Unlocking true randomness for DeFi, Gaming, and Other Web3 applications with a custom Chainlink oracle service from LinkWell Nodes.
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Introduction
In the dynamic world of Web3 and blockchain technology, randomness isn't just a game of chance - it's a cornerstone for fairness, security, and trust.
Whether you're running a decentralized game, a lottery, or any application where unpredictability is key, the quality of your random number generator can make or break user trust.
At LinkWell Nodes, we understand the critical role that verifiable randomness plays in the decentralized ecosystem. That's why we're excited to introduce our new Verifiable Random Numbers (VRN) service. Built to mirror several aspects of Chainlink's Verifiable Random Function (VRF), our VRN service offers an inexpensive, easy-to-use, and production-ready API for bringing true randomness to your projects.
In this article, we'll delve into why verifiable randomness matters, how our VRN solution works, the benefits it brings to your Web3 applications, and how you can get started today.
Looking to request verifiable random numbers (VRNs)?
Visit our data feed documentation, and select your desired network (ie, "Arbitrum mainnet") and data type (ie, "Verifiable random numbers (VRN / RNG)").
Disclaimer: While our VRN solution shares many capabilities with Chainlink's VRF service, it does have some limitations. Therefore, we recommend using Chainlink's VRF service if trust minimization is crucial for your Web3 application. However, if trust minimization is not a priority, or if you require a random number oracle solution on an EVM-compatible chain not supported by Chainlink, we are here and ready to assist you!
The Challenge of Achieving Verifiable Randomness in Blockchains
For a sequence to be considered verifiably random, it needs to exhibit several key characteristics:
- Unpredictability: The outcome cannot be known or predicted before it occurs.
- Fairness: Each possible outcome has an equal chance of happening.
- Verifiability: The randomness can be independently verified by anyone.
- Security: The process is resistant to manipulation or interference.
- Uniqueness: The sequence cannot be reproduced unless the exact original conditions are replicated.
Computers, by their very nature, struggle with these criteria. They operate on deterministic principles, meaning they follow specific algorithms and produce the same output given the same input. This makes it challenging to generate random numbers that are verifiably unpredictable and unbiased.
Why Randomness Matters in Blockchain
Randomness is vital for various applications within the blockchain ecosystem:
Decentralized Gaming: Ensuring that in-game events, loot drops, or character attributes are determined fairly and unpredictably enhances player trust and engagement.
Lotteries and Raffles: Providing transparent and unbiased selection processes boosts confidence among participants.
NFT Minting: Assigning random attributes or rarity levels to NFTs maintains scarcity and value within collections.
Governance Models: Randomly selecting validators, committee members, or proposal reviewers prevents collusion and promotes fairness.
Security Protocols: Generating cryptographic keys, nonces, or salts for secure communications and operations within dApps.
The Role of Chainlink Oracles
Chainlink oracles bridge the gap between off-chain data and on-chain smart contracts, securely enabling blockchains to interact with real-world data.
Chainlink’s official Verifiable Random Function (VRF) service, supported by the decentralized Chainlink Oracle Networks (DON), sets a high standard for on-chain randomness by providing cryptographically-secure, verifiable random values. The decentralized nature of the DON also ensures high reliability and security, making Chainlink VRF the ideal choice when verifiable randomness is needed.
However, some use cases require custom solutions to address certain limitations, such as a blockchain network that isn't currently supported, or a custom configuration.
Our custom Chainlink oracle solutions meet these specialized demands by offering tailored randomness solutions on virtually any Chainlink supported blockchain, flexible payment models, and more. This approach expands the scope of what’s possible with Chainlink’s technology while maintaining its signature security and reliability.
In summary, Chainlink VRF is optimal for most applications needing randomness with a high degree of security, but custom oracle solutions like ours provide versatility for specialized needs, ensuring that unique project requirements are met effectively.
Introducing VRN: A Custom Chainlink Oracle Service By LinkWell Nodes
What is VRN?
Our Verifiable Random Number (VRN) service is an innovative addition to our Chainlink oracle offerings. It provides a secure, efficient, and easy-to-integrate source of verifiable randomness for your decentralized applications.
How VRN Works
LinkWell Nodes' Verifiable Random Numbers (VRN) service provides secure, transparent, and verifiable random numbers for blockchain applications. Here’s how it works:
Random Seed Generation: A new secure random seed is generated every 6-hour epoch. This seed is hashed and stored on our secure SOC-2 compliance infrastructure, to prevent manipulation, becoming publicly available only after the epoch ends.
Request and Delivery: When a smart contract calls the service, it specifies a range (
minValandmaxVal) as well as aquantity(N). The oracle generates N random number within this range using the current epoch's seed. It returns the number along with the seed’s hash.Verification: Once the epoch ends and the seed is revealed, users can independently verify the randomness of the number, ensuring fairness and transparency.
To learn more about how LinkWell Nodes' VRN service works, please visit our VRN Guide.
This system guarantees cryptographic security and verifiability, ideal for trust-based applications like gaming, lotteries, and decentralized systems.
Benefits of Using Our Chainlink Oracle VRN Solution
Our Chainlink oracle VRN solution is tailored to meet diverse requirements for secure and verifiable randomness across Web3 applications. With a focus on flexibility, seamless integration, and ongoing support, our solution offers several distinct advantages:
Blockchain Compatibility: Our VRN solution supports any blockchain compatible with Chainlink oracles, providing adaptability across platforms and future-proof integration with expanding Chainlink-supported blockchains for long-term compatibility.
Integration Support: We offer comprehensive integration assistance to streamline the onboarding process, along with customized technical guidance to help projects configure and optimize VRN for unique requirements.
Flexible Payment Models: With multiple inexpensive payment options, including support for custom payment currencies (including fiat), as well as both subscription-based and pay-per-call models, our VRN solution ensures transparent pricing that allows for predictable cost management without hidden fees.
Randomness for your Web3 Application: Our solution delivers cryptographically secure, verifiable randomness ideal for games, NFT minting, lotteries, and other on-chain applications, with customizable parameters to support specialized use cases in decentralized applications.
Continuous Monitoring: We provide ongoing performance monitoring to ensure reliable, uninterrupted service, backed by a dedicated support team for troubleshooting, updates, and technical questions as your needs evolve.
Our Chainlink oracle VRN solution provides robust, adaptable randomness capabilities for Web3 projects, ensuring you have reliable, secure, and customizable randomness that aligns with your project’s specific needs.
How to Get Started with VRN
Step 1: Review Our Documentation
Access our detailed guides and API references at our documentation page. Learn how to integrate VRN seamlessly with your Chainlink oracle setup.
Step 2: Implement and Test
Use our tutorials to implement VRN. We offer testing environments to ensure everything works perfectly before you go live. Our support team is here to help at every step.
Step 3: Deploy Your Application
Deploy your application with confidence, knowing you've integrated a secure and verifiable source of randomness through our Chainlink oracle service.
If you are deploying to mainnet, please fill out our request survey, and provide any additional details that you would like about your project.
Conclusion
Integrating true randomness into blockchain applications has long been a complex challenge due to the deterministic nature of computers and the transparency of blockchain networks. With LinkWell Nodes' VRN service, we're helping to bridge this gap by providing a solution that enhances the capabilities of our Chainlink oracle services.
By offering a verifiable, secure, and efficient source of randomness, VRN empowers developers to build more fair, secure, and trustworthy decentralized applications. Whether you're developing a game, running a lottery, minting NFTs, or enhancing security protocols, VRN can add significant value to your project.
LinkWell Nodes is a U.S.-based Chainlink community oracle, providing custom data feed capabilities and self-service oracle solutions across virtually all major mainnet and testnet blockchains supported by Chainlink.
Looking for a custom data feed? Head on over to our documentation, or hop into the LinkWell Nodes Discord server and ask for help!
Disclaimer: all views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly our own.
