Overview & Purpose

This RFC specifies the design and requirements for a Local Python Gateway that enables end-users to stream media directly to the Livepeer network while delegating payment authorization and trust-sensitive operations to a Remote Signer Node.

The Livepeer: Weir document outlines the larger product strategy for local gateways and the value they will add to the network, including Payment Clearinghouse services. This document focuses exclusively on the Local Gateway component and its interaction with Remote Signer nodes and orchestrators.

Goals

The primary objectives of this specification are:

Enable direct media streaming from end-users to orchestrators without relaying media through hosted gateways
Provide a minimal gateway implementation that meets productionized and developer use cases involving Remote Signer nodes
Define a gateway that leverages a Remote Signer node for payments and authorization

Out of scope

This specification explicitly does not cover:

Service registry/smart contracts - no changes planned
Orchestrator selection
- The SDK will not search for orchestrators. A single orchestrator address will be supported for now
Native browser implementation
AI worker or model execution logic

User Types

This section defines the end-users who will leverage the local gateway solution and their needs

User Role	As a …	I want to …	So that I can …
Gateway Provider	API Reseller / Streaming Platform	Improve video quality and reduce latency	Improve the user experience for content creators streaming over WebRTC protocol
Local Developer	Engineer testing go-livepeer locally	Access the network using my own instance of go-Livepeer	Stream without a crypto wallet or the need to lock in ETH for deposit and reserve.

Some use cases may be needed by multiple gateway user types

Proposed Solution

A reusable python library for streaming directly to orchestrators, utilizing remote signer nodes for payments.