Nexus Energy City Whitepaper
Nexus Energy City - a finite 50,000-plot infrastructure funding grid. Own virtual real estate that finances real AI compute, earn epoch rewards, and participate in the 2.5D city visualization.
Last updated: January 15, 2026
A finite, grid-based real-estate game whose economics directly finance and reflect real-world AI infrastructure.
Executive Summary
Nexus Energy City is a finite 50,000-plot grid. Players acquire rectangular parcels (real estate) that represent energy/compute infrastructure capacity.
The system has three tightly coupled layers:
- Economic Truth Layer — Parcel ownership, tiering, and epoch reward distribution (70% grid owners, 30% node operators)
- Infrastructure Funding Layer — Monthly maintenance fees (“property tax”) that fund real node operations
- City Layer — 2.5D visualization where building heights represent compute capacity
How It Works
Grid Owners (Players)
- Buy and hold parcels on the finite grid
- Earn Grid Yield (share of the reward pool)
- Pay monthly maintenance to keep parcels in good standing
Node Operators
- Run verified GPU nodes that execute real AI workloads
- Earn performance rewards (CCU-based) and baseline ops pay
The Network
- Generates real revenue from AI usage
- Funds reward pots and operations according to deterministic rules
Infrastructure Tiers
Tier classification is deterministic and based solely on plot count:
| Tier | Plot Count | Multiplier | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generator | 1–99 | 1.00× | Local generation |
| Substation | 100–500 | 1.50× | Aggregation/routing |
| Grid Hub | 501+ | 2.25× | Regional control |
Effective Output Example
- Generator: 8×10 parcel → 80 plots →
effective_output = 80 × 1.00 = 80 - Substation: 10×12 parcel → 120 plots →
effective_output = 120 × 1.50 = 180 - Grid Hub: 25×25 parcel → 625 plots →
effective_output = 625 × 2.25 = 1,406
Pricing Model
Primary Mint
- Fixed price: $1.00 per plot
- Example: 10×12 parcel = 120 plots = $120.00
Secondary Market
- Free market — sellers set any price they choose
- No artificial price floor or ceiling
- Natural scarcity from the finite 50,000-plot grid
- Market determines fair value through real transactions
Reward Architecture
Each epoch, real AI usage revenue flows into a pot split 70/30:
| Pool | Share | Recipients |
|---|---|---|
| Grid Pool | 70% | Grid owners (pro-rata by effective output) |
| Node Pool | 30% | Node operators (pro-rata by compute contribution) |
Example Payout
Assume P_epoch = $100,000:
- Grid Pool: $70,000
- Node Pool: $30,000
Grid side (two players):
- Player A: effective_output = 1,800 → payout = $14,000
- Player B: effective_output = 7,200 → payout = $56,000
Node side (two nodes):
- Node 1: CCU = 120 → payout = $18,000
- Node 2: CCU = 80 → payout = $12,000
Monthly Maintenance Fee
Grid owners pay a monthly per-plot maintenance fee (“property tax”) that:
- Funds baseline node operations (real costs)
- Prevents land hoarding and dead capital
- Creates sell pressure and healthy secondary markets
- Ties property rights to ongoing infrastructure responsibility
Example
For a 10×12 Substation parcel (120 plots) with base rate $0.02/plot:
tax = 120 × $0.02 × (1 + 0.10) = $2.64/month
Maintenance Routing
| Destination | Share | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Node Operations Pool | 60% | Baseline node availability pay |
| Treasury/Reserve | 25% | Volatility buffer, outages, growth |
| Reward Pot Top-Up | 15% | Long-term engagement rewards |
Delinquency Enforcement
Enforcement is progressive and predictable — never instant seizure:
| State | Timeline | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Overdue | Days 1–7 | Warning badge; no economic impact |
| Throttled | Days 8–14 | Excluded from focus rotation; visual degradation |
| Yield Withheld | Days 15–30 | Epoch payouts redirect to settle debt |
| Foreclosure Eligible | Day 31+ | Parcel enters auction to recover debt |
| Reclaimed | After auction | Owner loses property; parcel returns to inventory |
Key principle: Owning property comes with ongoing obligations. Failure to meet those obligations results in loss of the property through a transparent, deterministic process.
City Visualization
2.5D Rendering
- WebGL instancing (three.js)
- Orthographic camera with tilt
- Buildings represent parcels; heights reflect effective output
- Fast initial load (meaningful render < 1s)
LOD Tiers
- LOD0 (far): Footprints + heights only
- LOD1 (mid): Tier color, delinquency tint
- LOD2 (near): Labels, thumbnails (after region hydration)
Focus Rotation
Each session selects a “focus parcel” for initial camera center:
- Weighted by capacity with diminishing returns
- Fairness controls prevent permanent dominance
- Cold-start boost for new parcels (7-day window)
Operator AI
The Operator AI is permitted to:
- Schedule workloads to nodes
- Perform health checks and reliability scoring
- Propose budget inputs within fixed bounds
The Operator AI is not permitted to:
- Seize property outside the delinquency state machine
- Move funds outside defined pool-routing rules
- Change reward formulas retroactively
- Change maintenance rates mid-cycle
All decisions must be auditable via published inputs and logs.
Parameter Defaults
Grid & Market
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total plots | 50,000 |
| Primary price | $1.00/plot |
| Secondary floor | None (free market) |
Epoch Pools
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Grid Pool share | 70% |
| Node Pool share | 30% |
Maintenance Tiers
| Tier | Tax Bonus |
|---|---|
| Generator | +0% |
| Substation | +10% |
| Grid Hub | +25% |
Exposure Rotation
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Exploration rate | 15% |
| Max focus probability | 5% |
| Cooldown | 120 seconds |
| Cold-start boost | 1.25× for 7 days |
End-to-End Example
Scenario: Player mints a 10×12 parcel on Day 2 of the month.
- Mint cost: $120.00 (120 plots × $1.00)
- Tier: Substation (100–500 plots)
- Effective output: 120 × 1.50 = 180
- Monthly maintenance: $2.64 (120 × $0.02 × 1.10)
- If unpaid: Progresses through delinquency timeline
- Epoch payout: Calculated at snapshot cutoff using effective output
This creates a sustainable loop: ecosystem growth funds compute capacity, and compute capacity enables ecosystem growth.