Archive for the ‘Smart Contracts’ Category

Cardano’s Vision for Interoperability with Other Blockchains – BTC Peers

The world of blockchain technology is expanding rapidly. Many different blockchains have emerged, each with their own unique capabilities and features. Yet one of the major challenges facing the industry is a lack of interoperability between these different networks. This can limit the potential growth and real-world utility of blockchain technology.

Cardano aims to address the interoperability challenge through its thoughtful, research-driven approach to blockchain development. Led by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson, Cardano seeks to create a blockchain platform that can easily connect with other networks. Let's explore Cardano's vision for achieving interoperability and why it matters for the future of blockchain technology.

A core part of Cardano's strategy is developing a standardized communication protocol that can interface between different blockchains. This protocol aims to enable transactions and other information sharing between otherwise disconnected networks.

Cardano is specifically developing an "Inter-Blockchain Communication" (IBC) protocol. IBC will act as a universal language that diverse blockchains can utilize to communicate with each other. The open-source nature of IBC will allow other blockchain projects to easily integrate the protocol. If widely adopted, IBC could provide the foundation for an "internet of blockchains."

Developing a standardized interoperability protocol aligns with Cardano's goal of following research-driven engineering practices. Instead of creating a fully isolated platform, Cardano is focused on developing open-source blockchain infrastructure that can benefit the broader ecosystem.

Another element of Cardano's interoperability vision is enabling cross-chain smart contracts. Smart contracts are self-executing programs that run on blockchains like Cardano and Ethereum.

Currently, smart contracts can only run within their native blockchain environment. But Cardano wants to make it possible for smart contracts to seamlessly operate across multiple chains. The calculation would be performed on one network while pulling data from another.

Cross-chain smart contract interoperability would allow developers to build decentralized applications that harness the unique capabilities of different blockchains. For example, a decentralized finance (DeFi) application could use a stablecoin on one network while accessing lending services on another.

For end users, this cross-chain approach means that they aren't limited to only applications running on a single blockchain. As smart contract adoption increases, interoperable contracts will become essential for delivering a seamless user experience.

Sidechains represent another tool that can facilitate interoperability on Cardano. A sidechain is a separate blockchain that runs parallel to a main network and is attached as a secondary layer.

The key benefit of a sidechain is that it allows developers to experiment with new features or changes without impacting the primary chain. Cardano intends to utilize sidechains both to test out their own experimental features as well as connect to external blockchains.

For example, Cardano could develop a sidechain specifically designed to enable compatibility with the Ethereum network. This would allow assets and other information to move fluidly between the two platforms. Sidechains lower the difficulty of integrating external blockchains compared to changing the main chain.

Overall, sidechains give Cardano flexibility to customize connections tailored to the needs of different networks. Sidechains will be essential to broadening interoperability as Cardano evolves.

Achieving wide-scale interoperability between blockchains has the potential to profoundly impact the broader cryptocurrency industry. Here are two ways enhanced interoperability could reshape the market:

One of the most immediate effects of connecting blockchains together would be enabling easier transfer of assets between networks. Moving assets between wallets on separate chains currently requires going through centralized exchanges.

But with protocols like IBC, assets could move directly between chains through decentralized bridges. This would greatly improve liquidity in the market by removing friction in cross-chain transactions.

Direct asset transfers also open up new possibilities like using Bitcoin on decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Overall, seamless cross-chain transactions would significantly expand the possibilities for how users interact with blockchain services.

Another major impact interoperability could have is sparking greater innovation in decentralized applications (dApps). Right now developers face limitations by having to build exclusively on a single blockchain's environment.

But if smart contracts could seamlessly operate across chains, developers could mix and match the best features from different networks. This composability would allow creating novel dApps taking advantage of blockchain diversity.

Interoperability would also give dApp users a smoother experience not constrained to a single chain. Widespread adoption of dApps requires an easy user experience, which interoperability helps enable.

Cardano has made significant progress on its vision for an interoperable blockchain ecosystem. However, substantial work remains to make this vision a practical reality used widely across the industry.

In 2021, Cardano took a major step forward by successfully launching smart contract capability on its mainnet in the Alonzo upgrade. This provides the foundation for more advanced interoperability functionality down the road.

The team is actively developing the IBC protocol for standardized communication between blockchains. But IBC is still likely years away from large-scale adoption. The protocol must be thoroughly tested and embraced by other major blockchain projects to create a truly interconnected network.

Cardano is also researching the technical challenges around enabling cross-chain smart contracts. But this capability is still early in conceptual development.

Overall, Cardano has the right strategic outlook focused on interoperability. But patience will be required to let Cardano's thoughtful and peer-reviewed approach evolve the technology to fulfill its potential.

Interoperability has become one of the most pressing issues facing the blockchain industry today. With so many different networks emerging, the walls between these isolated ecosystems have to come down for blockchain adoption to reach mainstream status.

Cardano stands out for its vision focused on open, research-driven blockchain development.standardized communication protocols like IBC and cross-chain smart contracts are the types of foundational infrastructure needed to connect these disparate networks.

Of course, Cardano is still early on its ambitious roadmap. However, the blockchain's methodical approach inspired by academia could make it uniquely positioned to solve blockchain interoperability compared to other projects. If achieved, seamless interoperability promises to profoundly expand what is possible with decentralized technology and bring blockchain closer to mass adoption.

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Cardano's Vision for Interoperability with Other Blockchains - BTC Peers

OpenChat puts governance to the vote thanks to Internet Computer – TechHQ

Millions of people use messaging apps such as Twitter (now X), WhatsApp, Signal, Threads, and others to communicate online. Many businesses too, rely on messaging apps for branding, product announcements, and keeping in touch with customers. Typically, none of these account holders have any say in how platforms develop, unless theyve signed up to OpenChat, which has a different view on the governance of messaging apps.

Weve become used to the model of tech giants offering free or low-cost services in return for the insights gained from customer data. But the creators of OpenChat, which runs on the Internet Computer a decentralized platform for hosting computer code, data, and compute (see below) offer their app as an open internet service.

This means there is no backing company tracking and selling your data, explained Hamish Peebles, OpenChat co-founder and one of the Rust developers on the project, in an online introduction to OpenChat. Instead, the service is owned and managed by the holders of the services governance tokens. And in our case, we will be distributing those tokens amongst the users.

Changes to the open internet service are made via proposals, which are made public, and users who want to get involved in the decision-making process can vote on the proposed code or feature changes. Proposals that gain enough support are then adopted.

Also, to encourage others to get involved, contributions are rewarded with additional governance tokens.

Nothing happens behind closed doors, everything happens out in the open, and everyone is welcome to get involved, said Peebles, when introducing the project back in 2021. And for those that just want to use [OpenChat] as a normal chat app, thats fine too.

The first step is to sign up for example, by creating an Internet Computer identity. And users have the option to generate a passkey a unique public/private key pair that is stored in the secure hardware chip present in smartphones and other messaging devices.

Messages carry an initial tick to indicate that theyve been received by the OpenChat services and a second one appears when the correspondence has been read by the recipient. Users can add emojis to their messages and upload attachments.

Media files such as images and videos are rendered directly in the message panel, and other file types are badged as a downloadable attachment. The OpenChat team recently launched a communities feature and has a roadmap of technical updates advertised online.

Notifications and messages can be sent between browsers using peer-to-peer Web RTC connections that are brokered using the OpenChat service operating on the Internet Computer, according to co-founder Matt Grogan another software engineer working on the project. And this enables extremely fast messaging for example, when two users in a conversation are both online.

Search data is available on a users own chat canister secured on the Internet Computer. And this means that a user can query their entire chat history from any device.

Another feature of the service is the ability for users to send so-called Cycles to each other. Cycles are similar to gas in Ethereum, and are used to pay for Internet Computer resources down to the CPU instruction and byte of memory, Grogan explains.

The basic unit of Cycles is in trillions, and this is a good point in the story to answer the question what is the Internet Computer?

To borrow the words of Dominic Williams Founder and Chief Scientist at DFINITY, the foundation responsible for building the federated computing resource the purpose of the Internet Computer project is to extend the internet and make it far more powerful.

Rather than have services hosted by private firms in the cloud, the Internet Computer aspires to provide a worldwide compute platform. And Williams dubs the project the third great innovation in blockchain, with the first being the invention of Bitcoin in 2009 conjuring up the notion of digital gold followed by the second milestone of smart contracts on Ethereum in 2015.

A decade ago, Williams witnessed how blockchain could do much more than enabling cryptocurrencies, and could be used to host computer code (smart contracts), data, and critically computation. Internet Computer smart contracts can deliver user experience (UX) by processing HTTP commands, which sets the platform apart from other projects.

Also, recent developments mean that Internet Computer nodes can talk to Bitcoin nodes. That enables smart contracts on the Internet Computer to directly process Bitcoin on the Bitcoin blockchain without the need for bridges, said Williams earlier this year, recapping the projects achievements so far. The next step is to integrate with Ethereum.

The Internet Computers governance system is known as the network nervous system (NNS) and it provides the means for an adaptive blockchain, where protocol upgrades can be introduced without having to perform hard forking.

Williams points to other efficiency gains too. He believes that the Internet Computers crypto cloud can be more efficient than centralized tech in the end. The foundation has worked with Carbon Crowd on a Proof of Green initiative. And its been reported that a single Google search is four times more energy intensive than a transaction on the Internet Computer.

OpenChat one of a number of Internet Computer apps is hosted across independent data centers running Internet Computer Protocol (ICP). And some believe that ICP could be a potential replacement for legacy IT stack, considering not just messaging applications, but other products too.

Software is reimagined as interoperable compute units known as canisters, which comprise a bundle of WebAssembly byte code and associated memory. Parallelizable, canisters run at web speed, and can be used to build various services from websites to enterprise systems and industrial platforms.

Developers write code in any language that compiles to WebAssembly, such as Rust, and then upload the resulting canisters to the Internet Computer through ICP. The architecture is said to eliminate cloud services, database servers, web servers, and the use of a content distribution network to speed up delivery.

Williams goes as far as to say that the approach even does away with firewalls as canisters run within a tamperproof environment. Supporting the system are node machines (arranged as subnets) that host the canisters, with everything permissioned by a so-called network nervous system.

Looking at the Carbon Crowd Internet Computer dashboard shows that the majority of nodes are hosted in Switzerland (DFINITY is headquartered in Zurich), with a total of 26 data centers and 66 nodes providers worldwide.

Internet Computer architecture explained by Dominic Williams.

In OpenChat, canisters are created when users register for the decentralized messaging service. They hold direct chats and list which groups a user belongs to. Cannisters also behave as individual user wallets by linking to a ledger account.

System security comes from the fact that the canisters user is the only person with permission to instruct that canister, which also benefits voting rights. The one user, one canister approach also makes the system highly scalable and avoids having to shard users as the platform grows.

OpenChat was hugely successful earlier this year in raising ICP funds, with the Internet Computer community endorsing the project. And now its in the developers hands to live up to those expectations and deliver a decentralized messaging app to rival WhatsApp and other big names in chat services.

Practically, for the OpenChat team, that means ramping up from tens of thousands of daily active users to hundreds of times more and beyond.

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OpenChat puts governance to the vote thanks to Internet Computer - TechHQ

Is Bitcoin Better than Ethereum? – Watcher Guru

Is Bitcoin Better than Ethereum?: Comprehensive Guide

In the world of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) have emerged as the most popular and significant players.

Both cryptocurrencies have made a significant impact on the market, but the question remains: Is Bitcoin better than Ethereum?

To answer this question, we need to delve into the key differences between these two digital assets.

Also read: Donald Trumps Ethereum Wallet Holds $2.8M, Statement Shows

Bitcoin and Ethereum have different origins and purposes.

Bitcoin, created by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, was launched in 2009 as the first cryptocurrency. It operates on a decentralized network known as the Bitcoin network and is primarily used as a digital currency for peer-to-peer transactions.

Bitcoins blockchain technology serves as a public ledger, recording all transactions and ensuring their transparency and security.

On the other hand, Ethereum was introduced in 2015 by Vitalik Buterin. It is not just a cryptocurrency but also a decentralized platform that enables the development of various applications through smart contracts.

Ethereums blockchain, similar to Bitcoins, is also decentralized and transparent, but it allows developers to build decentralized applications (DApps) on top of it.

These DApps can be used for various purposes, such as decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and more.

The main difference between Bitcoin and Ethereum lies in their intended use cases. Bitcoin focuses on being a digital currency and a store of value, while Ethereum aims to facilitate decentralized applications and smart contracts.

Bitcoin is more straightforward in its functionality, serving as a medium of exchange and a hedge against inflation. Ethereum, on the other hand, provides a platform for developers to create innovative applications and programmable contracts.

Determining which cryptocurrency is better, Bitcoin or Ethereum, ultimately depends on individual preferences and investment goals.

Lets explore some key factors to consider when comparing the two:

Market capitalization, or market cap, is a crucial indicator of a cryptocurrencys value and adoption. As of now, Bitcoin has a significantly higher market cap than Ethereum.

Bitcoins market cap exceeds $545 billion, while Ethereums market cap is around $220 billion. Bitcoins higher market cap suggests that it has greater adoption and trust among investors, making it a more established asset in the crypto market.

Scarcity is another crucial aspect of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin has a limited supply of 21 million coins, making it a deflationary asset.

Currently, around 19.3 million bitcoins are in circulation, with the remaining 1.7 million yet to be mined. Bitcoins scarcity contributes to its value proposition as a store of value, as the limited supply ensures that it cannot be easily inflated.

On the other hand, Ethereum does not have a hard cap on its supply. While there is a mechanism called burning to remove ether from circulation, there is no overall limit on the number of ethers that could enter the market.

This means that Ethereum is subject to potential inflationary pressures, which can reduce the value of each individual coin over time.

Decentralization and security are crucial factors to consider when evaluating the reliability of a cryptocurrency. Bitcoin has a strong track record in terms of decentralization and security.

Its blockchain is the most secure and decentralized among all cryptocurrencies, with thousands of nodes and miners worldwide verifying transactions and maintaining the network. This decentralization makes Bitcoin less susceptible to hacking or manipulation.

In contrast, Ethereum has had some security incidents in the past, including a major hack in 2016 that resulted in the loss of millions of dollars worth of ether.

While Ethereums security has improved over time, it still lags behind Bitcoin in terms of reliability and security.

When it comes to use cases and adoption, Bitcoin has a more straightforward value proposition. It is widely accepted as a digital currency and a store of value.

Bitcoin has gained significant adoption among merchants and investors worldwide, with many companies even adding it to their balance sheets as a hedge against inflation.

Ethereum, on the other hand, offers a broader range of use cases through its smart contract functionality.

It enables developers to create decentralized applications and programmable contracts, opening up possibilities for decentralized finance, NFTs, and other innovative applications. However, Ethereums adoption is still developing and has not yet reached the same level as Bitcoins.

In terms of market share, Bitcoin dominates the cryptocurrency market. It currently accounts for more than 45% of the total market value of all cryptocurrencies.

Ethereum, while significant, has a market share of less than 20%. Bitcoins larger market share further solidifies its position as the leading cryptocurrency and indicates its greater acceptance and trust among investors.

Also read: 1005 Virgin Bitcoins Moved After 13 Years: Is Satoshi Back?

Despite their differences, Bitcoin and Ethereum share some similarities. Both operate on decentralized networks using blockchain technology. They provide transparency and security through distributed ledgers, ensuring the integrity of transactions.

Additionally, both Bitcoin and Ethereum are popular cryptocurrencies with a significant impact on the crypto market. They have gained recognition and adoption among investors, merchants, and individuals worldwide.

In conclusion, the question of whether Bitcoin is better than Ethereum does not have a definitive answer. Both cryptocurrencies have distinct characteristics and serve different purposes.

Bitcoins established position, higher market cap, scarcity, and proven security make it a reliable investment option.

However, Ethereums versatility, smart contract functionality, and potential for innovation cannot be overlooked. Ultimately, the decision between Bitcoin and Ethereum depends on individual preferences, investment goals, and risk tolerance.

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Is Bitcoin Better than Ethereum? - Watcher Guru

How Bitcoin Spark is Poised to Outperform BNB in the Crypto Market – The Coin Republic

As the crypto market evolves in tandem with innovative solutions demanded by investors, Bitcoin Spark emerges as a potential force to reckon with, raising questions about its potential to outperform established players like Binance Coin (BNB).

BNB crypto (Binance Coin) serves as a cryptocurrency created to facilitate services on the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. Binance Coin operates on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), a smart contracts facilitator and enabler of dApps. It is a utility token for trading fee settlement, staking on BSC, cross-chain transactions, online platforms, NFTs, and digital collectibles.

MetaMask is a digital wallet operating as a browser extension or mobile app, helping you manage your Ethereum wallet and use dApps. To add Binance Coin (BNB) to your MetaMask wallet, youll need to set up a custom token using the Binance Smart Chain network details. If you dont have MetaMask installed in your browser, download and install the MetaMask extension for your preferred browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Brave). Create a new wallet or import an existing one into MetaMask. MetaMask primarily connects to Ethereum, but for Binance Smart Chain DApps, settings need adjusting. When you connect the Binance smart Chain, youll see your balance in BNB and a Smart Chain dropdown. With BSC connected to MetaMask, you can make transactions by getting the tokens contract address and copying it. Open MetaMask again, click Add Token, paste the copied contract address, and complete the process.

Bitcoin Spark is emerging as a serious contender looking to outshine the rest, including BNB. As such, it has rolled out an innovative Proof-Of-Process infrastructure that disrupts the norm. Its PoP protocol picks and improves on the best from PoS and PoW protocols. BTCS miners will have to stake and provide processing power to earn rewards. Mining will be through smart devices, effectively allowing anyone to mine, regardless of computational power. The improvement and facilitation of easy entry to mining are in response to Bitcoins skewness toward centralization by concentrating the mining power on a few entities holding massive capabilities.

Bitcoin Spark application is the vehicle to onboard BTCS products and services. Heres where prospective investors make a pick among the project offerings. The app facilitates mining, validation, computational power rental, and reward distribution. The reward distribution is designed in a non-linear way, courtesy of advanced algorithms. The app has an inbuilt reward calculator for prospective miners to know the expected results of their efforts beforehand. The smart contract system offered is one of a multi-language channel and a multi-layered ecosystem comprising execution, consensus, mining, and rewards layers.

BTCS prioritizes the security and safety of investor funds by implementing good practices. As such it has subjected its infrastructure to a Cognitos KYC certification and ContractWolf smart contracts audit. BTCS goes at $1.75 in ICO phase two giving investors a potential ROI of 657% on launch at $10 each. Investors will also be treated to a bonus of 15% as a reward for early adoption.

Bitcoin Sparks unique solutions, underlying technologies, and market reception reveal a valid potential to surpass BNB and carve its significant niche in the crypto market.

Website: https://bitcoinspark.org/

Buy BTCS: https://network.bitcoinspark.org/register

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How Bitcoin Spark is Poised to Outperform BNB in the Crypto Market - The Coin Republic

Revolutionizing Digital Transactions: The Emergence of Bitcoin … – Crypto News Flash

Cryptocurrencies are increasingly gaining mainstream adoption, with Solana (SOL) and Bitcoin Spark (BTCS) at the forefront of revolutionizing these digital transactions.

Solana (SOL) is around 90% down from its all-time high (ATH). And while the pronounced drop in valuation is concerning, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Solana will recover. The layer-1 blockchain platform has attracted many developers and projects, leveraging its cheap and fast transactions to build mainstream-oriented decentralized applications. In fact, projects like Helium have moved to Solana from their own blockchains to benefit from its scalability. Additionally, Solanas Dapp ecosystem is much more diverse than its competitors, users can find decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, NFT marketplaces, blockchain gaming projects, and much more on the platform. Moreover, Solana has made exciting developments within its ecosystem, such as the Solana mobile, showing commitment to staying relevant in the ever-evolving crypto landscape. The increasing number of Solana wallets also suggests the potential for recovery as the crypto market regains momentum.

Bitcoin Spark is an innovative project built on Ethereum. It has gained recognition for its groundbreaking approach to blockchain technology, facilitating new use cases while upholding speed, security, and scalability.

Bitcoin Spark enables the development of smart contracts in Rust, Solidity, Vyper, and all high-level programming languages compilable to EVM-bytecode. This is achieved through separate smart contract execution systems that all reach finality on the main network. The layered architecture promotes a wider range of developers and smart contracts, fostering a robust ecosystem of decentralized applications within Bitcoin Spark.

The BTCS token has a unique use case in that it can be used to acquire remote computing power. Bitcoin Spark introduces a novel consensus mechanism known as Proof-of-Process (PoP), which rewards miners for confirming blocks and providing processing power to the network. This will be possible through the Bitcoin Spark application, which will enable users to mine by permitting secure and isolated access to their mining devices processing unit. The application will be easy-to-use, lightweight, compatible with all famous operating systems, and limit itself to resources it can use on the selected device.

The miners processing power is then rented out through the Bitcoin Spark network as remote computing power. And those using the power will be required to pay with BTCS. The revenue generated is transferred to the mining pool to supplement the BTCS minting rewards. This means the more revenue generated, the further the BTCS minting endpoint will be.

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Bitcoin Spark will also leave small slots for advertising on its website and application, where advertisers will be required to pay with BTCS. The ads will be community-policied, and the revenue generated will be shared with miners and network participants.

The Bitcoin Spark Initial Coin Offering (ICO) is in Phase 2, with BTCS priced at $1.75, and investors getting a 15% on top of their investments.

For more information on Bitcoin Spark:

Website: https://bitcoinspark.org/

Buy BTCS: https://network.bitcoinspark.org/register

Crypto News Flash Disclaimer: This publication is sponsored. Crypto News Flash does not endorse and is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy, quality, advertising, products, or other materials on this page. Readers should conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the company. Crypto News Flash is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods, or services mentioned in the press release.

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Revolutionizing Digital Transactions: The Emergence of Bitcoin ... - Crypto News Flash