# FAQ ### What is a Masternode? A Masternode is an Alterdot node that supports a set of features built on top of our network such as InstantSend and Mixing. These special nodes are up and running at all times as shutting them down could cause disruption to those services. Masternode owners receive a reward in ADOT for supporting this infrastructure and if the Masternode shuts down then the system automatically punishes them and eventually bans those defective or bad-intended node. ### What is the BlockchainDNS? The Domain Name System or DNS is what we are using in our everyday web activities. This system ties together the names that we use for accessing content (i.e. alterdot.network) and the addresses where the content lays which are IP addresses for traditional DNS. In the case of BlockchainDNS or Blockchain Domain Name System a very similar concept is put into practice but with a great difference, there is no central authority governing it as data gets stored in the blockchain. In the case of Alterdot our main focus is tying together names to IPFS content identifiers rather than IP addresses. ### What is IPFS? IPFS represents a data storage and transfer technology that has been developing at a rapid pace in the past years that relies on the principles of peer-to-peer networking. What makes it stand out from the likes of torrents and other similar protocols is how the whole network of IPFS nodes helps one another in a community-like system rather than functioning in separate swarms of nodes. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.alterdot.network/general/faq.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.