Node Tier System

The Node Tier System classifies Nodes by their level of sustained activity, measured on a monthly cycle. A Node that reaches a higher tier receives a Boost Multiplier in the following month. Unlike the ordinal ranking in Section 4.4.7, a Node's tier reflects whether it maintains a stable level of contribution over time.

There are six tiers, based on the same Contribution Points calculation as Top Contributors Ranking (monthly cycle only):

Tier	Boost Multiplier (next month)
Base (default)	None
Bronze	+10%
Silver	+20%
Gold	+35%
Platinum	+60%
Diamond	+100%

The core difference of the tier system is its retention mechanism, designed to encourage sustained activity rather than short bursts. At the end of each month, the network checks a Node's contribution against the threshold of its current tier:

• Meets or exceeds the threshold: keeps the tier, or moves up if eligible.

• Reaches from half to nearly the full threshold: keeps the current tier. The network does not demote a Node just for one slower month.

• Falls below half the threshold: the streak protection mechanism below applies.

Streak Protection. A Node that holds the same tier for three consecutive months or more is granted a protective buffer. If the Node later has one low-contribution month, this buffer is used to keep the tier, counting as a single exemption. Only if the Node keeps contributing little the following month, with no buffer left, does the tier drop by one level. A demotion always lowers the tier by only one level at a time, never several.

Example: A Node reaches Gold for three consecutive months and is granted a protective buffer. In the fourth month the Node is busy and its contribution drops: the buffer is used, and the Node keeps Gold. In the fifth month the Node still has not returned to steady activity: with no buffer left, the Node drops to Silver. Once the Node contributes enough to meet the Gold threshold again in a single month, it returns to Gold and starts building its streak from the beginning.

The philosophy of the Node Tier System: a Node active steadily for years is worth more than a Node that flares up and vanishes. The retention mechanism protects loyal Users from being penalized for one period of rest, while still requiring real contribution to keep the advantage.