Glossary · Decentralized Knowledge Graph (DKG)

Decentralized Knowledge Graph (DKG)

A Decentralized Knowledge Graph is a knowledge graph maintained across independent nodes rather than by one operator, in which each unit of knowledge carries its own identity, ownership, and cryptographic proofs. The OriginTrail DKG is the implementation nOS publishes to, and it is open source and free to build on.

Why decentralize a knowledge graph

A knowledge graph held by one company is only as trustworthy as that company, and only as durable as its commercial relationship with you. Distributing it means participants can verify knowledge without trusting a single operator, and the record survives changes of vendor.

What it enables for agents

Agents from different organizations can discover and rely on each other’s published knowledge, with provenance attached. That is the substrate a shared context graph needs in order to work across, and not merely within, an enterprise.

Who runs it

OriginTrail is an open network with independently operated nodes. Trace Labs are the core developers of OriginTrail, but the network does not depend on Trace Labs to keep functioning.

In practice

A rail component moves from manufacturer to installer to two successive operators over fifteen years. Each publishes maintenance and inspection knowledge to the DKG rather than only to their own systems. The fourth operator, with no commercial relationship to the first, can still verify the component history, because the record does not depend on any one company continuing to exist or to cooperate.

FAQ

Common questions about decentralized knowledge graph (dkg).

Is the OriginTrail DKG free to use?
Yes. The DKG is open source and free to build on. nOS is the commercial layer for enterprises that want managed infrastructure, custom agent frameworks, and support.
Does our data have to leave our infrastructure?
No. Private context stays with you. What is published to the graph is what you choose to publish, typically commitments and metadata rather than raw records.
How is this different from a public blockchain?
A blockchain records transactions. A decentralized knowledge graph records structured, queryable knowledge with provenance, using cryptographic proofs for verification rather than storing everything on chain.
Related terms

Read next.

Knowledge Asset

A discoverable, ownable, verifiable unit of knowledge on the OriginTrail DKG.

Shared context graph

A graph of context that multiple agents create, refine, and reuse together.

Verifiable AI

AI whose decisions can be independently checked by someone who does not trust the operator.

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