A Federated Network is a variant of a topological architecture of distributed networks. Due to its intrinsic design, a Federated network operates is a pseudo-permissioned manner, where there is a hierarchical separation of roles within the environment. In a federated network, participants communicate with each other as though they were shards; Members of one federated network are able to communicate with members of another federated network only if the highest order nodes of each federation allow them to.