The oracle problem, broadly understood as the difficulty of reliably incorporating external information into blockchain-based systems, has been widely examined by scholars and practitioners. Recent comparative research has shown that several challenges of modern blockchain oracles, including attributability, accountability, integrity, and query design, mirror procedural and epistemic constraints already present in ancient oracular institutions such as the Delphic Oracle. Yet the translation of these insights into applied oracle design remains largely unexplored. This paper introduces the Dodona Protocol, a modular, chain-agnostic oracle service inspired by procedural patterns identified in ancient and modern oracle systems. Named after the Oracle of Zeus at Dodona, one of the oldest oracular sanctuaries in ancient Greece, the protocol operationalizes principles such as structured consultation, access control, attributable resolution, constrained query formats, reputational accountability, and tiered service availability. Its first module implements a query and dispute resolution mechanism in which a named expert resolver provides binding answers to structured questions submitted by petitioners. The oracle does not claim to reveal objective truth; rather, it produces outcomes that parties have agreed in advance to accept. The paper presents the design rationale, architecture, and comparative positioning of the Dodona Protocol. It frames the protocol as a living research experiment within the Design Science Research tradition, where the deployed system functions as the research artifact and operational data support structured analysis, iterative refinement, and peer-reviewed dissemination. In doing so, the paper seeks to bridge the gap between oracle theory and oracle practice.

翻译：预言机问题被广泛理解为在区块链系统中可靠整合外部信息的难题，已受到学者和从业者的广泛探讨。近期比较研究表明，现代区块链预言机面临的若干挑战，包括可归因性、可问责性、完整性和查询设计，折射出德尔斐神谕等古代神谕机构早已存在的程序性与认知性局限。然而，如何将这些洞见转化为预言机应用设计仍鲜有探索。本文提出多朵拿协议——一种受古代与现代预言系统程序模式启发的模块化、跨链预言机服务。该协议以古希腊最古老的神谕圣地之一——多朵拿的宙斯神谕命名，将结构化咨询、访问控制、可归因裁决、受限查询格式、声誉问责与分级服务可用性等原则付诸实践。其首个模块实现了一套查询与争议解决机制：由具名专家裁决者对申请人提交的结构化问题提供具有约束力的答案。该预言机并不宣称揭示客观真理，而是生成各方预先约定接受的输出结果。本文阐述了多朵拿协议的设计原理、架构与比较定位，并将其定位为设计科学研究传统中的活体研究实验——部署系统作为研究制品运行，操作数据支持结构化分析、迭代优化与同行评审发布。通过这一路径，本文致力于弥合预言机理论与预言机实践之间的鸿沟。