Parcel Adjacency

Defines adjacency based on the time elapsed between transactions. A common heuristic is the 10-block rule, where calls within 10 blocks of each other are considered adjacent, indicating they are likely part of a single user's coordinated action sequence.

The primary method for establishing adjacency, where all transactions or internal calls originating from the same Externally Owned Account (EOA) are linked. This creates a directed graph of user intent, mapping a wallet's journey through multiple protocols in a single session.

Adjacency rules are used to build a behavioral graph where nodes represent transactions or contract calls, and edges represent adjacency relationships. This graph is the raw material for identifying complex patterns like money laundering circuits, arbitrage bundles, and liquidity provision strategies.

Enables the decomposition of complex, multi-step DeFi interactions (e.g., a flash loan arbitrage) into a logical sequence. Analysts can trace asset flow across DEXs, lending protocols, and bridges within a single adjacency graph to understand the complete strategy.

Deviations from normal adjacency patterns are key signals for fraud and security monitoring. Examples include:

• Low-latency spamming of the same function.
• Circular routing of funds through unrelated contracts.
• Sandwich attacks where frontrunning and backrunning transactions are adjacent to a victim's swap.

Critical for detecting Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) strategies. Searchers bundle transactions to exploit price differences; adjacency analysis reveals these bundles by showing a searcher's contract performing multiple, rapid, interdependent calls (e.g., a DEX swap immediately followed by a repayment on a lending platform).

Adjacency allows users to combine individual Parcels into larger, contiguous Estates. This enables the creation of unified experiences, such as a single large building, a sprawling game environment, or a cohesive commercial district. The adjacency rules (e.g., sharing a full edge) are enforced by the underlying smart contract or protocol, ensuring the integrity of the composed land.

In gaming and simulation applications, adjacency is critical for defining interactive zones. Mechanics can include:

• Resource generation from adjacent parcels of a specific type.
• Influence radius for player-owned structures.
• Territorial control where owning adjacent parcels strengthens a claim.
• Pathfinding and navigation algorithms that use the parcel graph.

Adjacent parcels can share infrastructure like roads, power grids, or teleportation nodes, increasing their collective utility and value. This creates network effects where the value of a parcel is partially derived from its neighbors. Developers can deploy applications that span multiple parcels, relying on adjacency for seamless user experience and data flow.

Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) or platform governors can use adjacency to enforce zoning policies. For example, a district might require all parcels within it to adhere to a specific architectural theme or prohibit certain activities. Adjacency allows these rules to be applied to contiguous regions, enabling community-led urban planning and land use management.

Adjacency to high-value landmarks, roads, or popular districts significantly impacts a parcel's market price. The ability to assemble large, contiguous estates from adjacent parcels creates a secondary market for land assembly, where the whole is often worth more than the sum of its parts. This economic layer is fundamental to virtual real estate markets.

Under the hood, adjacency is typically managed via a graph data structure where each parcel is a node and shared edges are connections. Smart contracts use coordinate systems (e.g., (x,y) grid) and algorithms to validate adjacency claims. This technical layer ensures unambiguous, verifiable, and trustless relationships between digital land assets on-chain.

Adjacency creates network effects for land value. A parcel next to a major road, popular venue, or resource-rich area becomes more desirable. This drives:

• Premium pricing for strategically located land.
• Formation of commercial districts where adjacent owners collaborate.
• Speculative investment based on future development plans of neighbors.

Adjacent landowners often form Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to collectively govern their shared space. This allows for:

• Coordinated development with unified themes or rules.
• Shared infrastructure funding (e.g., portals, utilities).
• Voting on district-wide policies, creating micro-economies within the larger metaverse.

Adjacency is typically enforced via smart contracts that check parcel coordinates in a contract-stored land registry. Key technical aspects include:

• Coordinate-based verification using X,Y coordinates on a grid.
• ERC-721 or ERC-1155 standards representing each parcel as a unique NFT.
• On-chain proofs for adjacency required to activate certain features or permissions.

Businesses acquire adjacent parcels to create large-scale billboards or experiential marketing zones. For example, a fashion brand might build an interactive store spanning multiple plots, where adjacency:

• Enables larger, more immersive brand experiences.
• Increases foot traffic visibility from surrounding high-traffic areas.
• Allows for tiered access where central parcels offer exclusive content.

Advanced use cases involve using adjacent parcels to create inter-world portals. This requires coordination between landowners to:

• Designate specific adjacent plots as portal entry and exit points.
• Align asset standards (e.g., using cross-chain messaging) for item transfer.
• Govern shared revenue from portal usage fees through smart contracts.

Adjacency creates location-based premiums, where parcels near high-traffic areas (e.g., major hubs, roads, landmarks) command higher prices. This artificial scarcity model drives speculative investment and a secondary land market, similar to real estate. The economic value is not just in the parcel itself but in its network of neighboring plots and their potential for combined development.

Social and economic activity clusters around adjacency. Developers seek adjacent parcels to build larger, contiguous experiences, leading to the organic formation of commercial districts, social plazas, and theme-based neighborhoods. This clustering effect reduces fragmentation, increases foot traffic, and creates positive network effects where the value of one parcel enhances the value of its neighbors.

Adjacent landowners often form Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) or informal coalitions to coordinate development, set aesthetic standards, or pool resources for infrastructure. This leads to emergent, community-driven zoning—where a district might collectively decide to be residential, gaming-focused, or commercial—creating social contracts that govern land use beyond the core protocol rules.

A critical social impact is the potential for economic centralization. Early adopters or well-funded entities can acquire large, contiguous blocks of land, creating digital land barons. This can price out smaller creators and lead to rent-seeking behavior, where value extraction (e.g., subleasing) outweighs value creation, potentially stifling innovation and diversity within the virtual economy.

Adjacency enables cross-parcel experiences. A game might span multiple plots, an asset created on one parcel could be used in an adjacent shop, and roads might connect disparate districts. This composability fosters a more integrated and persistent digital economy, increasing the utility and stickiness of the entire platform compared to isolated virtual plots.

In Decentraland, parcels adjacent to roads and plazas (GENESIS PLAZA) are among the most valuable. The RoadsDAO manages these key arteries, and districts like the Fashion District emerged from clusters of adjacent, themed parcels. This shows how adjacency rules directly shape economic hotspots and community-led social organization within a metaverse.

In virtual worlds, the network effect describes how the value of a land parcel increases as more users, developers, and high-quality content occupy adjacent parcels. This creates positive feedback loops, driving demand for land in densely developed or socially active regions of the map.

Zoning refers to rules governing what can be built on a parcel (e.g., commercial, residential, entertainment). Land use is the actual implementation, such as hosting a game, gallery, or store. Adjacent parcels with compatible zoning often form cohesive districts, enhancing utility and traffic.

A proximity-based airdrop is a token distribution mechanism where eligibility or reward size is determined by a user's land parcel adjacency to a key location (e.g., a major brand's plot). This incentivizes land acquisition in specific areas and rewards early neighbors.