# Glossary

> Comprehensive glossary of technical terms used in the 0G ecosystem, including blockchain, AI, storage, and DA concepts.


A comprehensive list of technical terms used throughout the 0G documentation.

## A

**AI Agent**: An autonomous software program that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals.

**AVS (Actively Validated Services)**: Services that require active validation from operators, commonly used in restaking protocols like EigenLayer and Babylon.

## C

**Chain**: In the context of 0G, refers to the 0G blockchain that serves as the foundational layer for transactions and smart contracts.

**Compute Network**: The distributed network of nodes that provide computational resources for AI workloads including inference and training.

## D

**DA (Data Availability)**: A layer that ensures data required by blockchain applications is available when needed, crucial for scalability and security.

**Decentralized Storage**: A storage system that distributes data across multiple nodes rather than relying on centralized servers.

## E

**ERC-721**: The standard interface for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Ethereum and EVM-compatible chains.

**ERC-7857**: An extension of ERC-721 that adds support for encrypted metadata, enabling secure transfer of AI agents as NFTs.

**ERC-8004**: The "Trustless Agents" standard defining on-chain registries (Identity, Reputation, Validation) that make AI agents discoverable, interoperable, and trusted across the ecosystem. 0G officially supports ERC-8004. See [ERC-8004 Trustless Agents](/developer-hub/building-on-0g/agentic-id/erc8004).

**Erasure Coding**: A data protection method that breaks data into fragments and encodes it with redundant pieces to ensure recovery even if some parts are lost.

## I

**Inference**: The process of using a trained AI model to make predictions or decisions based on new input data.

**Agentic ID** (formerly **INFT**, "Intelligent Non-Fungible Token"): NFTs that can encapsulate AI agents with their intelligence and capabilities intact. Compatible with [ERC-8004](/developer-hub/building-on-0g/agentic-id/erc8004) for cross-ecosystem discoverability. See [Agentic IDs](/concepts/agentic-id).

## M

**Modular Blockchain**: A blockchain architecture where different functions (consensus, execution, data availability) are separated into specialized layers.

## O

**Oracle**: In the context of Agentic IDs (formerly INFTs), a service that verifies the integrity of metadata transfers using either TEE or ZKP technology.

## P

**Precompile**: Built-in functions in a blockchain that are implemented at the protocol level for optimal performance.

**Proof of Random Access (PoRA)**: 0G's consensus mechanism that ensures data availability by requiring nodes to prove they can access random data samples.

## Q

**Quorum**: A minimum number of nodes required to reach consensus on a decision in a distributed system.

## R

**RaaS (Rollup as a Service)**: Platforms that provide infrastructure and tools to easily deploy and manage blockchain rollups.

**Rollup**: A scaling solution that processes transactions off the main chain while posting transaction data back to it.

## S

**Sharding**: A scaling technique that divides a network into smaller parts (shards) to process transactions in parallel.

**Storage Node**: A node in the 0G network that stores and serves data to the network.

## T

**TEE (Trusted Execution Environment)**: A secure area of a processor that ensures code and data loaded inside are protected with respect to confidentiality and integrity.

**Testnet**: A test network that mimics the main network but uses test tokens, allowing developers to experiment without real value at risk.

## V

**Validator Node**: A node that participates in consensus by validating transactions and proposing new blocks.

## W

**Web3**: The vision of a decentralized internet built on blockchain technology, emphasizing user ownership and control.

## Z

**Zero Gravity (0G)**: The name representing the weightless state where transactions and data exchanges occur effortlessly in the 0G ecosystem.

**Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP)**: A cryptographic method where one party can prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any information beyond the validity of the statement.

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*This glossary is continuously updated as the 0G ecosystem evolves. If you encounter a term not listed here, please contribute by submitting a pull request to our [documentation repository](https://github.com/0gfoundation/0g-doc).*