DIS Weekly #12
DIS Weekly covers developments in the space of decentralized infrastructure solutions.
If you’d like to submit your project updates or podcast episodes for the next round of DIS Weekly / DIS Moment, email us at dis@pokt.network or DM us at @DISweekly.
//NODE INFRASTRUCTURE//
DAppNode | @DAppNode
DAppNode is a plug n’ play full-node solution focusing on increased privacy and user control. Currently supporting Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Monero.
Get ready for the Istanbul Fork. Nodlers are encouraged to upgrade their Ropsten package. It only takes one click. If they’ve enabled the auto-update feature, they don’t even have to worry.
DAppNode has added Pocket Network as a Trusted Provider in their installer menu. This means the Pocket Core DNP is now only a one-click install for any Nodler. In the near future, DAppNode users will be able to earn a passive income stream of POKT for running an Ethereum fullnode and relaying API requests for DApps. All the while, contributing to the decentralization of Ethereum node infrastructure.
With the number of nodes online going down, month after month, it indicates the centralization of node infra. CoinDesk reported on December 5th 2018 that there’s a total of 11,803 full nodes running. At this very moment, there is currently 8237 full nodes online. A tragedy of the commons is happening before our very eyes. This is compounded by the fact that 61.6% of nodes running in a centralized cloud service.
DAppNode astutely points out that “Running nodes in centralized services is like building castles in the sand”. Be a Nodler, and run your own node!
Chainstack | @ChainStackHQ
The Control Panel for Blockchains. Chainstack is a multi-cloud, multi-protocol Platform as a Service.
Chainstack published an analysis on Ethereum Node Hosting. Here are the results from the data snapshot of September 20th:
Total Ethereum nodes in cloud and on-prem: 8933 nodes
Ethereum nodes running in the cloud: 61.6% (5499 nodes)
Ethereum nodes running fully on-premises: 38.4% (3434 nodes)
They’ve found 57% of all Ethereum nodes are hosted by the top 10 cloud providers, including AWS, Alibaba Cloud, Google Cloud, and Digital Ocean. Nearly 25% (2195 nodes) run on AWS. Of that, 37.1% of all ethereum nodes hosted in the cloud are located in US data centers, followed by 16.7% in Germany and 8.44% in Singapore.
On the other side, a total of 45% of all Ethereum nodes running on-premises are located in China.
Casa Node | @CasaHODL
A fast, simple plug n’ play solution for running a Bitcoin and Lightning Node.
Casa released their latest node update, which allows users to change their Node password as well as view version numbers of both Bitcoin Core and Lightning. This update also fixed a couple of bugs, including one related to some nodes having trouble setting their internal IP address.
Akash | @Akashnet_
The Serverless Supercloud. Akash’s network enables a permissionless, open, and secure marketplace for unused compute cycles.
Last week, Akash unveiled their economic model and the AKT token. In their economic paper, they describe an incentive structure designed to drive adoption and ensure the economic security of the Akash ecosystem. Early adopters can expect up to 10x lower costs compared to legacy cloud service providers. The Akash Token (AKT) performs three main functions: Resolve, Reward, and Reserve.
Download the Akash Network Token Economic Paper to learn more.
//LAYER 2//
Connext | @ConnextNetwork
Connext is a Layer 2 infrastructure solution to support the scaling efforts of the Ethereum blockchain by using Counterfactual state channels.
Connext v2.0 has shipped, and is on Mainnet! It has been compared to the lightning network as it’s counterpart, but for Ethereum. In this new update, all transfers are fully noncustodial, even when “in-flight”. Also, in v2.0, both state storage and backup are decided by the wallet.
v2.0 DAI card is coming soon! In the meantime, play around with their work-in-progress Rinkeby DAI Card.
MetaMask users already have the ability to use Payment Channels via Connext with InstaPay. This enables near-instant, gasless payments between users. Follow these steps to learn how to turn on that beta feature. Pillar Project plans to add Connext to its wallet soon, too.
David Hoffman made an excellent point “This is how you disrupt the payments sector”, with fast and free transactions.
//WEB3 TOOLBOX//
Linkdrop | @LinkdropHQ
Linkdrop enables Web3 marketing campaigns to onboard everyday users.
Linkdrop tweeted out that State Channels are coming soon to Wallet-Widget. Arjun Bhuptan, CEO of Connext, even offered to help with the integration.
They’re also seeking for DApp and DeFi developers interested in adding their own branded, whitelabel wallet-widget. If you fit the bill, fill out this survey.
Terminal | @terminaldotco
Terminal is a Web3 developer platform for building, testing, and monitoring decentralized applications.
Terminal has published the first issue of their weekly newsletter called Terminal Weekly. It’s a great medium to share their updates with the community. This week, they’ve shared product and feature updates, such as Logs feature, HexSDK, Bulk Import.
For some more hidden gems, Terminal rehashed all their important threads on Twitter.
Austin Griffith believes that Terminal “will make developers’ lives easier because it gives us more abstracted, visual, and reproducible access to web3 objects”.
Matt Czernik, from the Terminal team, built an open source DApp called EthCarbonFootprint using the Terminal API Studio. It provides an easy way to get historical gas usage for an Ethereum address. Play with it at EthCarbonFootprint!
3Box | @3boxdb
APIs for identity, profiles, storage, messaging, and comments.
3Box introduced a new API product: 3Box Comments Plugin. Developers will be able to add commenting to their DApp with only a few lines of code. This can make applications more social and interactive!
There are many potential use cases for commenting in Web3 apps. For example, social networks for colonies. They’ve essentially laid the groundwork for completely decentralized social networks.
Try the demo!
//WALLETS//
Alice | @HeyAliceApp
The WeChat of the Web3 World. It’s a SuperD/app that houses all your favorite applications, even non-crypto like duck duck go, as mini-dapps.
Alice will have a new feature: multiple pin(s), with support for browser, transaction, and mini-program. They’ve also been hard at work on refining a new Wallet Connect integration. Mark Pereira asked the eth community whether they preferred red or green to represent the color for Ethereum mainnet transactions. The poll points to green as the community favorite.
Poketto | @PokettoCash
Poketto is an open source xDAI pocket wallet for your day-to-day transactions.
Poketto recently announced the official release of Poketto for Android. Here are some screenshots. Download Poketto Cash on the Google Play store to try it out.
A pull request for the Pocket Network integration has been merged. This turns Poketto into an unstoppable wallet. If a node goes down, the wallet would automatically and randomly connect to another node, ensuring constant uptime. It’s currently available for testing on iOS testflight.
Dapper | @HelloDapper
Dapper is a smart contract wallet, currently available as a chrome extension, but with iOS and Android support coming soon.
Dapper Labs has updated the Dapper activity screen. Now, Dapper users will be able to see the cool properties attached to their tokens. If you’d like to see other features, leave feedback in this survey. They’ve also integrated MoonPay, which provides users an easy way to purchase ETH within the wallet using a credit card.
Dapper Labs unveiled Flow, a new Proof of Stake blockchain for “open worlds”. It’s built to meet the demands of consumer audiences and entertainment applications.
Dapper, as a smart wallet, will work between Ethereum and Flow.
//DEFI//
PoolTogether | @PoolTogether_
PoolTogether is a no-loss DAI lottery built on Ethereum.
Last week’s pool winner won the with only 34 tickets!
PoolTogether has added a WalletLink integration, so now Coinbase Wallet users can participate in Ethereum’s only no-loss savings game on their desktop.
They are also looking for community advocates to represent PoolTogether across the world.
EnableCredit | @EnableCredit
Enable provides peer-to-peer stablecoin loans, built on Ethereum and DAI, democratizing access to finance and education through Income Share Agreements (ISAs).
A few months ago, Enable started off as a peer to peer marketplace for lenders to loan out stablecoins. Since then, they have pivoted to focus on designing smart contracts for ISA. Because it uses the DAI stablecoin, anyone can invest in anyone.
The first crowdfunded ISA is for Widya Imanesti. She’s raising 60,000 DAI to attend the Master of Industrial and Labor Relations program at Cornell University. Graduates of the program she’s attending have been reported to start with a mean salary of $86,320. Unlike a traditional loan, with an ISA, Widya’s expected to pay a percentage of her future income for a set period of time. In this case, it’s 18% divided proportionally among investors over six years or up until the cap of 90,000 DAI is reached.
Enable uses the 3Box APIs for decentralized identity and storage, as well as, Bloom to build stronger social credit scoring profiles.
//FOSS//
Gitcoin | @Gitcoin
Gitcoin provides crowdfunding and freelance developers for you software projects.
Gitcoin’s Q3 OSS Fund has been extended until 10/2 at 16:59 PST. There’s $200k in matching distributions from the Ethereum Foundation and Consensys. This makes Gitcoin Grants the largest pilot for Quadratic Funding!
Explore projects on the Gitcoin Grants explorer, and give to a couple of projects. Gitcoin Grants will show you how far CLR Matching takes your contribution. A $1 DAI contribution goes a long way!
//PODCASTS//
Wizard of Dapps | @wizardofdapps
Audius with Roneli RumBurg and Forrest Browning
Into the Ether | @ethhub_io
Ryan Sean Adams: Why Ether is Money
POV Crypto Podcast | @POVCryptoPod
MakerDAO vs. Maker Foundation, and other DAO topics, with Kenny Rowe?
Epicenter | @epicenterbtc
ZenGo - The “Keyless” Crypto Wallet
Zero Knowledge | @zeroknowledgefm
Eli Ben-Sasson on the latest from StarkWare and the origin of mathematical ideas
Blockcrunch | @theBlockcrunch
How Terra is Scaling Crypto with E-Commerce with Don Kim
Wyre Talks | @SendWyre
Gnosis - The Full-Stack Predictions Market with Stefan George, Co-Founder and CTO
//DIS MOMENT//
No. 5 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1154436794647289856
No. 6 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1156972138940829697
No. 7 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1159159593894854657
No. 8 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1161333702804344832
No. 9 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1163943379564150784
No. 10 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1167156913156612097
No. 11 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1170031387694567425
No. 12 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1172477041872121856
No. 13 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1174730106436239360
No. 14 https://twitter.com/i/moments/1177605005584539651
For more moments and tweets, follow DIS Weekly on Twitter at @DISWeekly.
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