HOPR network is an open source motivated "hybrid network" that provides network-level metadata privacy for web users. HOPR constructs a decentralized marketplace dedicated to connecting individuals who monetize unused Internet bandwidth with those who have a demand for metadata private Internet bandwidth. HOPR consists of three components:

1. Economic incentives on blockchain (HOPR tokens).

When initially online, HOPR relied on the Ethereum blockchain as its payment layer. With ethereum smart contracts, HOPR tokens use open payment channels to forward messages using HOPR nodes. Message senders append HOPR tokens to their messages, which are paid to the HOPR node that relays the message upon successful delivery.

To achieve this, the HOPR node implements a connector interface, The interface uses its popular web library, Web3JS, to communicate with the Ethereum blockchain. These interfaces allow HOPR nodes to monitor, approve, sign, and validate messages as they are transmitted, thus closing the state channel and receiving the HOPR tokens they receive. Each HOPR node verifies with each other, avoids foul play and rewards only honest Repeaters.

Although the first instantiation of a HOPR network is on the Ethereum blockchain, HOPR is independent of the chain, This means that HOPR nodes can eventually implement different payment channels in different blockchains.