3. Core Design Principles

RouterLink is designed as infrastructure, not a product feature. These principles define what RouterLink must preserve as the network scales:

Principle	Description
Open Routing by Default	Any compliant service can be routed to; routing decisions are determined by observable data
No New Consensus Layer	Operates as a smart-contract protocol on existing EVM-compatible networks
Node = Router + Validator	Routing and validation are coupled; action equals accountability
Verifiability Over Trust	Usage, performance, and settlement derived from protocol-generated proofs
Practical Decentralization	Staged approach prioritizing usability while progressively minimizing trust assumptions