TELA Platform Overview

TELA (Tiny Encrypted Local Apps) is the Decentralized Web Standard for DERO blockchain. Build privacy-first web applications that run entirely on-chain with zero servers, zero censorship, and complete user control.

🚀

The Future of Web3: TELA is the ONLY platform enabling fully private, censorship-resistant web applications with encrypted storage and local execution.

The TELA Difference

Traditional Web Architecture:

User → Company Server → Database
       ↓
    Logs, Tracks, Controls Access
    Can be hacked, censored, taken offline

TELA Architecture:

User → Engram (Local) → DERO Blockchain
       ↓
    Runs on your computer
    Cannot be hacked, censored, or taken offline

What Makes TELA Special?

✨ Three Revolutionary Features:

Feature	Traditional Web	TELA
🗄️ Storage	Centralized servers	DERO blockchain (distributed)
🔒 Privacy	Server logs everything	Local execution (zero tracking)
⚡ Performance	Server latency + downtime	Instant local execution
📡 Network	Always online required	Works offline
💰 Costs	Monthly hosting fees	One-time blockchain fee
🌍 Access	Geo-restrictions possible	Global, unstoppable
🛡️ Censorship	Can be taken down	Impossible to censor

🔐 True Decentralization

No servers = No single point of failure

Traditional Web:

All Users → Single Server → 💥 If server fails, app goes offline

TELA:

Each User → DERO Blockchain (distributed globally)
           ↓
        Always available, distributed worldwide
        No single point of failure

Result: TELA applications remain globally available around the clock - no servers to go down, no hosting companies to fail.

🔒 Privacy by Design

Your data stays on YOUR device

What Happens	Traditional Web	TELA
Code execution	Server-side (they see everything)	Local (you control everything)
User data	Stored on company servers	Stays on your device
Activity logs	Server tracks every action	Zero tracking, zero logs
Third parties	Analytics, ads, trackers	None - completely private
Blockchain	Public ledger (addresses visible)	DERO privacy (encrypted)

⚡ Local-First Performance

Instant loading, works offline

Metric	Traditional Web	TELA
Initial Load	Depends on server location	Instant (cached locally)
Navigation	HTTP requests per page	Instant (already local)
Offline	❌ Doesn't work	✅ Full functionality
Latency	50-500ms+	Under 1ms (local)
Blockchain Sync	N/A	Only when updating content

How TELA Works: Dual-Contract System

TELA uses two smart contract types:

Deployment Flow:

Developer
  ↓
Deploy: index.html → DOC Contract (SCID: abc...)
Deploy: app.js    → DOC Contract (SCID: def...)
Deploy: style.css → DOC Contract (SCID: ghi...)
  ↓
Create: INDEX Contract → References all DOC SCIDs
  ↓
DERO Blockchain (Permanent Storage)

User Access Flow:

User enters INDEX SCID into Engram
  ↓
Engram fetches INDEX from blockchain
  ↓
INDEX points to all DOC contracts (abc, def, ghi...)
  ↓
Engram fetches all DOCs from blockchain
  ↓
Verifies cryptographic hashes
  ↓
Executes app locally in Engram

📋 INDEX Contract (Application Manifest)

Contains	Purpose
App Name	"My TELA App"
Description	What the app does
Icon	App thumbnail
DOC References	SCIDs of all files
File Paths	How files are organized
Version	App version number

Think: Package.json for on-chain apps

📦 DOC Contract (Application Files)

Supported File Types:

Type	File Extension	Max Size	Use Case
HTML	`.html`	18KB	Page structure
CSS	`.css`	18KB	Styling
JavaScript	`.js`	18KB	Logic & interactivity
JSON	`.json`	18KB	Data & config
Markdown	`.md`	18KB	Documentation
Static Assets	Images, fonts	18KB	Assets

Size limit: 18KB per DOC contract (blockchain constraint)
Solution: Split large files across multiple DOC contracts

Development Workflow

From idea to deployed app:

Step	Action	Tool	Output
A	Write your app	Any code editor	HTML, CSS, JS files
B	Test locally	TELA-CLI serve	Preview in browser
C	Deploy files	TELA-CLI install-doc	DOC contracts (SCIDs)
D	Create manifest	TELA-CLI install-index	INDEX contract (SCID)
E	Share & access	Give users INDEX SCID	App live on blockchain!

Complete Architecture

Full TELA Stack (4 Layers):

Layer	Component	Function
👤 User Layer	User in Engram	Browses and interacts with apps
📱 TELA Protocol	INDEX + DOC contracts	App manifest + code files
🔐 Security Layer	XSWD (port 44326) + Verification	Wallet connection + hash checking
💾 Storage Layer	DERO Blockchain + Wallet	Immutable storage + private keys

Data Flow:

User enters SCID
  ↓
Engram fetches INDEX from blockchain
  ↓
INDEX points to DOC contracts (files)
  ↓
Engram fetches all DOCs from blockchain
  ↓
Cryptographic verification (hash matching)
  ↓
Execute locally in Engram (sandboxed)
  ↓
User interacts (XSWD handles wallet operations)

Every layer is decentralized, private, and verifiable!

Technical Foundation

Smart Contract Architecture

Contract Type	Mutability	Purpose	Size Limit
DOC Contract	🔒 Immutable	Store code files	18KB per file
INDEX Contract	✏️ Updateable	App metadata & references	Variable

Why two types?

DOC immutability → Code integrity guaranteed
INDEX updateability → Apps can evolve (point to new DOCs)
User control → Can verify exact code version running

Version Control:

Version A → DOC Contract (SCID: abc123...)
Version B → DOC Contract (SCID: def456...)
            ↑
INDEX Contract can switch between versions
All versions remain on blockchain forever

Supported Languages

TELA supports a wide range of file types through its document type system:

HTML Files CSS Files JavaScript Files JSON Files Markdown Files Static Assets

Community Rating System

TELA includes an integrated rating system that helps users evaluate content quality and trustworthiness:

One rating per DERO account per contract prevents spam
Structured 0-99 scale with meaningful categories and detail tags
Blockchain transparency - All ratings are publicly visible
Community moderation without centralized gatekeepers

Rating Categories

Rating	Category	Meaning
0-9	Do not use → Broken	Content has serious issues
10-49	Major → Minor issues	Content needs improvement
50-59	Could be improved	Decent quality with room for growth
60-69	Average	Standard quality, meets expectations
70-89	Good → Very good	High quality content
90-99	Exceptional	Outstanding, best-in-class content

Learn more about the Content Rating System.

TELA vs Traditional Web

Traditional Web	TELA Applications
Hosted on servers	Stored on blockchain
Centralized	Decentralized
Privacy concerns	Complete privacy
Server dependencies	No external dependencies
Can be censored	Censorship resistant
Server maintenance costs	One-time deployment cost
Geographic restrictions	Globally accessible

Next Steps

Ready to start building with TELA? Choose your path:

Understanding TELA:

TELA Security Model - Privacy and security features
TELA Links - Deep linking system
Content Rating System - Content moderation

Build with TELA:

Quick Start Tutorial - Your first TELA app
XSWD Overview - Secure deployment protocol
TELA CLI - Command-line tools

Advanced Topics:

TELA Libraries - Reusable components
DocShards - Multi-file applications
Compression - Optimize file sizes