Darknodes (Ren)

Darknodes were the computers that operated RenVM, the network behind the Ren protocol, which let users move assets such as bitcoin onto other blockchains as tokens like renBTC. Each Darknode operator had to bond 100,000 REN tokens as a security deposit, which could be penalised for misbehaviour, and in return earned a share of the network's fees. Darknodes jointly controlled the bridge's locked assets using secure multi-party computation, so that no single node held a complete private key. Ren was acquired by Alameda Research in 2020; after Alameda and FTX collapsed in November 2022, the team said the original network depended on Alameda's funding and shut it down, urging users to move assets back. Plans for a successor network were announced, but its status is uncertain as of November 2026. Also see Blockchain Bridge, Wrapped Tokens and Node Operator.