   State linked to blocks │
+                    └─────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+### P2P Configuration
+
+| Variable | Description | Default |
+|----------|-------------|---------|
+| `VALIDATOR_SECRET_KEY` | BIP39 mnemonic or hex key | - |
+| `SUBTENSOR_ENDPOINT` | Bittensor RPC endpoint | `wss://entrypoint-finney.opentensor.ai:443` |
+| `NETUID` | Subnet UID | `100` |
+| `P2P_LISTEN_ADDR` | libp2p listen address | `/ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/9000` |
+| `BOOTSTRAP_PEERS` | Bootstrap peers (comma-separated) | - |
+
 ## Hardware Requirements
 
 | Resource    | Minimum    | Recommended |
@@ -413,7 +463,7 @@ Standard REST endpoints for submissions, evaluations, and challenges.
 | `SUBTENSOR_ENDPOINT`   | Bittensor RPC endpoint               | `wss://entrypoint-finney.opentensor.ai:443` | No           |
 | `NETUID`               | Subnet UID                           | `100`                                       | No           |
 | `RUST_LOG`             | Log level                            | `info`                                      | No           |
-| `PLATFORM_SERVER_URL`  | Platform server URL                  | `https://chain.platform.network`            | No           |
+| `PLATFORM_SERVER_URL`  | Platform server URL                  | `https://chain.platform.network`            | No (centralized mode only) |
 | `PLATFORM_PUBLIC_URL`  | Public URL for challenge containers  | -                                           | Yes          |
 | `DATABASE_URL`         | PostgreSQL connection (server only)  | -                                           | Yes (server) |
 | `OWNER_HOTKEY`         | Subnet owner hotkey                  | -                                           | Yes (server) |

bins/csudo/src/main.rs

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ use platform_core::Keypair;
 use reqwest::Client;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
+// Default server for centralized mode (optional in P2P mode)
+// In decentralized mode, sudo operations are broadcast via P2P consensus
 const DEFAULT_SERVER: &str = "https://chain.platform.network";
 
 #[derive(Parser, Debug)]

bins/validator-decentralized/src/main.rs

@@ -545,6 +545,10 @@ async fn handle_block_event(
     match event {
         BlockSyncEvent::NewBlock { block_number, .. } => {
             debug!("Block {}", block_number);
+            // Link state to Bittensor block (block hash not available in event, use zeros)
+            state_manager.apply(|state| {
+                state.link_to_bittensor_block(block_number, [0u8; 32]);
+            });
         }
         BlockSyncEvent::EpochTransition {
             old_epoch,

bins/validator-node/src/main.rs

@@ -1,4 +1,17 @@
-//! Validator Node - Centralized Architecture
+//! # DEPRECATED - Use validator-decentralized Instead
+//!
+//! This centralized validator is deprecated. For new deployments, use:
+//! ```
+//! validator-decentralized --data-dir /data --listen-addr /ip4/0.0.0.0/tcp/9000
+//! ```
+//!
+//! The decentralized validator operates in P2P mode without requiring
+//! chain.platform.network. It uses libp2p gossipsub for consensus and
+//! Kademlia DHT for peer discovery.
+//!
+//! ---
+//!
+//! # Validator Node - Centralized Architecture (Legacy)
 //!
 //! All communication via platform-server (chain.platform.network).
 //! No P2P networking. Weights submitted via Subtensor (handles CRv4 automatically).

crates/challenge-orchestrator/src/docker.rs

@@ -883,11 +883,12 @@ impl DockerClient {
                 })
             });
 
-        // Pass Platform URL for metagraph verification and API calls
-        // Default to public platform-server URL so validators don't need extra config
-        let platform_url = std::env::var("PLATFORM_PUBLIC_URL")
-            .unwrap_or_else(|_| "https://chain.platform.network".to_string());
-        env.push(format!("PLATFORM_URL={}", platform_url));
+        // In P2P mode, challenges communicate via libp2p, not HTTP
+        // PLATFORM_PUBLIC_URL is only needed for centralized/hybrid mode
+        let platform_url = std::env::var("PLATFORM_PUBLIC_URL").unwrap_or_else(|_| String::new());
+        if !platform_url.is_empty() {
+            env.push(format!("PLATFORM_URL={}", platform_url));
+        }
 
         // Pass Container Broker WebSocket URL for secure container spawning
         // Challenges connect to this broker instead of using Docker socket directly

crates/challenge-sdk/src/decentralized.rs

@@ -144,6 +144,35 @@ pub async fn run_decentralized<C: ServerChallenge + Send + Sync + 'static>(
                 // Weights response, may be used for verification
                 debug!("Received weights response in runner");
             }
+            P2PChallengeMessage::StoreSubmission {
+                submission,
+                challenge_id: msg_challenge_id,
+            } => {
+                if msg_challenge_id == challenge_id {
+                    debug!(
+                        challenge_id = %challenge_id,
+                        submission_hash = %submission.submission_hash,
+                        miner_hotkey = %submission.miner_hotkey,
+                        "Received submission to store - forwarding to evaluation queue"
+                    );
+                    // Submissions are auto-queued for evaluation when stored via P2P
+                    // The P2P layer handles distributed storage and replication
+                } else {
+                    warn!(
+                        expected = %challenge_id,
+                        received = %msg_challenge_id,
+                        "Received StoreSubmission for wrong challenge, ignoring"
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+            P2PChallengeMessage::RequestEvaluationStatus { .. } => {
+                // Request for evaluation status is handled by the P2P layer
+                debug!("Ignoring RequestEvaluationStatus message in runner - handled by P2P layer");
+            }
+            P2PChallengeMessage::EvaluationStatusResponse { .. } => {
+                // Evaluation status responses are handled by the client layer
+                debug!("Ignoring EvaluationStatusResponse message in runner");
+            }
         }
     }
 

crates/challenge-sdk/src/lib.rs

@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ pub mod weights;
 pub use decentralized::run_decentralized;
 pub use p2p_client::{
     P2PChallengeClient, P2PChallengeConfig, P2PChallengeMessage, PendingSubmission,
+    ValidatorEvaluationResult,
 };
 pub use platform_client::{
     run_as_client, ChallengeMessage, ConnectionState, PlatformClient, PlatformClientConfig,
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ pub mod prelude {
     pub use super::decentralized::run_decentralized;
     pub use super::p2p_client::{
         P2PChallengeClient, P2PChallengeConfig, P2PChallengeMessage, PendingSubmission,
+        ValidatorEvaluationResult,
     };
 
     // Common utilities