COTI (COTI) is a fintech platform that aims to empower organizations to create their own payment solutions and digitize any form of currency. It is among the initial blockchain protocols optimized for decentralized payments, designed for use by merchants, governments, payment DApps, and stablecoin issuers. COTI Pay, the first application, is a finance platform on the blockchain. The COTI ecosystem strives to address challenges associated with traditional finance, such as latency, fees, global inclusion, and risks, through a DAG-based protocol and infrastructure that is scalable, private, inclusive, and fast.

COTI operates on a DAG-based protocol and a Trustchain algorithm, which forms the basis of its infrastructure. Above this layer lies the services layer, Coti X, which offers KYC and compliance, interoperability exchange, buyer-seller protections, and stability frameworks. COTI uses a hash table as its data structure based on chaining, which secures the computing and privacy of customers. The COTI wallet, based on the React Native Framework, provides cross-platform functionality and portability. It requires user credentials and is paired with 2FA login to establish a connection with the node manager, ensuring all communication requires the wallet’s seed, validating all messages and preventing spoofing or manipulation.

COTI's platform aims to enable companies to create advanced fintech products and potentially save time, data, and resources. It can process every kind of payment type, both online and offline, including crypto and stablecoins, credit cards, and even native coins. It also aims to provide built-in financing, with potential compensation from deposits and loans. COTI is also optimized for the creation of stable price coins, allowing users to issue their own stable coin and regain full control over their assets and data. This makes it a potential tool for businesses, governments, and individuals looking for a versatile, decentralized payment solution.

The COTI Group was launched in March of 2017, with the Staking Platform launching on January 1, 2020. The platform aims to be an enterprise-grade fintech platform that strives to empower organizations to build their own payment solutions and digitize any currency. Over time, COTI has developed an ecosystem that provides robust cybersecurity measures around data integrity and confidentiality. It has also introduced a unique platform that enables companies to create advanced fintech products, thereby potentially saving time, data, and resources.

COTI employs a combination of its innovative Proof of Trust (PoT) consensus algorithm and the Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) data structure. The PoT algorithm prioritizes the trustworthiness of transactions, with network participant behavior being as important as transactional data for validation. This system encourages honest and positive participation in the network, resulting in efficient transaction processing and lower non-monetary costs for those with higher trust scores. The DAG data structure, on the other hand, links transactions directly to one another, enabling parallel transaction confirmations, which may result in efficient throughput and improved scalability. This design also reduces the potential for network congestion and high transaction costs, which may make COTI suitable for facilitating micropayments and transactions with lower non-monetary costs.

COTI's Universal Payment System (UPS) is a payment system that merges the functionalities of traditional payment processors with the aspects of digital assets. It aims to facilitate a seamless integration of traditional finance and digital currencies. The UPS allows for immediate payments for merchants, universal processing of fiat and cryptocurrency, low transaction fees, and buyer-seller protections. It also enables consumers and businesses to exchange crypto to and from fiat in the COTI Pay app. In addition, it offers features like COTI Pay Plugins and COTI SDK, which allow for the processing of crypto or fiat payments on any online store and the addition of retail payment features to any application, respectively. Through these services, COTI's UPS aims to facilitate a unified crypto realm encompassing a myriad of token types, thereby contributing to its goal of creating a digital currency ecosystem.

COTI's approach includes incorporating elements of traditional financial industries into its blockchain-based platform, such as financing, remittance, loyalty programs, and cross-platform payments. The network utilizes a staking variant known as Proof of Trust (PoT), a combination of Proof of Work (PoW) and Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) to achieve consensus. COTI also features bank accounts and VISA debit cards to establish a direct and transparent connection between the fiat space and the crypto world. The platform has a customizable design, which may enable businesses to develop their own payment solutions.

COTI addresses the issue of double-spending in its blockchain network through a consensus algorithm that combines user Trust Scores with Proof of Stake. This system, known as the Trustchain Protocol, is built on a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) data structure, which COTI refers to as the Cluster. Each transaction in the Cluster must validate two previous transactions to be confirmed, thereby preventing double-spending. COTI introduces Double Spend Prevention (DSP) Nodes that maintain an updated copy of the Cluster and monitor transactions to mitigate any possibility of double-spending attacks. Any detected double-spending attempts are flagged and refused, while valid transactions receive signatures from DSP Nodes.

The COTI token, the native currency of the COTI ecosystem, plays a crucial role in the platform's operations. It is used to facilitate transactions within the ecosystem, including payment of fees and staking. The token operates on three different mainnets. COTI allows businesses, organizations, and governments to issue their own coins, enabling users to build branded stablecoins to enhance payment options for customers. COTI token holders can allocate their tokens to the COTI Treasury, an algorithmic and decentralized pool of COTI, and may receive non-monetary incentives. The COTI token is integral to the platform's intention to explore improvements in financial solutions for businesses and enhance the digital payment experience for both sellers and buyers.

COTI has established strategic partnerships with a number of organizations to facilitate its use. One of these collaborations is with an organization where COTI's Crypto Gateway allows merchants to accept payments in a certain native token. Another partnership is with an organization where COTI's unique Trust Score node is integrated into an oracle and smart contract framework, enabling trust-based events in smart contracts. COTI collaborates with another organization, leveraging their directed acyclic graph (DAG) technology to provide scalability and low fees. COTI has also partnered with an EU-licensed financial institution to facilitate users' acquisition of crypto from platforms using their credit cards in a fraud-free environment. A partnership with a consortium of companies building next-generation Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) seeks to facilitate the use of DLT business applications. Lastly, COTI intends to explore opportunities in the Japanese market and expand its user base in Asia through a partnership with a major global enterprise. These partnerships seek to facilitate COTI's use by integrating its technology into various platforms and expanding its user base.

COTI's Mediator System is intended to support trust and facilitate dispute resolution within the network. This system is designed to protect both parties involved in a transaction in the event of disputes. The Mediator System employs a decentralized and distributed group of independent mediators who work independently to validate real-world information related to transaction disputes. These mediators then cast votes on a mediated outcome without communicating with each other or knowing how many other mediators are involved in resolving a case. This approach is intended to address counterparty risk by using individuals as third parties to determine which side failed to fulfill the agreement. Once a mediated decision is reached, the system acknowledges the decision in favor of one party from COTI’s reserve credit fund. Mediators receive non-financial recognition in the form of COTI's native currency, C.O.T.I, for each contribution to reaching consensus, while the Trust Score Value for the other party is reduced. This system is intended to encourage honest behavior and discourage unfair practices, thereby supporting trust within the network.

COTI implements a variety of measures to maintain the security and integrity of user data within its network. The COTI wallet, which is based on the React Native framework, requires user credentials paired with a two-factor authentication (2FA) login to establish a session with the node manager. All communication with the COTI network and nodes requires the wallet’s seed, which is used to encrypt and sign all transactions and messages sent on COTI. This seed is also used to validate all messages sent from the wallet, aiming to prevent spoofing or manipulations. COTI uses a carefully designed algorithm for generating random seeds and encourages users to back up their seed in a paper wallet or a password manager before finalizing the wallet creation process. This aims to protect the seed from brute force attacks and facilitate the recovery of user data in case of device loss. COTI also uses a consensus mechanism to prevent double spending attacks and maintain cybersecurity. COTI intends to explore the integration of hardware wallet support for improved security measures. COTI has a process in place to conduct external audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

COTI is an advanced enterprise-grade layer one blockchain that utilizes a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) architecture. This architecture, referred to as the Cluster, aims to provide efficient transaction finality through the integration of Trust Scores. Each node in the Cluster represents a transaction in time, and for token transactions to be included in COTI’s ledger, they must be attached to two previous transactions. This approach aims to ensure concurrent and asynchronous approval of transactions, with the intention of improving scalability while striving to maintain performance. The result is an aim to reduce network congestion and improve scalability. The COTI crypto network seeks consensus through the Proof of Trust (PoT) consensus mechanism, a combination of the Trustchain Algorithm and Proof of Work. The Proof of Trust algorithm aims to be more energy efficient than proof of work by eliminating the resource-intensive mining process, harnessing the power of DAGs with the intention of improving security, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, and assigns a Trust Score to network participants. The Trust Score is used in the process of determining the Proof of Trust (PoT) needed to validate a transaction.

COTI uses a unique technology called the Trustchain, which is based on a directed acyclic graph (DAG) data structure. This technology allows COTI to be utilized in various real-world applications. For instance, it may be used to create decentralized payment networks and stable coins, providing enhanced security, transparency, and decentralization. It also has potential applications in sectors like supply chain management, where it could improve operations by streamlining supplier payments, tracking products, and using smart contracts for transferring excess power from solar panels. In the healthcare sector, COTI's technology could alter processes from payments and health records to data collection and analytics. In the real estate industry, COTI may enable smart contracts for real estate agreements, escrows, and property documentation, reducing the dependency on title firms or attorneys. Other potential applications include IoT, government sector, cybersecurity, AI, and food safety.

COTI's strategy revolves around its Proof of Trust (PoT) consensus algorithm and the Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) data structure. These components ensure the network remains scalable and resilient. The platform also offers a Trust Scoring Mechanism, where every participant in the COTI network is assigned a trust score based on their historical behaviors and actions on the network. This system encourages honest and positive participation in the network. COTI's MultiDAG structure allows for the creation of new tokens on the platform while ensuring the system remains scalable and resilient against potential threats. This approach aims to facilitate a unified crypto realm encompassing a myriad of token types.

COTI strives to provide a different, real-time experience for users, both domestically and internationally. COTI intends to leverage application programming interface (API) connectivity, which could offer opportunities for both FinTechs and other participants in the traditional financial infrastructure. This approach could lead to a system with different efficiency and cost dynamics for cross-border transactions. COTI seeks to alter the user experience by focusing on the adoption of new technologies that can address clients' key pain points and exploring technological innovations such as smart contracts and real-time liquidity, which are emerging use cases in the digital asset space.