Marlin is an open protocol that provides a high-performance programmable network infrastructure for DeFi and Web 3.0. The nodes in the Marlin network, called Metanodes, operate the MarlinVM which provides a virtual router interface for developers to deploy customized overlays and perform edge computations.
Notable overlays that can be built using MarlinVM include:
* Low-latency block multicast to scale blockchains
* Low-latency mempool sync for arbitrageurs
* Mesh networks
* Anonymity networks like mixnets
* Device optimization and caching responses of API to Infura, Alchemy etc
Its native utility token POND is used for:
* Running validator nodes on the network via staking
* Making and voting on governance proposals to determine how network resources are allocated
* Determining a set of network performance auditors and compensating users from an insurance fund in case of a SLA breach
Marlin aims to deliver on the promise of a decentralized web where applications secured via the blockchain are indistinguishable in terms of performance to users accustomed to Web 2.0.