Skip to main content
Every Cluster uses authority-gated membership. The Cluster authority invites Arx nodes, and each invited Node Operator accepts or declines. Organizations can use this mechanism to assemble different operating models:
  1. Internal: Invite only Arx nodes controlled by the organization.
  2. Mixed: Invite both internal and selected external Arx nodes.
  3. External: Invite eligible Arx nodes operated by third parties.
All three operating patterns use the same authority-gated membership mechanism onchain.

​
Fully-permissioned clusters

An organization can invite only self-operated Arx nodes, giving it operational control over the hosts. The organization remains responsible for assessing its legal and industry requirements. Despite the isolation, fully permissioned Clusters still use the Arcium program for onchain coordination, Cluster-level base-price voting, and fee distribution.

​
Partially-permissioned clusters

An organization can combine its own Arx nodes with selected external operators. All members participate as peers in the same MPC protocol.

​
Use external clusters

An authority can invite Arx nodes operated by unrelated third parties. Membership remains invitation-based, and eligibility still requires registration and sufficient stake. Every joining node must meet the network’s stake requirements; see Sybil resistance for how these gates raise the cost of coordinated control. A broader operator set can reduce dependence on one organization. Authorities should verify operator independence during selection.