LP-0012: Lux Ecosystem Licensing Model

Abstract

This LP defines the canonical licensing model for all Lux Network software. Components are divided into two tiers:

BSD-3-Clause - Core infrastructure (C-Chain, P-Chain, X-Chain)
Lux Ecosystem License - Advanced technology (Z/T/B/A chains, cryptographic packages)

Motivation

Lux Network has invested significant R&D into advanced cryptographic systems (FHE, threshold signatures, post-quantum crypto, GPU acceleration) that provide competitive differentiation. While we want the core blockchain to remain fully open, these advanced technologies require protection against commercial exploitation outside the Lux ecosystem.

License Tiers

Tier 1: BSD-3-Clause (Fully Open)

Standard BSD-3-Clause license for maximum compatibility and adoption.

Applies to (3 chains):

C-Chain - EVM execution (CoreVM)
P-Chain - Platform/validators (PlatformVM)
X-Chain - Asset transfer (AVM)

Plus:

Core consensus base (Snowman/Avalanche primitives)
Basic networking and P2P
Standard wallet operations
Public SDKs for chain interaction

Repositories:

lux/node (core node only)
lux/coreth (EVM)
lux/sdk (basic SDK)
lux/wallet (standard wallet)

Tier 2: Lux Ecosystem License v1.2

Permissive for the Lux ecosystem, restrictive for external commercial use.

Applies to (8 specialized chains + 1 proposed):

Q-Chain - Post-quantum identity and signatures
Z-Chain - Privacy, FHE, zero-knowledge proofs
T-Chain - Threshold signatures, MPC custody
B-Chain - Cross-chain bridges and messaging
A-Chain - AI attestation and compute
K-Chain - Key management and secrets (KeyManagementVM)
G-Chain - GraphQL indexing (GraphVM)
D-Chain - Decentralized exchange (DexVM)
I-Chain - Decentralized identity (DID) — proposed

Plus all underlying technology:

All cryptographic packages (lattice, FHE, PQC, threshold)
GPU/hardware acceleration (MLX, Metal, CUDA)
Advanced precompiles
Consensus innovations (Quasar family)

Permitted Use (No License Required):

Research and academic use
Lux Primary Network (Network ID=1, EVM Chain ID=96369)
Official testnets/devnets
L1/L2/L3 chains descending from Lux Primary Network
L1/L2/L3 chains descending from authorized testnets

Prohibited (Commercial License Required):

Forks of Lux Network
Commercial products outside Lux ecosystem
Competing networks not descending from Lux Primary Network

Contact: [email protected]

Repository Classification

BSD-3-Clause Repositories (Core Infrastructure)

Repository	Chain	Description
`lux/node`	All	Core node (base only)
`lux/coreth`	C	EVM implementation
`lux/sdk`	All	Basic SDK
`lux/wallet`	All	Standard wallet
`lux/cli`	All	Command-line interface
`lux/netrunner`	All	Network testing

Ecosystem License Repositories (Proprietary Technology)

Cryptographic Foundations

Repository	Category	Description
`lux/crypto`	PQC	Post-quantum cryptography (ML-DSA, SLH-DSA, ML-KEM)
`lux/lattice`	PQC	Lattice-based primitives
`lux/ringtail`	PQC	Ringtail threshold lattice signatures
`lux/fhe`	FHE	Pure Go TFHE implementation
`lux/threshold`	TSS	Threshold signature schemes (LSS, CGGMP21+FROST)
`lux/mpc`	MPC	Multi-party computation
`lux/lamport`	Sigs	Lamport one-time signatures
`lux/lattigo`	Lattice	Lattigo fork with optimizations

Hardware Acceleration (C++)

Repository	Category	Description
`luxcpp/fhe`	FHE	C++ OpenFHE fork with MLX
`luxcpp/gpu`	GPU	Go MLX/Metal/CUDA bindings
`luxcpp/lattice`	PQC	C++ lattice crypto
`luxcpp/crypto`	Crypto	C++ crypto primitives

Enterprise Hardware Backends — Contact: [email protected]

Backend	Performance	Availability
Apple Metal/MLX	~130x vs CPU	Open Source (BSD-3-Clause)
NVIDIA H100/H200 CUDA	~60x vs Metal	Enterprise License
Multi-GPU (8x H100 HGX)	600K PBS/sec	Enterprise License
FPGA (Alveo U280)	200K PBS/sec @ 75W	Enterprise License
Custom ASIC IP	1M+ PBS/sec @ 50W	Enterprise License

See PAT-FHE-031 for hardware acceleration roadmap.

Specialized Chain VMs

Repository	Chain	Description
`lux/vms/qvm`	Q	Post-quantum identity VM
`lux/vms/zvm`	Z	Privacy/FHE VM
`lux/vms/tvm`	T	Threshold VM
`lux/vms/bvm`	B	Bridge VM
`lux/vms/avm`	A	AI attestation VM
`lux/vms/kvm`	K	Key management VM
`lux/vms/gvm`	G	GraphQL VM
`lux/vms/dvm`	D	DEX VM

FHE Ecosystem

Repository	Category	Description
`luxfhe/contracts`	FHE	FHE Solidity contracts
`luxfhe/packages`	FHE	FHE SDKs and tools
`lux/fhe-coprocessor`	FHE	Z-Chain FHE coprocessor

Advanced Infrastructure

Repository	Category	Description
`lux/precompiles`	EVM	Advanced EVM precompiles
`lux/consensus`	Consensus	Quasar family (Photon, Wave, Focus, Prism, Horizon, Flare)
`lux/warp`	Bridge	Warp messaging protocol
`lux/kms`	KMS	Key management system
`lux/safe`	Wallet	Multi-sig Safe with Lamport OTS
`lux/exchange`	DEX	Exchange infrastructure
`lux/bridge`	Bridge	Cross-chain bridges
`lux/ai`	AI	AI mining and attestation
`lux/fpga`	Hardware	FPGA acceleration

Next-Generation R&D

Repository	Category	Description
`luxnext/*`	R&D	All next-gen technology
`luxnext/patents`	IP	Technology portfolio documentation

License Text

Lux Ecosystem License v1.2

Lux Ecosystem License
Version 1.2, December 2025

Copyright (c) 2020-2025 Lux Industries Inc.
All rights reserved.

TECHNOLOGY PORTFOLIO - PATENT APPLICATIONS PLANNED
Contact: licensing@lux.network

1. DEFINITIONS

   "Lux Primary Network" means the official Lux blockchain with Network ID=1
   and EVM Chain ID=96369.
   
   "Authorized Network" means the Lux Primary Network, official testnets/devnets,
   and any L1/L2/L3 chain descending from the Lux Primary Network.
   
   "Descending Chain" means an L1/L2/L3 chain built on, anchored to, or deriving
   security from the Lux Primary Network or its authorized testnets.

2. GRANT OF LICENSE

   Subject to these terms, Lux Industries Inc grants you a non-exclusive,
   royalty-free license to:
   
   (a) Use for non-commercial academic research and education;
   (b) Operate on the Lux Primary Network;
   (c) Operate on official Lux testnets/devnets;
   (d) Operate L1/L2/L3 chains descending from the Lux Primary Network;
   (e) Build applications within the Lux ecosystem.

3. RESTRICTIONS

   Without a commercial license from Lux Industries Inc, you may NOT:
   
   (a) Fork the Lux Network or any Lux software;
   (b) Create competing networks not descending from Lux Primary Network;
   (c) Use for commercial products outside the Lux ecosystem;
   (d) Sublicense or transfer rights outside the Lux ecosystem.

4. NO FORKS POLICY

   Lux Industries Inc maintains ZERO TOLERANCE for unauthorized forks.
   Any fork constitutes breach of this license and grounds for legal action.

5. RIGHTS RESERVATION

   All rights not explicitly granted are reserved by Lux Industries Inc.

6. DISCLAIMER

   THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

7. TERMINATION

   This license terminates immediately upon any breach.

8. COMMERCIAL LICENSING

   For commercial use outside the Lux ecosystem:
   
   Lux Industries Inc.
   Email: licensing@lux.network
   Subject: Commercial License Request

TL;DR:
- Research/academic = OK
- Lux Primary Network = OK  
- L1/L2/L3 descending from Lux = OK
- Commercial outside ecosystem = Contact licensing@lux.network
- Forks = No

Implementation

All affected repositories MUST include:

LICENSE file with appropriate license text
License header in source files (optional but recommended)
README section referencing this LP

LP-0010: Technology Portfolio - Innovation catalog
LP-0005: Open Source - Open source philosophy

Lux Ecosystem Licensing Model