CasperLabs Weekly Update 21st July 2020: Enabling Governance Models for Smart Contracts
Update summary
We’re pleased to have released Node 0.20 on the Testnet this marks the beginning of our Beta-Testnet program. For members of the community looking to participate in this program, you can sign up here and follow the instructions on GitHub. We are rounding off work on the bonding auctions, this is how validators would join the validator pool.
On the Contract Runtime, we will be adding some more features to the Runtime. Example of these features includes enabling governance models for Smart contracts, Staking by Smart contracts (eg. a Defi contract staking locked up tokens to increase yield) among other features. Our CTO, Medha Parlikar would be speaking on these features at the Global Defi Summit by DraperGorenHolm in August.
Engineering Status
- We’re pleased to have released Node 0.20 and have it deployed on the Testnet
- We’re troubleshooting a problem associated with CLarity and Multi-key signature on the Testnet.
- We’re going to launch the incentivized Beta-Testnet program in the coming days. If you’re looking to participate in this program you can sign up here and follow the instructions on GitHub.
- We are getting ready to set up a preliminary 5 Rust Node Network in LRTs this week. This network would have the capability to accept and gossip deploys and also support some basic queries. Chainspec has been implemented so that the validators can join in Genesis only. The Nodes on the network will reach consensus and finalize blocks & deploys however, the nodes would not preserve state on restarting.
Current Focus
- We’re working on a Test framework for Highway. We’ll be using a Test-driven development mechanism to implement a Liveness test on the Highway core.
- We’re working out the quorum size calculations for Block rewards.
- Initial work on Auto-round adjustment is in place. This allows Validators to change their round lengths.
- Rounding off work on the bonding auctions. This is how validators would join the validator pool. Basically, a potential validator makes a proposal on the amount they intend to bond on the Network and this includes user delegated tokens.
- Metrics: Defining SRE requirements for network metrics and revisiting approach to Contract Runtime metrics.
- Updating Node documentation
- There’ll not be any additional work on the Scala Node. There will only be fixing of bugs reported on the Testnet.
- On the Contract Runtime, we will be adding some more features to the Runtime. Example of these features includes enabling governance models for Smart contracts, Staking by Smart contracts (eg. a Defi contract staking locked up tokens to increase yield) among other features.
- Extending Solidity Transpiler with Arithmetic, Logical, and Bitwise Operator support.
- Updating ERC20 and Key/Value Storage contract with Domain Specific Language.
Economics
- We’ve published our Auto-price adjustment specification to EthResearch
- Resolving Chainlink contract deployment issues.
- We intend to develop 2–3 alternative auction slot number adjustment mechanisms. This mechanism would define how we increase the number of Auction slots.
Community
- We are doing a giveaway of 5 tickets for the Crypto Charity Poker Tournament on the 29th of July, 2 Bitcoin prize pool, entering to win is easy, tell us your favourite thing about CasperLabs, (DM @Hodlshark on twitter or telegram) and the top 5 voted answers will win an entry ticket!
- Our weekly Governance/Community call holds every Tuesday
- Time: 9:00 AM PST (16:00 UTC, Sydney +11, Beijing +8, Greece +3, Amsterdam +2, Onitsha +1, New York -4, Seattle -7)
- Location: https://casperlabs.zoom.us/j/488766416
- Our weekly workshops/dApp Session holds twice a week on:
- Thursdays 07:00 am Pacific time and
- Fridays 12:00 am Pacific (4 pm Japanese Time).
- The zoom meeting id is https://casperlabs.zoom.us/j/924713678.
