Messaging

Joint Protocol markets involving off-chain asset trading are interactive. Both liquidity providers and swappers often communicate with themselves from the start to the end of a trade. Their communication involves sharing payment information, payment status, and issues surrounding the trade.

Messaging on Centralized Exchanges

Centralized P2P exchanges offer an insecure messaging system. Users’ messages are stored unencrypted and can be read by employees, exchange partners and other third parties or hackers if there is a breach.

Messaging on Joint Protocol

Joint Protocol includes a private messaging protocol built on ECIES to allow users to send encrypted messages to each other. With Joint Protocol's messaging system, a user's messages are only read by the receivers and no one else. Since the protocol is decentralized, anyone can use the system without permission.

Components

Joint Protocol will be made up of the following systems:

Message Network:

The message network describes a connection of nodes that receive and relay messages from one user to a target user. It is comprised of nodes called mailboxes that receive and relay messages on behalf of a user.

Mailbox

A mailbox is a node on the message network that receives and relays messages for a specific user. The mailbox works with other mailboxes to find a user and kick-start a conversation session. Joint Interface providers or users can run mailboxes if they want.

KeyStore

The KeyStore is a public, global address book for all users. It stores users' public keys, allowing other mailboxes and users to find, construct and address messages and route them to a target user.

Client

The client is any user-facing application that allows users to receive and send encrypted messages using the Joint Protocol's messaging system. The Joint Interface will serve as the official client with full messaging support. Essentially, anyone running the Interface software can offer messaging services to their users.