Core Actors
The Livepeer network has three main actor roles: Orchestrators, Delegators, and Gateways (formerly called Broadcasters) . (Transcoders now refer simply to the GPU instances attached to Orchestrators.) Each plays a distinct part: Orchestrators (Node Operators): These run the go-livepeer client software and provide compute (usually GPU-accelerated) to transcode video streams or run AI inference jobs . Orchestrators stake LPT (self-bond) to become active: the higher their stake (plus delegated stake), the more work they are assigned . They set pricing parameters (ETH per pixel, fee share %, reward share %) and must call on-chain functions (like reward) to claim ETH fees and LPT inflation each round . To run efficiently, orchestrators typically use hardware encoders (e.g. Nvidia NVENC/NVDEC) and maintain strong network connectivity . Delegators (Token Holders): Any LPT holder can stake their tokens by delegating to one or more Orchestrators. This strengthens network security and gives Delegators a share of the rewards. Delegation does not transfer token ownership – the LPT remains in the delegator’s wallet, bonded by the staking contract. In return, Delegators receive a fraction of each Orchestrator’s fees and inflation (according to the Orchestrator’s chosen feeShare and rewardShare percentages) . Delegators must stay staked (and migrated to Arbitrum) to continue earning; after Confluence, failing to move stake would forfeit rewards . Delegators also gain governance rights: they can detach their stake to vote on proposals, or vote via their Orchestrator . Gateways (Broadcasters/Clients): Gateways are entities that publish video streams or AI inference requests to the network (these were called Broadcasters pre-Confluence) . A Gateway sends raw media segments to the network along with ETH to pay for services. It negotiates with Orchestrators (off-chain) to select a suitable worker, attaches tickets as payment promises for each segment, and eventually receives the transcoded output. Gateways pay ETH fees (on-chain via the TicketBroker contract) and do not need LPT. They may either retrieve finished videos for end-users, or forward them to streaming clients via CDN. Gateways are the network’s demand side and do not earn stake rewards. 🔍 Key Role Flow: Delegators ▶ stake LPT to support Orchestrators, which powers security and gives Delegators a cut of rewards . Orchestrators ▶ register on-chain, declare capacity and pricing, then accept work from Gateways. Gateways ▶ submit video/AI jobs (paying fees) to Orchestrators for processing, receiving back transformed data. —Role Summary
Developers And Applications
- Bring demand into the network
- Integrate through gateway-facing APIs
- Optimise for latency, quality, and cost
Gateway Operators
- Provide job intake and coordination
- Match workloads to available orchestrators
- Handle routing, retries, and service-level interfaces
Orchestrator Operators
- Provide supply-side compute participation
- Execute or coordinate transcoding and AI workloads
- Earn fees and rewards based on activity and stake backing
Delegators
- Bond LPT to orchestrators
- Influence security and economic weight
- Share in reward and fee outcomes
Interaction Pattern
Applications do not usually coordinate directly with every compute node. A common pattern is:- Application -> Gateway -> Orchestrator -> Gateway -> Application
Actor Pages
Why Role Separation Matters
- Better developer experience on the demand side
- Operational specialization on the supply side
- Open competition across service and compute providers
- Clearer accountability for pricing, performance, and reliability