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

# Protocols

> ROOTKey data processing protocols - understand the architecture, performance profile, sovereignty level, and compliance alignment of every integration model.

ROOTKey processes and anchors data through a set of formally defined protocols. Each protocol defines **how** data is anchored (on-chain vs. off-chain vs. hybrid) and **where** it is processed (sovereignty tier). These two dimensions together determine the auditability, throughput, cost, and regulatory fit of an integration.

***

## Protocol Naming - RKP

All ROOTKey protocols follow a standardised naming convention:

> **RKP-N** - base protocol · **RKP-N Enhanced EU** - EU cloud sovereignty · **RKP-N Sovereign EU** - full EU sovereignty

| Protocol               | Architecture  | Sovereignty                    |
| ---------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **RKP-1**              | Full On-Chain | Standard (Azure/AWS + Polygon) |
| **RKP-1 Enhanced EU**  | Full On-Chain | Partial EU (OVH + Polygon)     |
| **RKP-1 Sovereign EU** | Full On-Chain | Full EU (OVH + EBSI)           |
| **RKP-2**              | Off-Chain     | Standard (Azure/AWS)           |
| **RKP-2 Enhanced EU**  | Off-Chain     | Full EU cloud (OVH)            |
| **RKP-2 Sovereign EU** | Off-Chain     | Full EU - on-premise / air-gap |
| **RKP-3**              | Hybrid        | Standard (Azure/AWS + Polygon) |
| **RKP-3 Enhanced EU**  | Hybrid        | Partial EU (OVH + Polygon)     |
| **RKP-3 Sovereign EU** | Hybrid        | Full EU (OVH + EBSI)           |

***

## Architecture Comparison

| Capability                 | RKP-1                               | RKP-2                | RKP-3                      |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------------- |
| On-chain record            | Full                                | None                 | Selective                  |
| Blockchain used            | Polygon / EBSI                      | None                 | Polygon / EBSI             |
| Third-party verifiability  | Independent (Polygonscan / EBSI)    | Hash-based           | Dual-path                  |
| Throughput                 | Lower                               | Highest              | Balanced                   |
| Cost per operation         | Higher                              | Lowest               | Moderate                   |
| GDPR erasure compatibility | Yes (off-chain data only)           | Yes                  | Yes                        |
| Best for                   | Legal / regulatory critical records | IoT / high-frequency | Enterprise mixed workloads |

***

## Sovereignty Comparison

| Sovereignty level     | Cloud       | Blockchain      | Protocols                              |
| --------------------- | ----------- | --------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **None (Standard)**   | Azure / AWS | Polygon         | RKP-1, RKP-2, RKP-3                    |
| **Partial EU**        | OVH         | Polygon         | RKP-1 Enhanced EU, RKP-3 Enhanced EU   |
| **Full EU (cloud)**   | OVH         | None            | RKP-2 Enhanced EU                      |
| **Full EU**           | OVH         | EBSI            | RKP-1 Sovereign EU, RKP-3 Sovereign EU |
| **Full EU - air-gap** | On-premise  | EBSI (optional) | RKP-2 Sovereign EU                     |

→ See [Data Sovereignty](/pages/data-sovereignty) for infrastructure details and regulatory context.

***

## Decision Guide

| Your requirement                                                     | Recommended protocol                                                                                             |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Maximum on-chain auditability, no sovereignty requirement            | [RKP-1](/pages/protocols/rkp-1-on-chain)                                                                         |
| Maximum on-chain auditability, EU cloud required                     | [RKP-1 Enhanced EU](/pages/protocols/rkp-1-eu)                                                                   |
| Full EU sovereignty on every layer                                   | [RKP-1 Sovereign EU](/pages/protocols/rkp-1-sovereign) or [RKP-3 Sovereign EU](/pages/protocols/rkp-3-sovereign) |
| High-volume IoT / sensor data, no sovereignty requirement            | [RKP-2](/pages/protocols/rkp-2-off-chain)                                                                        |
| High-volume IoT / sensor data, EU cloud required                     | [RKP-2 Enhanced EU](/pages/protocols/rkp-2-eu)                                                                   |
| High-volume data, on-premise / air-gapped                            | [RKP-2 Sovereign EU](/pages/protocols/rkp-2-sovereign)                                                           |
| Mixed workloads (bulk + critical events), no sovereignty requirement | [RKP-3](/pages/protocols/rkp-3-hybrid)                                                                           |
| Mixed workloads, EU cloud required                                   | [RKP-3 Enhanced EU](/pages/protocols/rkp-3-eu)                                                                   |
| Mixed workloads, full EU sovereignty                                 | [RKP-3 Sovereign EU](/pages/protocols/rkp-3-sovereign)                                                           |
| GDPR data requiring potential erasure                                | Any RKP-2 or RKP-3 variant                                                                                       |
| EUDIW / EU Digital Identity Wallet                                   | Any Sovereign EU variant                                                                                         |

***

<Card title="Not sure which protocol fits your architecture?" icon="calendar" href="https://rootkey.ai/contact?utm_source=api_docs&utm_medium=protocols_overview&utm_content=briefing_cta">
  Our engineering team is available for technical briefings. We'll assess your data classification, throughput requirements, sovereignty obligations, and regulatory framework - and recommend the right protocol configuration.
</Card>