In this video, when Loong starts talking about Greycore, it sounds like the plan is for Ren Protocol to be a permissioned chain rather than a decentralized one.
(permissioned means Grey core members are selected through governance, while decentralized means anyone can be a node)
I am not sure permissioned is bad or can’t work, but this is different than what I understood as a plan to for Ren to be decentralized.
If REN nodes are run as permissioned nodes with operators who have an incentive to be honest, then there isn’t really a need for the fees which are intended to motivate the decentralized node operators.
In other words, REN could be a permissioned chain with super low fees or a decentralized network where fees motivate the decentralization.
Is Ren somehow pursuing permissioned first with decentralization later?
If so, does where does full decentralization fit into that roadmap?
You would do well to read up some of the wiki articles on the Ren git. Not trying to sound short here - it’s just that they are all very interesting and I think you would enjoy learning more about how it all works.
Once Ren progresses into Mainnet Zero, there will be two groups of nodes - the regular darknodes and the greycore. Regular nodes are permissionless and decentralized. The greycore will be semi-decentralized and permissioned. In order for a transaction to be successful, at least 1/3 of a darknode shard must come together to sign as well as the greycore (I think 1/3 as well). So the greycore does a great service to RenVM as a second entity that must be compromised in order to steal funds (either 1/3 of a shard or 1/3 of greycore can collude to interrupt a transaction, but not steal funds).
Once Ren progresses into Mainnet One, darknodes have ability to vote them all out if it wishes - which provides full decentralization but less security.
RenVM has absolutely zero plans to be permission-based, either in its use, or in the running of nodes.
I think you are confusing normal nodes with Greycore nodes. As mentioned above, checkout the Wiki for information about what the Greycore is, and the difference between its nodes and other “normal” nodes.