Terms of Service
Introduction
Welcome to Chromia, a relational blockchain platform designed to make it easy for people to build decentralized applications. These terms and conditions govern your use of the Chromia network and associated services (“Chromia”). By accessing, using, utilizing, calling any actions on Chromia, interacting with any Chromia network smart contract, creating or managing accounts, posting, transmitting, storing or sharing any content, engaging in transactions, utilizing any software, tools, or services provided by Chromia, and any other actions performed within the Chromia ecosystem (”Services”), you agree to these Terms of Use together with any other documents, additional terms, and policies that are expressly incorporated herein by reference (“Terms”).
By accessing and utilizing the Services, You hereby acknowledge that you have read, comprehended, and expressly consent to the terms and conditions delineated within our Privacy Policy.
These Terms are entered into by and between Chromia (“we” or “us”) and you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you”, “your” or “user”).
You acknowledge that Chromia's technical provider is Chromaway AB (“ChromaWay”), and ChromaWay is a part of these Terms where stated within the Terms.
Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years of age to use our services. By using our Services, you represent and warrant that you have the right, authority, and capacity to enter into and abide by these terms and conditions. If you do not meet this requirement, you must not access, or use our Services.
Acceptance
Your use of the Services, is conditioned on your unconditional acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the Terms, then you may not access our Services. By using our Services, you are deemed to agree to be unconditionally bound by and accept these Terms, as set out below.
If you do not unconditionally agree to these Terms, you are not authorized to download, test, use, access, connect to, register or to access our Services and you must immediately cease doing so and/or remove or uninstall any application/s from all of your devices immediately. If you are accepting these Terms on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you have full authority to bind the company or legal entity (and its employees) to these Terms.
The Terms may be amended from time to time by us and any changes do not change your unconditional acceptance of these Terms. These Terms must be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy which is hereby incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using our Services I confirm that I have read these Terms and Conditions and agree to be unconditionally bound by them, and agree to proceed.
Changes to these terms
We may revise and update these Terms from time to time in our sole discretion. All changes are effective immediately when we post them, and apply to all access to and use of our Services thereafter. Any changes to these Terms will be in effect as of the “Last Revised” date referred to at the top of this page.
Your continued use of Chromia after following the posting of the revised Terms means that you accept and agree to the changes. You are expected to check this page from time to time so you are aware of any changes, as they are binding for you.
User Accounts
To use our services, you may be required to use a wallet. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your digital asset wallets and private keys, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your control. We do not have access to or control your wallets and/or private keys, and we cannot retrieve any information or assets stored within them. We explicitly state that we are not affiliated with, nor do we take responsibility for, the contents or security of your wallets. It is imperative that you exercise caution and implement appropriate security measures to safeguard your digital assets.
License
Our Services may be provided to you under a separate license, for example GPLV3 and Apache v2, that are subject to licenses from external sources. Each repository of such code within our project is clearly annotated with references to its original source and the specific license under which it is distributed. Users and contributors are advised to review these references to understand the terms under which these external components are used. Compliance with these external licenses is mandatory and integral to the legal and ethical use of our Services.
In the event of a conflict between the license granted to you in these Terms and any separate license, the separate license will prevail with respect to the Service that is the subject of the separate license.
Use of Services
You agree to use our services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these terms and conditions. You agree not to use our services in any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation.
You acknowledge that certain operations in respect of Chromia may constitute and/or otherwise fall within the scope of regulated activities under applicable laws in certain jurisdictions. You acknowledge that you may not use Chromia to engage into any such activities and that we make no representation in respect of, or otherwise in connection with, the suitability of Chromia and/or any output generated by using Chromia, to engage into any regulated activity regarding Chromia or such output’s compliance with laws and regulations applicable to such activities. We neither recommend, nor otherwise advise that you engage in such activities. Your access to Chromia is always initiated on your own accord, and you are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable local laws.
Accessing the Services might not be permissible for specific individuals or in certain jurisdictions. If you access the Services, you do so voluntarily and are accountable for adhering to local laws. We reserve the right to monitor user activity and take necessary measures to enforce restrictions, including but not limited to blocking access, terminating accounts, or refusing service. We appreciate your cooperation and adherence to these Terms, as they are necessary to maintain compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Prohibited Uses
By accessing or using the Chromia network and its related services, you agree not to engage in any Prohibited Use as described below:
You will not violate these Terms.
You will not use our Services for any unlawful purposes.
You will not in any way violate any applicable federal, state, local, or international law or regulation through your access to or use of our Services.
You will not utilize Chromia or any of its Services if you are a resident or national of a jurisdiction where access to Chromia or any Service is prohibited under local laws. Your access to the Services is always initiated on your own accord, and you are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable local laws.
You will not access or use our Services for the purpose of exploiting, harming, or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personally identifiable information or otherwise.
You will not make any attempts to cause harm to Chromia, any Chromia user, or any third party in connection with your access to Chromia or any related Services, with the exception that this provision shall not be construed as limiting your rights to exercise freedom of speech as protected by applicable law.
You will not engage in any unauthorized commercial exploitation of Chromia and the Services.
You will not harvest or otherwise collect information from Chromia or the Chromia website for any unauthorized purpose. This includes systematically retrieving data or other content from Chromia or the Chromia website to create or compile, directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database, or directory without obtaining written permission from us.
You will not participate or engage in any form of unauthorized automated utilization of the system, including but not limited to employing scripts for the purpose of sending comments or messages, or deploying data mining, robots, or any other similar data gathering and extraction tools.
You will not utilize Chromia in any manner that may potentially disable, overburden, damage, or impair the functionality or operation of Chromia, or interfere with the ability of any other party to utilize or derive enjoyment from Chromia.
You will not, under any circumstances, introduce or transmit any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs, or any other malicious or technologically harmful material that may cause damage or disruption to Chromia.
You will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage, or disrupt any components of Chromia, including but not limited to the servers on which Chromia is hosted, as well as any server, computer, or database connected to Chromia.
You will not engage in any activities that aim to attack Chromia through denial-of-service attacks, distributed denial-of-service attacks, or any other means that attempt to interfere with the proper functioning of Chromia.
You will not utilize our Services in a manner that disrupts or undermines the rights or obligations of Chromia, its affiliates, other Chromia users, or any third party.
You will not exploit any technical glitch, malfunction, failure, delay, default, or security breach on Chromia or any of its associated services for personal gain or advantage. If you discover a technical glitch, malfunction, failure, delay, default, or security breach on Chromia you must report it immediately to security@chromia.com.
You will not engage in any attempts to impersonate Chromia, another Chromia user or any other person.
You will not, without our prior written consent, transmit or solicit the transmission of any advertising or promotional material, including but not limited to junk mail, chain letters, spam, or any other similar solicitations.
You will not “hotlink” any Chromia Marks, or any content in the Services on any other of our websites without our prior written approval.
Any use as described in this paragraph shall constitute a “Prohibited Use.” If we determine that you have engaged in any Prohibited Use, we may address such Prohibited Use at our own discretion.
Node Provider
Introduction
This section constitutes the additional terms regarding the services provided by a Node Provider within Chromia and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements and understandings related to the same subject matter. By acting as a Node Provider in Chromia, the Node Provider confirms their acceptance of these specific terms and understands that any previous agreements are no longer valid or binding.
The Node Provider is an entity that contributes validation capacity to Chromia, meaning that the Node Provider operates one or more nodes and/or participates in votings (“Node Provider”). Nodes both propose and validate blocks. Proposing blocks involves accepting transactions from clients, building a new block, and sending it to the set of validators. Validating blocks involves receiving block proposals, checking that everything is as it should be, and signing the block. These two activities, combined, are called consensus. Being a Node Provider to Chromia involves running a node to maintain consensus in the system, collectively; the (“Node Service”).
Permissioned access
In the initial phase of Chromia, approval as a Node Provider is contingent upon meeting specific technical and organizational requirements necessary for the role for either System Node or Dapp Node.
Node Providers
A Node Provider refers to three distinct categories; System Providers, Dapp Providers and Replica Providers. Each type of Node Provider is responsible for managing specific types of nodes within the network, either System Nodes, Dapp Nodes or Replica Nodes. While Dapp Nodes, System Nodes and Replica Nodes operate using the same software, they are subject to different responsibilities within Chromia.
A System Node, operated by a System Provider, is critical for managing and running system chains. These nodes ensure the stability and integrity of Chromia. System Providers shall act in the best interest of Chromia. System Providers have the right to initiate a vote within Chromia called a Proposal. Decisions are based on the consensus mechanism outlined in the Chromia Whitepaper.
A Dapp Node, operated by a Dapp Provider, is responsible for managing one or more Dapp chains, facilitating the operation of decentralized applications on Chromia. Dapp Providers are accountable for the performance and reliability of the Dapp Nodes they operate, ensuring that Dapp chains function as intended.
A Replica Node, operated by a Replica Provider does not build blocks. Its sole function is to verify the blocks and transactions within Chromia.
Node Providers must comply with all applicable local, national, and international laws and regulations, including but not limited to data privacy laws, anti-money laundering (AML) standards, and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) regulations.
Compensation
Both System Providers and Dapp Providers are entitled to compensation under the terms stipulated herein. Compensation for Dapp Providers is contingent upon factors such as, the uptime of their node/s, the volume of resources (Standard Compute Units) provided to Chromia, the utilization rate of these resources, and the compensation per resource unit offered within the clusters they participate in.
System Providers receive a base compensation that accounts for operational costs and is influenced by the uptime of their nodes. Additionally, they receive a proportion of the total fees generated by the network.
To uphold the integrity of the network and foster a sustainable economic model, System Providers are expressly prohibited from participating in Proposals concerning the rewards or fees they receive for their own Node Services. This restriction is designed to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that decisions affecting the compensation of System Providers are made impartially and in the best interest of Chromia. This policy is crucial for maintaining trust and fairness within the Chromia ecosystem, supporting its long-term stability and growth.
System Providers are required to meet specific technical standards and operational benchmarks as set forth by the network. Failure to adhere to these established technical requirements will result in decrease and/or non-payment from Chromia for the Node Services rendered. This policy ensures that all System Providers maintain a high level of performance and reliability, crucial for the network's efficiency and the trust of its users. System Providers are encouraged to regularly review and align their operations with the latest technical specifications to avoid any disruption in their compensation.
By hosting your Dapp on Chromia, you agree to pay the applicable hosting fees as detailed on our Hosting Information Page. This webpage is subject to changes and updates, and it is your responsibility to stay informed about any modifications. Please review this page regularly for a breakdown of the hosting fee structure.
Detailed information on how provider rewards are calculated and distributed can be found on our Provider Rewards Information Page. This webpage is subject to changes and updates, and it is your responsibility to stay informed about any modifications. Please review this page regularly to understand the criteria and process involved in earning rewards.
Misconduct
Node Providers are expected to participate in the governance of the network by adhering to operational guidelines and participating in decision-making processes as necessary. Failure to meet these responsibilities or to act in the network’s best interests may result in potential termination of the Node Provider’s role within the network. Chromia reserves the right to exclude Node Providers from Chromia if they mismanage their duties or misconduct themselves in any way, this includes but is not limited to economical slashing from Node Providers. This measure is in place to maintain Chromia's standards and ensure that all participants adhere to the agreed-upon operational guidelines. Such termination is subject to a vote by the System Providers, requiring a two-thirds majority for approval.
Limitations of liability
In no event shall Chromia or ChromaWay, be liable to the other parties for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages of any kind, including, without limitation, loss of profits, loss of business opportunities, or loss of goodwill, regardless of whether such damages are foreseeable and whether or not such party has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Specifically, Chromia or ChromaWay shall not be held liable for any issues related to the bridges, including but not limited to, lost tokens. Additionally, you shall not have any entitlement to payments from Chromia or ChromaWay under any circumstances, except stated herein. You are solely responsible for your own tax obligations; these Terms do not establish a partnership or any similar relationship, and no claims can be made against Chromia or ChromaWay related to such matters.
Technical specifications
Technical specifications for both System Nodes and Dapp Nodes may be subject to change. Node Providers will be notified of such changes and are expected to implement them in a timely manner to maintain the functionality and security of the network. It’s the sole responsibility of each Node Provider to remain informed and comply with the current technical requirements. Current information about the technical specifications can be found here: https://docs.chromia.com/
Termination of node providers
The Node providers can at any time terminate their node. In Chromia, System nodes have the capability to initiate a voting process for the exclusion of another node. This mechanism ensures that the integrity and performance of the system are maintained by allowing nodes to collectively address and remove problematic participants.
Intellectual Property
ChromaWay and its licensors exclusively own all rights, titles, and interests, including intellectual property rights, related to the Services, and any associated content and technology, unless expressly stated otherwise. ChromaWay grants you a personal, limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable, and non-transferable license. This license allows you to use, copy, and distribute the Services solely in connection with your use. Please note that apart from the rights explicitly outlined in these Terms, you are not granted any additional rights to the Services.
The trademarks associated with Chromia, including Chromia and our logos, product or service names, and slogans, as well as the overall appearance and design of the Service (“Chromia Marks” and/or “Marks”), are proprietary trademarks owned by ChromaWay and are protected under applicable trademark laws. Chromia Marks may not be reproduced, imitated, or utilized, either in their entirety or in part, without our explicit prior written consent. Any other trademarks, registered trademarks, product names, or company names and logos referenced on the Service belong to their respective owners. Mention of any products, services, processes, or other information by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, supplier, or otherwise, does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation by us.
All third parties associated with the Services retain their respective rights to their intellectual property. Any intellectual property owned by these third parties is protected by applicable laws and regulations. Your use of the Services does not grant you any rights or licenses concerning these third-party intellectual properties, unless explicitly stated otherwise in a separate agreement between you and the respective third party.
Disclaimer
Chromia and its Services are provided as-is and available as-is. The user understands that we can not guarantee or warrant that our service will be error free. You are responsible for ensuring that you as a user have the sufficient procedures implemented to satisfy you needs for protection and reconstruction in case of any loss of data. Chromia and ChromaWay will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by attack, viruses, or other harmful material that may infect your equipment, data, or programs due to your use of Chromia or our Services or items obtained through our Services. You understand that your use of Chromia and our Services is at your own risk. Chromia and ChromaWay disclaims all warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, statutory or otherwise, permitted by law. Information provided within the Service is for informational purposes only and must not be considered professional and financial advice.
All decentralized application (“Dapp”) code and Chromia source code are public and/or open source, accessible and readable to anyone. Chromia and/or ChromaWay does not assume any liability or responsibility for the activities, content, or operations that take place on the nodes. This includes, but is not limited to, any actions, transactions, or functions executed by the Dapps running on these nodes. Users and Node Providers should be aware that the responsibility for the use of any Dapp or node falls solely on the individual or entity utilizing it.
By engaging with the network, you acknowledge that Chromia and ChromaWay are not accountable for any outcomes resulting from the execution of the code on the nodes, affirming that their participation is at their own risk and discretion.
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Chromia and/or ChromaWay or any of our affiliates, or directors, employees, contractors, service providers or agents will not be liable for any damages of any kind arising out of your use of the services provided. This includes but is not limited to indirect, incidental, punitive, special or consequential damages. You agree that your use of the Services and Chromia will be at your own sole risk. Chromia and/or ChromaWay is not in any way responsible for any damages or losses that result from your use of the Service or any third party links or websites.
Indemnification
You consent to protect, compensate, and exonerate Chromia and/or ChromaWay, including its subsidiaries, license givers, and service providers, as well as their respective officers, directors, staff, contractors, agents, licensors, suppliers, successors, and assignees, from all accusations, responsibilities, injuries, judgments, awards, losses, expenses, or charges (including legal fees that are reasonable) that arise due to or in connection with your breach of these Terms or your engagement with the Services. This includes, but is not limited to, your utilization of the Service in a manner not explicitly permitted by these Terms, or your acquisition of information from the Service.
Waiver and Severability
Chromia and/or ChromaWay's failure to enforce any right or provision in these Terms does not waive the right to do so in the future, and should a court or other competent authority find any clause of these Terms invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that clause will be modified or removed to the least extent necessary. The rest of the Terms will remain valid and enforceable.
Assignment
You are not permitted to transfer or assign your rights and duties under these Terms without our express written approval. However, we retain the right to transfer or assign these Terms, in whole or in part, without any limitations. Any unauthorized assignment or transfer according to this clause will be null and void. Within these constraints, these Terms are binding and will accrue to the benefit of the parties and their respective authorized successors and assigns.
Disputes and Jurisdiction
To the maximum extent allowed under applicable laws, these Terms are governed by the substantive laws of Sweden.
Any such dispute, controversy, or claim shall be resolved by arbitration in accordance with the Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in force at the time of applying for arbitration. The place of arbitration shall be Stockholm, Sweden. The language to be used in the arbitral proceedings shall be English. All arbitral proceedings conducted under this clause, including but not limited to, all hearings, evidence, findings, and awards shall be held in strict confidentiality and shall not be disclosed to any third party, except as required by law or as necessary to enforce the arbitration award.
This addition ensures that all aspects of the arbitration are treated as confidential, with exceptions for legal requirements or the enforcement of the award.
No Partnerships
No joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship is established between you and us through your use of the Service. You expressly understand and agree that these Terms do not imply any form of association beyond the defined scope of these Terms. We are independent entities, and you undertake not to represent or imply otherwise without our explicit written consent. Any collaboration, project, or venture undertaken beyond the explicit functionalities of this platform requires a separate agreement and mutual consent between the parties involved.
Entire Agreement
These Terms, along with any policies explicitly incorporated herein, constitute the complete agreement between you and us concerning the subject matter herein. They replace all prior or contemporaneous understandings, agreements, or communications between you and us, whether written or verbal, concerning this subject. We reject and are not bound by any term, condition, or provision that deviates from or adds to these Terms. This includes any term, condition, or provision submitted by you in feedback, communication, acceptance, confirmation, correspondence, or any other document.
Contact Information
For any inquiries, notices, or communications regarding these Terms and your use of our Services, please contact us at the following address:
Please ensure that your communications are clear and include relevant details to facilitate a prompt and accurate response. We aim to address all correspondence in a timely manner but appreciate your understanding regarding any delays during high-volume periods.