What is Smallworld?
Smallworld is a global decentralized network and a protocol for programmable information, rights, identity, and value.
It combines the core ideas of blockchains — immutability, decentralization, trustless collaboration — with the expressive structure of a database, the flexibility of programmable logic, and the power of an integrated currency.
At the core of the network is a shared layer of structured information — owned, validated, linked, and exchanged across the globe by users and machines.
Information-first by design
Smallworld treats data as a first-class citizen. Every piece of information in the system is defined using a powerful templating system that describes structure, relationships, permissions, and rules — all enforced at the protocol level.
Templates are like blueprints: they define how data behaves, who can interact with it, and under what conditions. This turns raw data into active, self-governing objects, capable of enforcing rights, contracts, and validation logic.
Rights management and governance
Access and permissions are built into the system at every layer. Templates and individual data instances define fine-grained rules for:
- Who can create, update, or delete
- Who can link or validate
- How rights transfer over time
Rights themselves are programmable and first-class objects. That means they can be referenced, shared, revoked, or traded — just like any other piece of data.
Digital identity, built in
Every participant in Smallworld operates through a native digital identity, tied to an on-chain account with a human-readable name. This identity governs all actions — from creating data to signing transactions — and can serve as:
- A universal login
- A wallet
- A rights holder
- A verifiable source of truth
Smallworld identity can replace existing login systems, interact with services like banks or tax authorities, or enable autonomous applications that act on their own behalf.
A native currency for programmable commerce
Smallworld includes an integrated currency, used to pay for transactions on the network — but also to enable complex forms of programmable trade:
- Licensing intellectual property
- Trading real-world assets like gold or stocks
- Running decentralized exchanges and marketplaces
- Paying contributors for data processing or collaboration
Since information and value live in the same system in Smallworld, payments and information can be atomically linked — making every transaction transparent, enforceable, and trustless.
A global, decentralized network
Smallworld is made up of interoperable databases — each defined by templates, populated with structured data, and governed by rights. But since they all live on a shared decentralized network, they can cross-reference, relate, and interact.
It’s not just a million databases. It’s one global, relational, programmable layer for human and machine integration and collaboration. It is the internet re-envisioned and deeply integrated with the surrounding world.