Sharding

How sharding is implemented and used to scale in Qui AI.

What is Sharding?

Database Sharding (Traditional): Imagine a library that gets too big for one building:

  • Solution: Split books across multiple buildings (shards)

  • Benefit: More librarians can help visitors simultaneously

  • Challenge: Need a system to know which building has which book

Blockchain Sharding: The same concept, but for decentralized networks:

  • Traditional approach: Split both data AND security (dangerous)

  • Qui’s approach: Split only data, keep security unified (safe)

How Qui Implements Sharding

Key Benefits:

  1. Parallel Processing

    • Each shard processes transactions independently

    • Like having multiple checkout lines instead of one

    • Result: 50,000+ TPS capacity

  2. Lower Node Requirements

    • Nodes can choose to track only specific shards

    • Reduces hardware requirements for participation

    • More accessible = more decentralized

  3. Geographic Optimization

    • Shards naturally organize by region

    • Minimizes latency within each shard

    • Better performance worldwide

Smart Address System

The Problem: How do you know which shard handles which transaction? Qui’s Solution: Addresses contain built-in routing information - like ZIP codes for blockchain.How It Works: Every Qui AI address has a 9-bit prefix that acts like a postal code:

  • First 4 bits: Region identifier (like country)

  • Next 4 bits: Zone within region (like city)

  • Last bit: Currency type (Qui or Qi)

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