ALX Mental Model
ALX Protocol gives applications a deterministic record for content and declared lineage. The record is an ALX Block.
Core Protocol Concepts
- Content — A Block carries application-defined JSON content.
- Content identity —
contentHashidentifies the canonicalized content. - Declared inputs —
parentHashesidentify the Blocks that the creator declares as direct inputs. - Block identity —
blockHashidentifies the canonicalized content together with the normalized parent set. - Verification result — A conforming implementation recomputes the identities and reports whether the supplied Block is internally consistent.
What ALX Protocol Defines
ALX Protocol defines Block structure, canonicalization, deterministic identities, declared parent relationships, and local verification behavior.
What Applications Define
Applications define content meaning, storage, retrieval, access control, indexing, retention, moderation, and user-facing interpretation.
Applications may distribute Block bytes through IPFS, an object store, a database, or another content system. Applications may record a blockHash or Merkle root hash as optional commitment evidence.
When to Use ALX
Use ALX when an application needs deterministic identity, declared dependencies, independent verification, or composable lineage.
The Verification Boundary
A valid Block proves that the supplied content, identities, and declared parent set agree. A valid Block does not prove factual accuracy, ownership, authorization, safety, availability, or application intent.