The Seven-Level NFU Hierarchy
The Non-Fungible Utility Network is organised into seven geographic and category levels — from the global platform root down to individual items and payment endpoints. Each level is a separately ownable NFU. The XRP Ledger's protocol-level transfer fee mechanism automatically routes a configured percentage to every node holder in the chain above each transaction — like infrastructure tolling, not a revenue scheme. This routing is baked in at creation and cannot be changed by anyone. Every new application vertical that opens on the network routes through the same hierarchy — so owning a geographic node today means earning from collectibles, payments, IoT, and every future vertical that activates in your territory.
When an item or geographic or category NFT sells, the XRPL protocol collects the transfer-fee and the platform re-distributes these fees in XRP upward through every level automatically.
Founder NFUs are minted alongside the platform root at Level 1. Each carries a weighted stake in the global protocol fee redistribution pool — Bronze (1×), Silver (2.5×), Gold (6×). Founders receive their weighted share from all activity across every region, country, category, and vertical globally. As new application modes open — payments, IoT, property — founders earn from those automatically. The weight is immutably locked in IPFS metadata at creation. View available Founder positions →
Platform Root
The root of the entire hierarchy. All NFT transfer-fees collected & paid by the XRPL protocol are routed here first, then re-distributed in XRP to hierarchy owners and the founder pool. The platform root NFT is held by the platform operator and is not for sale.
Regions
Six geographic regions covering the entire world. A region NFU is the highest-volume position in the hierarchy — the protocol routes a fee from every transaction beneath it, across all countries, districts, categories, and items in that region. As new verticals open (payments, IoT, property), the region node earns from all of them automatically. Globally the broadest coverage available.
Countries
Each country has one NFU. Own the United Kingdom and receive protocol-routed fees from every transaction in that country — collectibles sold, payments processed, IoT transactions, and every future vertical that activates. The XRP Ledger routes your configured percentage automatically on every sale, on every venue — the platform, the XRPL DEX, external marketplaces. No claiming. No admin. The ledger does it.
Unclaimed countries can be purchased directly from the Browse page without admin involvement. Tiered pricing reflects market size — premium territories reflect their transaction potential.
Districts
Districts are the most powerful entry point for active territory builders. A district node earns protocol-routed fees from every collectible sold, every XRP payment processed, and every future vertical active in that local area. Own Yorkshire and earn from every coin sold, every café payment, every market stall QR scan in Yorkshire — automatically, across every application that opens.
Search for your district and claim it directly from the Browse page. Pre-loaded data covers UK, US, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Italy. A district with a track record of transactions has a verifiable, on-ledger income history — making it a genuinely transferable going concern.
Categories
Categories define the type of activity within a district. In collectibles mode: Coins, Stamps, Watches, Militaria, Art. In payments mode: Food & Drink, Retail, Services. As new verticals open, new category types appear beneath the same geographic nodes — your category NFU earns from all activity of that type in its territory, regardless of which application vertical generates the transaction.
Sub-categories
Sub-categories allow deep specialist focus — "British Gold Sovereigns Pre-1900" within Coins, or "Independent Coffee Shops" within Food & Drink. Owners of niche sub-categories earn from a concentrated, highly specific segment where items command premium prices and specialist knowledge has real value. The most focused and lowest-cost entry into the hierarchy.
Individual Items & Payment Endpoints
In collectibles mode, an L7 NFU is a digital ownership certificate for a specific physical object — a Victorian penny, a signed first edition, a vintage watch. It stores photographs, condition grade, dimensions, authentication notes, and provenance history on IPFS, permanently and immutably. A QR code is baked into the cover image at creation — visible on any XRPL explorer without needing the platform. Escrow protects both buyer and seller on physical delivery.
In payments mode, an L7 NFU is a permanent payment endpoint — a product or service listing with a standing price. A customer scans the QR, pays in Xaman, XRP settles in three seconds. The merchant keeps 99%+. The hierarchy above earns their protocol-routed share automatically.
Same level. Same infrastructure. Same QR system. Different mode field in the metadata.
When any NFU changes hands at any level, the XRP Ledger's built-in transfer fee mechanism automatically routes the configured percentage to the platform's issuing wallet. The platform then distributes this to every node holder in the chain above that transaction — L6 sub-category, L5 category, L4 district, L3 country, L2 region — and allocates a weighted share to the founder pool. This is not a platform feature. It is ledger-enforced infrastructure routing — like DNS fees or domain registry tolls. It cannot be intercepted, modified, or stopped by any party, including the platform operator. It happens on every transaction at every level on every venue: this platform, the XRPL DEX, NFTmaster, Bithomp, or any external marketplace. No admin action required. The redistribution rules are baked into each NFU at creation and are immutable.