Type of allocator:
What is your overall diligence process? Automated (programmatic), Market-based, or Manual (human-in-the-loop at some phase). Initial allocations to these pathways will be capped.
Manual
Amount of DataCap Requested for allocator for 12 months:
20 PiB
Is your allocator providing a unique, new, or diverse pathway to DataCap? How does this allocator differentiate itself from other applicants, new or existing?
Banyan is a decentralized end-to-end encrypted storage platform designed to support a variety of enterprise workflows. Those workflows include transitioning data between hot and cold (Filecoin) states seamlessly through their choice of interface. Our customers are able to upload and access their data without intervention from Banyan and their data is kept private through the whole process. Banyan uses Filecoin Storage Providers as infrastructure and those SPs are under legal contract that includes SLAs. Clients of Banyan storing > 10 GB must PAY fiat in order to use the platform.
As a member in the Filecoin Community, I acknowledge that I must adhere to the Community Code of Conduct, as well other End User License Agreements for accessing various tools and services, such as GitHub and Slack.
Additionally, I will adhere to all local & regional laws & regulations that may relate to my role as a business partner, organization, notary, or other operating entity. *
You can read the Filecoin Code of Conduct here: https://github.com/filecoin-project/community/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
Acknowledgment: Acknowledge
Cient Diligence Section:
This section pertains to client diligence processes.
Who are your target clients?
Small-scale developers or data owners,Enterprise Data Clients,Individuals learning about Filecoin
Describe in as much detail as possible how you will perform due diligence on clients.
We don't need to. They're paying money to use the platform. Imagine if Backblaze or DropBox performed KYC on all their clients - people would use their competitors instead.
Please specify how many questions you'll ask, and provide a brief overview of the questions.
We won't ask any.
Will you use a 3rd-party "Know your client" (KYC) service?
No.
Can any client apply to your pathway, or will you be closed to only your own internal clients? (eg: bizdev or self-referral)
Clients don't do anything. They just want to store and access their data. Banyan would allocate datacap to the SP storing that clients data on Filecoin if they want to do this as verified deals, otherwise it'll be done as unverified deals.
How do you plan to track the rate at which DataCap is being distributed to your clients?
Using whatever tooling is out there. If nothing exists, then I guess in a database or spreadsheet.
Data Diligence
This section will cover the types of data that you expect to notarize.
As a reminder: The Filecoin Plus program defines quality data is all content that meets local regulatory requirements AND
• the data owner wants to see on the network, including private/encrypted data
• or is open and retrievable
• or demonstrates proof of concept or utility of the network, such as efforts to improve onboarding
As an operating entity in the Filecoin Community, you are required to follow all local & regional regulations relating to any data, digital and otherwise. This may include PII and data deletion requirements, as well as the storing, transmitting, or accessing of data.
Acknowledgement: Acknowledge
What type(s) of data would be applicable for your pathway?
Public Open Dataset (Research/Non-Profit),Public Open Commercial/Enterprise,Private Commercial/Enterprise,Private Non-Profit/Social Impact
How will you verify a client's data ownership? Will you use 3rd-party KYB (know your business) service to verify enterprise clients?
We don't. First of all, we can't see it because it's encrypted. Secondly, the client has to pay money to store. So... if they want to pay money to store data that they don't own, then that's their prerogative. If we did find out about it, and it goes against our acceptable use policy, we'll put an end to it though.
How will you ensure the data meets local & regional legal requirements?
We can't. The data is encrypted client side using keys only they cont rol before it gets uploaded. But if they're ever found in violation of any laws or our acceptable use policy, we'll put an end to it.
What types of data preparation will you support or require?
Banyan custom
What tools or methodology will you use to sample and verify the data aligns with your pathway?
Banyan has custom prep and will pack the sectors. Again, clients must pay to store so even if they could pad sectors, which they can't because they're just users, they'd be paying for it.
Data Distribution
This section covers deal-making and data distribution.
As a reminder, the Filecoin Plus program currently defines distributed onboarding as multiple physical locations AND multiple storage provider entities to serve client requirements.
How many replicas will you require to meet programmatic requirements for distribution?
2+
What geographic or regional distribution will you require?
At least two different physical locations. But which regions is determined by what the client wants and their data locality requirements.
How many Storage Provider owner/operators will you require to meet programmatic requirements for distribution?
2+
Do you require equal percentage distribution for your clients to their chosen SPs? Will you require preliminary SP distribution plans from the client before allocating any DataCap?
No and no. The client knows nothing about datacap and knows no difference as to whether a deal is verified or unverified.
What tooling will you use to verify client deal-making distribution?
Banyan custom
How will clients meet SP distribution requirements?
They won't. They know nothing. Banyan will determine which SPs will store the clients data based on the clients requirements.
As an allocator, do you support clients that engage in deal-making with SPs utilizing a VPN?
N/A - clients don't engage directly with SP's. Banyan is the broker.
DataCap Allocation Strategy
In this section, you will explain your client DataCap allocation strategy.
Keep in mind the program principle over Limited Trust Over Time. Parties, such as clients, start with a limited amount of trust and power.
Additional trust and power need to be earned over time through good-faith execution of their responsibilities and transparency of their actions.
Will you use standardized DataCap allocations to clients?
No, client specific
Allocation Tranche Schedule to clients:
N/A - the client knows nothing about datacap. If an SP of ours wants to store client data thats destined for them to store as verified deals instead of unverified deals, we'll grant datacap to make that happen.
Will you use programmatic or software based allocations?
No, manually calculated & determined
What tooling will you use to construct messages and send allocations to clients?
Undetermined but we can use whatever existing standard tooling.
Describe the process for granting additional DataCap to previously verified clients.
N/A - we don't need to verify clients. If they're storing on our platform, they're paying us money. Our clients won't ask for datacap. They don't know what it is.
Tooling & Bookkeeping
This program relies on many software tools in order to function. The Filecoin Foundation and PL have invested in many different elements of this end-to-end process, and will continue to make those tools open-sourced. Our goal is to increase adoption, and we will balance customization with efficiency.
This section will cover the various UX/UI tools for your pathway. You should think high-level (GitHub repo architecture) as well as tactical (specific bots and API endoints).
Describe in as much detail as possible the tools used for:
• client discoverability & applications
• due diligence & investigation
• bookkeeping
• on-chain message construction
• client deal-making behavior
• tracking overall allocator health
• dispute discussion & resolution
• community updates & comms
Undetermined.
Will you use open-source tooling from the Fil+ team?
Undetermined
Where will you keep your records for bookkeeping? How will you maintain transparency in your allocation decisions?
Undetermined where we'll keep our records for bookkeeping. Whatever needs to be recorded and shared, we can make that available. Transparency? N/A - again because of our situation of storing encrypted data that clients are paying for.
Risk Mitigation, Auditing, Compliance
This framework ensures the responsible allocation of DataCap by conducting regular audits, enforcing strict compliance checks, and requiring allocators to maintain transparency and engage with the community. This approach safeguards the ecosystem, deters misuse, and upholds the commitment to a fair and accountable storage marketplace.
In addition to setting their own rules, each notary allocator will be responsible for managing compliance within their own pathway. You will need to audit your own clients, manage interventions (such as removing DataCap from clients and keeping records), and respond to disputes.
Describe your proposed compliance check mechanisms for your own clients.
N/A - again because of our situation of storing encrypted data that clients are paying for.
Describe your process for handling disputes. Highlight response times, transparency, and accountability mechanisms.
We have legally binding contracts with our SP's that include an SLA. Not worried there. When it comes to other parties, if somebody has a dispute they can come to us and we'll discuss it like civilized people. If you need more than that, let us know what you want.
Detail how you will announce updates to tooling, pathway guidelines, parameters, and process alterations.
Write it in a document and send to whoever/wherever. Unless you guys want something else, open to suggestions
How long will you allow the community to provide feedback before implementing changes?
How long? I don't know, you tell us what you think is reasonable
Regarding security, how will you structure and secure the on-chain notary address? If you will utilize a multisig, how will it be structured? Who will have administrative & signatory rights?
Use a Ledger. Any secret information will be kept in our corp password manager which has tightly controlled access.
Will you deploy smart contracts for program or policy procedures? If so, how will you track and fund them?
N/A
Monetization
While the Filecoin Foundation and PL will continue to make investments into developing the program and open-sourcing tools, we are also striving to expand and encourage high levels of service and professionalism through these new Notary Allocator pathways. These pathways require increasingly complex tooling and auditing platforms, and we understand that Notaries (and the teams and organizations responsible) are making investments into building effective systems.
It is reasonable for teams building services in this marketplace to include monetization structures. Our primary guiding principles in this regard are transparency and equity. We require these monetization pathways to be clear, consistent, and auditable.
Outline your monetization models for the services you provide as a notary allocator pathway.
We are currently not monetizing this at all. If our SPs are given deals that they happen to want to make verified deals because they're willing to put up 10x collateral and get more QAP for that, then they'll be given that. It's for their benefit.
Describe your organization's structure, such as the legal entity and other business & market ventures.
Just a single corporation.
Where will accounting for fees be maintained?
Undetermined - we can provide a link or whatever you want.
If you've received DataCap allocation privileges before, please link to prior notary applications.
Notary Allocator Pathway Name:
Banyan Storage
Organization:
Banyan Storage Inc.
Allocator's On-chain addresss:
f13p5obq3umad3yk6ukutr72ha6rj2sipqxjfb6xy
Country of Operation:
US
Region(s) of operation:
North America,Europe
Type of allocator: What is your overall diligence process? Automated (programmatic), Market-based, or Manual (human-in-the-loop at some phase). Initial allocations to these pathways will be capped.
Manual
Amount of DataCap Requested for allocator for 12 months:
20 PiB
Is your allocator providing a unique, new, or diverse pathway to DataCap? How does this allocator differentiate itself from other applicants, new or existing?
Banyan is a decentralized end-to-end encrypted storage platform designed to support a variety of enterprise workflows. Those workflows include transitioning data between hot and cold (Filecoin) states seamlessly through their choice of interface. Our customers are able to upload and access their data without intervention from Banyan and their data is kept private through the whole process. Banyan uses Filecoin Storage Providers as infrastructure and those SPs are under legal contract that includes SLAs. Clients of Banyan storing > 10 GB must PAY fiat in order to use the platform.
As a member in the Filecoin Community, I acknowledge that I must adhere to the Community Code of Conduct, as well other End User License Agreements for accessing various tools and services, such as GitHub and Slack. Additionally, I will adhere to all local & regional laws & regulations that may relate to my role as a business partner, organization, notary, or other operating entity. * You can read the Filecoin Code of Conduct here: https://github.com/filecoin-project/community/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md
Acknowledgment: Acknowledge
Cient Diligence Section:
This section pertains to client diligence processes.
Who are your target clients?
Small-scale developers or data owners,Enterprise Data Clients,Individuals learning about Filecoin
Describe in as much detail as possible how you will perform due diligence on clients.
We don't need to. They're paying money to use the platform. Imagine if Backblaze or DropBox performed KYC on all their clients - people would use their competitors instead.
Please specify how many questions you'll ask, and provide a brief overview of the questions.
We won't ask any.
Will you use a 3rd-party "Know your client" (KYC) service?
No.
Can any client apply to your pathway, or will you be closed to only your own internal clients? (eg: bizdev or self-referral)
Clients don't do anything. They just want to store and access their data. Banyan would allocate datacap to the SP storing that clients data on Filecoin if they want to do this as verified deals, otherwise it'll be done as unverified deals.
How do you plan to track the rate at which DataCap is being distributed to your clients?
Using whatever tooling is out there. If nothing exists, then I guess in a database or spreadsheet.
Data Diligence
This section will cover the types of data that you expect to notarize.
As a reminder: The Filecoin Plus program defines quality data is all content that meets local regulatory requirements AND • the data owner wants to see on the network, including private/encrypted data • or is open and retrievable • or demonstrates proof of concept or utility of the network, such as efforts to improve onboarding
As an operating entity in the Filecoin Community, you are required to follow all local & regional regulations relating to any data, digital and otherwise. This may include PII and data deletion requirements, as well as the storing, transmitting, or accessing of data.
Acknowledgement: Acknowledge
What type(s) of data would be applicable for your pathway?
Public Open Dataset (Research/Non-Profit),Public Open Commercial/Enterprise,Private Commercial/Enterprise,Private Non-Profit/Social Impact
How will you verify a client's data ownership? Will you use 3rd-party KYB (know your business) service to verify enterprise clients?
We don't. First of all, we can't see it because it's encrypted. Secondly, the client has to pay money to store. So... if they want to pay money to store data that they don't own, then that's their prerogative. If we did find out about it, and it goes against our acceptable use policy, we'll put an end to it though.
How will you ensure the data meets local & regional legal requirements?
We can't. The data is encrypted client side using keys only they cont rol before it gets uploaded. But if they're ever found in violation of any laws or our acceptable use policy, we'll put an end to it.
What types of data preparation will you support or require?
Banyan custom
What tools or methodology will you use to sample and verify the data aligns with your pathway?
Banyan has custom prep and will pack the sectors. Again, clients must pay to store so even if they could pad sectors, which they can't because they're just users, they'd be paying for it.
Data Distribution
This section covers deal-making and data distribution.
As a reminder, the Filecoin Plus program currently defines distributed onboarding as multiple physical locations AND multiple storage provider entities to serve client requirements.
Recommended Minimum: 3 locations, 4 to 5 storage providers, 5 copies
How many replicas will you require to meet programmatic requirements for distribution?
2+
What geographic or regional distribution will you require?
At least two different physical locations. But which regions is determined by what the client wants and their data locality requirements.
How many Storage Provider owner/operators will you require to meet programmatic requirements for distribution?
2+
Do you require equal percentage distribution for your clients to their chosen SPs? Will you require preliminary SP distribution plans from the client before allocating any DataCap?
No and no. The client knows nothing about datacap and knows no difference as to whether a deal is verified or unverified.
What tooling will you use to verify client deal-making distribution?
Banyan custom
How will clients meet SP distribution requirements?
They won't. They know nothing. Banyan will determine which SPs will store the clients data based on the clients requirements.
As an allocator, do you support clients that engage in deal-making with SPs utilizing a VPN?
N/A - clients don't engage directly with SP's. Banyan is the broker.
DataCap Allocation Strategy
In this section, you will explain your client DataCap allocation strategy.
Keep in mind the program principle over Limited Trust Over Time. Parties, such as clients, start with a limited amount of trust and power. Additional trust and power need to be earned over time through good-faith execution of their responsibilities and transparency of their actions.
Will you use standardized DataCap allocations to clients?
No, client specific
Allocation Tranche Schedule to clients:
N/A - the client knows nothing about datacap. If an SP of ours wants to store client data thats destined for them to store as verified deals instead of unverified deals, we'll grant datacap to make that happen.
Will you use programmatic or software based allocations?
No, manually calculated & determined
What tooling will you use to construct messages and send allocations to clients?
Undetermined but we can use whatever existing standard tooling.
Describe the process for granting additional DataCap to previously verified clients.
N/A - we don't need to verify clients. If they're storing on our platform, they're paying us money. Our clients won't ask for datacap. They don't know what it is.
Tooling & Bookkeeping
This program relies on many software tools in order to function. The Filecoin Foundation and PL have invested in many different elements of this end-to-end process, and will continue to make those tools open-sourced. Our goal is to increase adoption, and we will balance customization with efficiency.
This section will cover the various UX/UI tools for your pathway. You should think high-level (GitHub repo architecture) as well as tactical (specific bots and API endoints).
Describe in as much detail as possible the tools used for: • client discoverability & applications • due diligence & investigation • bookkeeping • on-chain message construction • client deal-making behavior • tracking overall allocator health • dispute discussion & resolution • community updates & comms
Undetermined.
Will you use open-source tooling from the Fil+ team?
Undetermined
Where will you keep your records for bookkeeping? How will you maintain transparency in your allocation decisions?
Undetermined where we'll keep our records for bookkeeping. Whatever needs to be recorded and shared, we can make that available. Transparency? N/A - again because of our situation of storing encrypted data that clients are paying for.
Risk Mitigation, Auditing, Compliance
This framework ensures the responsible allocation of DataCap by conducting regular audits, enforcing strict compliance checks, and requiring allocators to maintain transparency and engage with the community. This approach safeguards the ecosystem, deters misuse, and upholds the commitment to a fair and accountable storage marketplace.
In addition to setting their own rules, each notary allocator will be responsible for managing compliance within their own pathway. You will need to audit your own clients, manage interventions (such as removing DataCap from clients and keeping records), and respond to disputes.
Describe your proposed compliance check mechanisms for your own clients.
N/A - again because of our situation of storing encrypted data that clients are paying for.
Describe your process for handling disputes. Highlight response times, transparency, and accountability mechanisms.
We have legally binding contracts with our SP's that include an SLA. Not worried there. When it comes to other parties, if somebody has a dispute they can come to us and we'll discuss it like civilized people. If you need more than that, let us know what you want.
Detail how you will announce updates to tooling, pathway guidelines, parameters, and process alterations.
Write it in a document and send to whoever/wherever. Unless you guys want something else, open to suggestions
How long will you allow the community to provide feedback before implementing changes?
How long? I don't know, you tell us what you think is reasonable
Regarding security, how will you structure and secure the on-chain notary address? If you will utilize a multisig, how will it be structured? Who will have administrative & signatory rights?
Use a Ledger. Any secret information will be kept in our corp password manager which has tightly controlled access.
Will you deploy smart contracts for program or policy procedures? If so, how will you track and fund them?
N/A
Monetization
While the Filecoin Foundation and PL will continue to make investments into developing the program and open-sourcing tools, we are also striving to expand and encourage high levels of service and professionalism through these new Notary Allocator pathways. These pathways require increasingly complex tooling and auditing platforms, and we understand that Notaries (and the teams and organizations responsible) are making investments into building effective systems.
It is reasonable for teams building services in this marketplace to include monetization structures. Our primary guiding principles in this regard are transparency and equity. We require these monetization pathways to be clear, consistent, and auditable.
Outline your monetization models for the services you provide as a notary allocator pathway.
We are currently not monetizing this at all. If our SPs are given deals that they happen to want to make verified deals because they're willing to put up 10x collateral and get more QAP for that, then they'll be given that. It's for their benefit.
Describe your organization's structure, such as the legal entity and other business & market ventures.
Just a single corporation.
Where will accounting for fees be maintained?
Undetermined - we can provide a link or whatever you want.
If you've received DataCap allocation privileges before, please link to prior notary applications.
https://github.com/filecoin-project/notary-governance/issues/742
How are you connected to the Filecoin ecosystem? Describe your (or your organization's) Filecoin relationships, investments, or ownership.
Banyan is well known in the Filecoin ecosystem. Part of PLN as PL has invested.
How are you estimating your client demand and pathway usage? Do you have existing clients and an onboarding funnel?
We have customers in the pipeline awaiting feature releases to onboard