# Hyperlist: Decentralized curation for public datasets

## Context
Many valuable public datasets like grants trackers (e.g. Grants3), ecosystem maps (e.g. The Incognita’s network states list), or token registries (e.g. Token Name Service) get abandoned when creators move on. Hyperlist envisions a decentralized, community-driven platform for self-sustaining public datasets.

## Problem
We lack sustainable, community-driven mechanisms to maintain public datasets. Some issues include:

1. **Lack of sustained effort**: Teams abandon projects, leaving lists outdated
2. **No incentive to share**: Competition discourages sharing data, like private Airtables of grants.
3. **Centralized control**: Lists like L2Beat rely on single entities, creating points of failure.
4. **Fraud and inaccuracy**: Unverified data pollutes lists, eroding trust.
5. **Fragmentation**: Data scatters across platforms (Notion, wikis), lacking a unified source.

## Potential Application

Registries of:

- Grant programs (grants3.com/grants)
- VC lists (https://swiss-startup-resources.notion.site/Database-of-Swiss-startup-investors-406f340432d44f4ba5109a7598ff45d6)
- Wallets
- Layer 2 networks (https://l2beat.com)
- Staking applications
- Tokens (https://whitepaper.tkn.xyz/)
- Network states (https://theincognita.com/)
- Pop-up cities (https://popups.xyz)
- Community hubs (https://hubs.city)
- Conferences
- Vegan restaurants
- Etc.

## High-level Architecture
The Hyperlist system will consist of:

1. **Data Layer**
* Leveraging OriginTrail's DKG for flexible data storage and querying.
3. **Contribution Mechanism**
* Submit new entries
* Edit existing entries
* Verify information
4. **Reputation System**
* Weighted reputation scores based on:
* Quantity of contributions
* Accuracy (verified vs. rejected)
* Longevity of contribution value
* Potential for retroactive rewards based on reputation
* Reputation calculated retroactively at the time of funding
* [Grok's suggestions on weights](https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg%3D%3D_c17aaf6e-e2c7-4903-bba6-1c460a9a4815)

## Users
* **Visitor** (Anonymous): Sees public information and public hyperlists
* **Contributor**: Contributes items to existing lists, and updates information about existing items
* **Curator**: Verifies and approves information that Contributors submit
* **Admin**: Creates new lists, appoints Curators, and has the ultimate control over the list
* **Funder**: Sends funds to hyperlists, retroactively rewarding contributions

## User Stories
### Visitor
* As a **Visitor**, I want to see all hyperlists, so that I can quickly find the information I need
* As a **Visitor**, I can use the AI agent to interact with the hyperlist knowledge graph (ask questions). For example ask about "Tell me about ZuBerlin", and get all the information from the list

### Contributor
* As a **Contributor**, I want to add new items to an existing hyperlist, so that I can share valuable information with the community
* As a **Contributor**, I want to edit existing entries in a hyperlist, so that I can update outdated or incorrect information. My edit will be created as a derived copy of the original record that some other contributor created, and these records will be somehow ranked together.

### Validator
* As a **Validator**, I want to see new submissions to a hyperlist, so that I can verify them
* As a **Validator**, I want to approve or deny the submissions I've verified, so that I can ensure the accuracy and quality of the data

### Admin
* As an **Admin**, I want to launch a new hyperlist so that others can what it is about and what information they may contribute to it
* As an **Admin**, I want to add, remove, or edit the schema of my hyperlist, so I can keep the data structure relevant
* As an **Admin**, I want to appoint other Admins and Validators to accounts that I trust, so that the hyperlist can live even when I'm not around

### Funder
* As a **Funder**, I want to send funds to a hyperlist of my choice, as a way to retroactively reward all Contributors, Validators, and Admins, based on the weight of their contributions

## Wireframes

## Governance
The system maintains minimal governance, focusing only on:
* Schema updates for the list structure by Admin (Could be 1 wallet, a DAO, etc)
* Dispute resolution for contentious verifications. (Covered by validators?)
Parameter adjustments for reputation weights. (Skip for MVP)

Everything else operates algorithmically without human intervention.

## Differentiation
Unlike TNS and similar projects, Hyperlist:
* Does not require a token for operation
* Focuses on simplicity and usability
* Aims to be self-sustaining rather than governance-heavy
* Emphasizes contributor reputation over financial incentives

By creating a system that properly incentivizes ongoing maintenance through reputation, allows permissionless contribution, and remains resilient to individual abandonment, Hyperlist can become a critical infrastructure component for community knowledge.

## Considerations
* Extend Schema.org for list schema purposes
* How do we make Hyperlists AI agents ready?
* How do we make sure that Validators don't start denying submissions from other Contributors, because they want to submit information themselves and gain rewards? -> Require a few Validators to approve the same submission?

## References / Thoughts
* [Hyperstructures](https://jacob.energy/hyperstructures.html)
* [Decentralized Knowledge Graph](https://dkg.origintrail.io/)
* [TKN whitepaper](https://whitepaper.tkn.xyz/)
* [The Incognita - Network States List](https://theincognita.com/network-states)
* [Building A Search Engine for Communities?](https://open.substack.com/pub/agartha1/p/building-a-search-engine-for-communities)
* [Project Metalens](https://bears-smash-w99.craft.me/FQ1h7T9BOMw9aw)
* Consortiums... few larger entities that have strong reputation, but never trusted alone.

## Authors
* Aleksandar Abu Samra @aaleksandar
* ⁨Paul Wackerow⁩ @wackerow

## Consultant
* Branimir Rakić @branarakic