SolNet

A peer-to-peer network of devices powered by Solana. High-speed detection of compromised devices, remote access to each device, and status reports on device data provided by gemini-2.5-flash.

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Inspiration

After looking into all the sponsor technologies, we were most intrigued by Solana. Particularly, we were excited by its ability to build a secure peer-to-peer network. We were interested in working with blockchain, and Solana stood out due to its incredible speed and efficiency through parallelism. After investigating Solana, we had the idea of using it to verify the validity of data transmitted within a peer-to-peer network. We considered how companies have a lot of systems/devices that they have connected on large networks, where it is imperative that all of these devices remain uncompromised. For example, a nuclear power plant has many sensors and security cameras they use to ensure the reactors are stable. It is extremely important that none of these sensors emit faulty data or become compromised. With this in mind, we thought Solana would be a very powerful tool for creating a solution to this problem. Furthermore, it would be very useful to be able to operate and access these devices remotely via an application. Also, we want to have status reports on each device and be able to compile data from them, so we used Gemini-2.5-Flash to generate reports from live event and summarize data from the devices on the network.

What it does

We decided to create a secure semi structured peer-to-peer network. The network is organized into 3 "layers", each with different roles. The first layer, or the "device" layer, has minimal logic to be able to support low-end inputs. The second layer called the "aggregation" layer, receives data from multiple devices and can be equipped with drivers from the user to process the raw data from devices into a human readable format. Nodes in the aggregation layer also periodically contact each other to verify whether the information they are receiving is consistent, and if a mismatch is found Solana can determine which node is telling the truth and isolate the compromised node. The third and final layer, the user layer, contains the web app and further processes the collected information from the aggregation layer.

From the web app, a user can add any number of devices/systems to the network. Once added, users can push updates to the devices that process the raw data without being physically present. We also integrated a chat interface using Google Gemini that can generate status reports on devices in the network, so users can readily get information and data from each device. Most notably, if any of the devices become comprised and start producing faulty data, our solution would be able to automatically shut down the device and cut it off from the network, ensuring no faulty or malicious data ever propagates through the network.

How we built it

Layer 2 and 3 are built using Javascript and hosted using Node.js, while layer 1 is built using python. The API endpoints are managed using Express.js and served with websockets from Socket.io.

We used Figma and React to create the web app/frontend user experience and Gemini-2.5-flash API for the chat interface.

The backend development was the more technically challenging part of this project.

Challenges we ran into

It is surprisingly difficult to create an aligned table in Figma. It is also difficult to find a good architecture that can accommodate a wider range of devices and get them to connect to the network properly.

There were some problems with Team Morale when we were blocked on how to make the web app, but through several wellness techniques we were able to feel better and boost morale and start figuring out the web app.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are very proud of the web app we made. It looks good, is highly interactable and easy to use, and has a lot of great features. Plus, the dark mode looks great!

What we learned

We learned that maintaining a positive attitude and staying hopeful in the face of seemingly insurmountable difficulties is extremely important. When things seemed dark, taking a moment to recharge, boost morale and change our attitudes really helped us get back on track and figure out what we needed to do. In the modern world, with all the tools we have, you can make pretty much anything you put your mind to as long as you stay positive and keep trying.

We also learned the importance of architecture and planning. Figuring out the structure/organization of the project beforehand and then also planning out exactly how you want the finished product to look makes the development process much easier and much smoother. Once we solidified our plan it gave each of us direction and we knew what we needed to do and figured out how to do it. Architecture and planning is key.

What's next for SolNet

We are looking to scale our network to an industrial level, being able to accommodate thousands or millions of devices. We also want to add additional features, the most prominent among them being the ability to remotely activate/deactivate and even remotely operate devices on the network. We are excited by the potential SolNet has as a fast and scalable cyber security solution for enterprises and organizations.

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