> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ryvo.network/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Glossary

> Key terms used throughout the Ryvo Protocol docs.

**Ryvo Protocol**
A non-custodial clearing and settlement protocol for machine payments on Solana.

**Participant**
A permanent, wallet-bound protocol identity with a stable `participant_id` that never changes. See [Participants](/core-concepts/participants).

**Channel**
A directional payment lane between two participants for one token. The lane tracks `settled_cumulative`, `locked_balance`, and `authorized_signer` inside channel buckets. See [Payment channels](/core-concepts/payment-channels).

**Commitment**
A signed off-chain message that sets a new cumulative amount for one channel lane. See [Commitments](/core-concepts/commitments).

**Cumulative amount**
The total value the payer has ever committed to send over a channel, from inception to now. Settlement on-chain applies only the delta against `settled_cumulative`.

**Latest commitment / direct settlement**
Settling one channel by submitting one `ryvo-cmt-v5` message via `settle_individual`. See [Direct settlement](/settlement-modes/direct-settlement).

**Bundle settlement**
One payee settling many `ryvo-cmt-v5` messages from many payers in one transaction via `settle_commitment_bundle`. See [Bundle settlement](/settlement-modes/bundle-settlement).

**Clearing round**
One shared cooperative round message signed by several participants that advances many channels in one transaction via `settle_clearing_round`. See [Clearing rounds](/settlement-modes/clearing-rounds).

**Gross routed value**
The total value represented by all cumulative advances implied by a clearing round.

**Residual / net flow**
The participant-bucket balance deltas applied after lane-level settlements are processed.

**`ryvo-cmt-v5`**
The unilateral cumulative commitment message format. See [Message formats](/reference/messages#ryvo-cmt-v5).

**`Ryvo-round`**
The cooperative clearing-round message format. See [Message formats](/reference/messages#Ryvo-round).

**Message domain**
A 16-byte deployment-scoped tag derived from the program ID and chain ID. Every signed Ryvo message carries it; messages signed for one deployment will not verify on another. See [Deployment](/reference/deployment#message-domain).

**`authorized_signer`**
The key allowed to sign `ryvo-cmt-v5` commitments for a specific channel. Stored on-chain in `ChannelState` and rotatable under a timelock.

**Operator hub**
A service that coordinates payments between many users and providers using Ryvo channels, without taking custody. See [Operator hubs](/core-concepts/operator-hubs).

**Vault**
The protocol's SPL token accounts, one per registered token, where deposited funds actually live. Participant `available_balance` and channel `locked_balance` are ledger positions against the vault.

**Available balance**
A participant's spendable balance for a token, usable to lock into channels or request withdrawals.

**Locked balance**
Funds in a participant's balance that have been earmarked to a specific channel's `locked_balance`. They can only be consumed by settlement against that channel (or released via a timelocked unlock).

**Timelock**
A mandatory waiting period between requesting and executing a sensitive action, withdrawals, channel unlocks, and channel signer rotations. Prevents sudden disruption of in-flight payments.

**Chain ID**
A protocol-level identifier (`0` mainnet, `1` devnet, `2` testnet, `3` localnet) folded into the message domain. See [Deployment](/reference/deployment#chain-ids).

**`GlobalConfig`**
Singleton PDA that holds fee parameters, authority keys, chain ID, and the message domain. See [Accounts](/reference/accounts#globalconfig).

**`TokenRegistry`**
Singleton PDA holding the allowlist of settlement tokens. See [Accounts](/reference/accounts#tokenregistry).

**`ParticipantBucket`**
Bucketed PDA storing participant slots, including balances, policy, and BLS registration fields. See [Accounts](/reference/accounts#participant-buckets).

**`ChannelBucket`**
Bucketed PDA storing directional lane state for participant pairs per token. See [Accounts](/reference/accounts#channel-buckets).

**Inbound channel policy**
A participant-level setting that controls whether others can open inbound channels to them: permissionless, consent-required, or disabled.

**Ed25519 program**
Solana's native Ed25519 signature verification program. Ryvo uses it to verify `ryvo-cmt-v5` signatures as part of settlement transactions.

**BLS signature aggregation**
The cooperative-round authentication scheme in V5, aggregating participant signatures into one signature for settlement. See [Roadmap](/thesis/roadmap#bls-signature-aggregation).