Resolution, Not "Absolute Truth"
The Dodona Protocol does not claim access to objective truth. Instead, it produces binding resolutions that parties have agreed in advance to accept. This distinction reflects a deliberate epistemic stance: many oracle queries concern events whose "correct" answer depends on interpretation, framing, or contextual judgment.
Like the ancient Delphic Oracle, Dodona serves as a coordination mechanism, providing credible, attributable focal points for resolution — not omniscience, but procedural consistency and expert judgment.
Expert Resolution
A named, expert resolver provides binding answers to structured queries. Authority derives from attributable identity, verifiable domain expertise, and accumulated reputation.
Structured Queries
Only constrained formats accepted: binary, multiple choice (up to 6 options), and bounded ranges. Open-ended questions are refused to ensure interpretive clarity.
Chain Agnostic
Queries submitted off-chain via the webapp, answers published on-chain for immutability. Can integrate with any blockchain. Currently deployed on Ethereum Sepolia.
Structured Consultation Calendar
Drawing from the Delphic Oracle's monthly consultations on designated days, Dodona operates on the 18th of each month during nine active months per year. Three months remain inactive, mirroring the winter period when Apollo was believed absent from Delphi.
Petitioners submit queries and attach donations
Pending set frozen on-chain. No withdrawals or changes
Resolver publishes answers or refusals on-chain
Unanswered queries may withdraw or roll over
This deliberate latency creates natural batching and serves as a validation window — consistent with research showing that complex disputes benefit from higher latency compared to routine data queries.
Build on Dodona
The Dodona Protocol is intentionally designed as a composable base layer for other Web3 applications. Third parties may build smart contracts, applications, or complementary modules whose logic depends on Dodona's published outcomes.
Conditional Execution
Write smart contracts that condition their execution on a given oracle outcome. The resolver's selection is verifiable against option hashes stored on-chain.
No Native Token Required
There is no "Dodona Token", and none is currently planned. Sustainability is pursued through voluntary donations rather than token issuance or speculative dynamics.
From Oracle Theory to Practice
Every architectural choice is grounded in comparative analysis between ancient and modern oracle systems, operationalizing insights from published academic research.
Not a Commercial Product
Dodona is a research experiment, not a company seeking market competition. The donation model supports research, not profit generation.
Modular Development
The protocol evolves incrementally, module by module. Different oracle queries require fundamentally different resolution mechanisms.