Abstract
LITHIK is a metaprotocol for programmable non-fungible assets on Solana. Protocol actions, called deposits, are written as memo data into ordinary Solana transactions that also pay a protocol fee to a public treasury. Indexers read these transactions in ledger order and apply a fixed, public set of validity rules to compute the state of every core: its owner, attributes, basin memberships, attestations and full history. $LITK is the protocol’s token. It is designed to pay for deposits and to govern the parameters and standards of the protocol.
1 · Motivation
Static by default. Most NFT metadata is fixed at mint or edited by a single privileged key. Assets cannot evolve in response to use without a custom program or a trusted server.
Fragmented. Each application that adds state invents its own format, so that state is unreadable everywhere else.
Off-chain dependence. Rich behaviour usually lives in databases that can be changed, lost or switched off.
No shared stewardship. Standards are set by whoever ships first, with no process for the people who depend on them to improve them.
2 · Design overview
A deposit is a Solana transaction with exactly two meaningful instructions:
1. System Program · transfer signer → LITHIK treasury (protocol fee)
2. SPL Memo "lithik:{"v":1,"op":"…", …}"The fee transfer makes every deposit discoverable: an indexer lists the treasury’s transaction signatures, fetches each transaction, and reads the memo. Solana provides ordering, finality and censorship resistance. LITHIK provides meaning. There is no custom on-chain program to upgrade or exploit, and every wallet that can sign a transaction can take part.
The identifier of anything created by a deposit (a core or a proposal) is the signature of the transaction that created it. Identifiers are therefore unique, permanent and verifiable on any explorer.
3 · Operations
| op | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
mint | Drill a Core | Create a core with name, optional image URL, description and attributes. Owner = signer. |
set | Add a layer | Merge attribute changes (null deletes), rename or re-image. Owner only. |
link | Settle in a Basin | Join the core to a basin. Owner only. |
give | Transfer | Transfer ownership to another address. Owner only. |
bind | Anchor an NFT | Attach living state to an existing Metaplex NFT. Control follows the NFT holder. |
mod | Open a Basin | Register a basin under a unique slug. Signer becomes owner and first surveyor. |
val | — | Basin owner adds or removes surveyors. |
att | Survey | A surveyor approves or rejects a core linked to their basin. |
prop | Propose | Open a governance proposal with a voting window of 1 hour to 31 days. |
vote | Vote | Vote yes, no or abstain. The latest vote per wallet counts. |
4 · State and validity
State is a pure function of the ordered list of deposits. An indexer applies the rules below and must reach the same state as every other honest indexer.
- Only successful transactions at confirmed commitment or stronger are considered.
- The memo must begin with
lithik:, parse as JSON, carry"v":1and match the schema of itsop. - The transaction must transfer at least the current fee for that op from the signer to the treasury.
- Ownership-gated ops (
set,link,give) are valid only when signed by the current owner at that point in the ledger. - Basin slugs are first-come, first-served.
attrequires the signer to be a surveyor of that basin, and the core to be linked to it. - Votes count only inside the proposal’s window.
- Invalid deposits are kept in the record with a reason, but have no effect.
Because invalid deposits have no effect, nobody can damage someone else’s core by writing bad data. The worst they can do is pay a fee for nothing.
5 · Basins and Surveyors
A basin is an independent system inside LITHIK with its own purpose: game items, membership passes, generative series, reputation badges, AI-native characters. Builders create cores and link them in. Surveyors, appointed by the basin owner, attest whether each core meets the basin’s standard. Applications can choose to trust only attested cores. This turns quality control into an open, inspectable process rather than a private allow-list.
Over time, governance may define shared basin standards, surveyor requirements and incentive programs funded by the treasury.
6 · Binding existing NFTs
The bind op lets any Metaplex NFT gain LITHIK state without migration. The binder becomes the controller of the bound core. When the NFT changes hands, the new holder issues a fresh bind and takes control, and the history stays intact. Indexers verify that the most recent binder still holds the NFT and flag the core if they do not.
7 · The $LITK token
Paying for deposits. At launch, fees are paid in SOL so that anyone can use the protocol on day one. Once $LITK fee payment is enabled by governance, deposits can be paid in $LITK, which ties token demand directly to protocol usage.
Governance. $LITK holders vote on fee levels, treasury spending, grants, basin standards, surveyor requirements and future versions of the rules.
Coordination. Treasury-funded incentives can reward builders, surveyors and indexer operators who grow the network.
8 · Governance process
- Signal phase. One wallet, one vote, on-chain through the
prop/voteops. This builds the habit and the record before real weight is attached. - Token phase. Once the $LITK mint is set in the protocol config, votes are weighted by holdings at count time.
- Lifecycle. Proposal → open discussion → vote → execution by contributors → public review.
- Hardening. Over time, more decisions move to automatic execution as the tooling matures.
9 · Distribution
$LITK has a fixed supply. Most of it is reserved for the people who use and build the protocol.
| Allocation | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Public launch & liquidity | 65% | Fair launch on Solana; no presale. |
| Community airdrop: round one | 10% | Distributed first, through vesting contracts. |
| Community airdrop: later rounds | 20% | Timing and eligibility announced separately. |
| Core team | 5% | Reserved for contributors. |
Airdrop eligibility will include early LITHIK users on devnet and mainnet, basin founders, surveyors, and community contributors. Snapshots, claim windows and vesting schedules will be announced separately.
10 · Fees
| op | Devnet fee |
|---|---|
mint | 0.001 SOL |
set | 0.0005 SOL |
link | 0.0005 SOL |
give | 0.0005 SOL |
bind | 0.001 SOL |
mod | 0.001 SOL |
val | 0.00025 SOL |
att | 0.00025 SOL |
prop | 0.001 SOL |
vote | 0 SOL |
Mainnet fees are set at launch and are adjustable by governance. Fees fund the treasury, which pays for grants, infrastructure and incentives.
11 · Security considerations
- No program risk. LITHIK deploys no custom on-chain code. It inherits Solana’s security and the audited System and Memo programs.
- Deterministic indexing. The rules are versioned. Indexers that disagree can compare their inputs transaction by transaction.
- Spam. Every deposit costs a fee, and invalid ones change nothing.
- Size. Memos are capped at 560 bytes. Large media lives on Arweave or IPFS and is referenced by URL.
- Keys. Treasury keys should be held in multisig. Governance can rotate the treasury through a rules update.
12 · Roadmap
Phase 1 — Foundation
Publish the v1 rules, launch the app and indexer on devnet, then mainnet. Documentation and examples.
Phase 2 — Builder tooling
Hosted indexer API, SDK packages, CLI releases, templates for games and generative art, first grants.
Phase 3 — Token utility
Fee payment in the protocol token, fee parameters exposed to governance, treasury reporting.
Phase 4 — Governance
Token-weighted voting, formal proposal process, treasury-funded grants and module standards.
Phase 5 — Ecosystem
Marketplace and wallet integrations, third-party modules, cross-app standards, progressive decentralisation of the treasury.
13 · Disclaimer
This document is for information only and is not financial, legal or tax advice. $LITK is a utility and governance token for the LITHIK protocol. Nothing here promises profit, price, adoption or success. Crypto networks carry technical, market, regulatory and liquidity risk, including total loss. Do your own research.