Tutorials on writing Ethereum contracts, Hands-on, step-by-step, available at our site

We have resurrected the Duke of Ether game.
This time it is included as a part (an illustration mostly) in the ICO Development Suite.
Nevertheless, the game is fully functional.

Hi,
I am a programmer, and I would like to write a support script for ICO Bounty campaign (counting signatures on this forum).
Am I allowed to write a spider to crawl the forum (say, daily, new topics only), or will it cause a ban?

Thank you

Well, I guess no one can beat kitties
Nevertheless, the game still functions, and Putin still rules Japan

1. You find it a nice exchange and send it money
2. You enter name/address to pass basic verification
3. Basic verification fails as you are not in "public lists". You are suggested "extended verification".
4. After the trick with basic verification, are you willing to send them your photo holding your credit card? No.
5. Profit (not for you).

"Duke of Ether":  an aggressive reincarnation of the "King".

Those following Ethereum DApps story from the very beginning should probable remember the "King of Ether".
It was a simple auction: players paid for "Ethereum Throne". Whenever a new King took the throne, the price
increased 50%. Whenever YOU was kicked off the throne, you would receive whatever the next candidate
paid (which was 50%  more than you paid originally).
As any auction is a pyramid, finally someone ended up stuck with the Throne. End of a game.

King is dead. Long live the Duke!
"Duke of Ether" uses rules that are significantly different. As before, every next Duke pays 50% more and -
if someone takes the Throne from him - receives 50% more than he paid.

But you can choose what country you want to rule. Would you like to rule United States or Mordor?
Would you like Tramp to rule Russia? Not a problem at hte moment Russia dominates).

Also, players can create new countries and - if they prefer to be on the Dark Side - to destroy existing ones.

The DApp is located at http://duke-of-ether.com/duke_of_ether.htm

WBR,
Steve Brown

I love Ethereum smart contracts.
Now, etherscan.io site has lots of advantages and just one disadvantage: they trust authors. You want to publish the source code - go ahead. Not every one is aware that Solidity has no decompiler though... So nothing prevents you from making small changes to the code.
As the result, people began building traps to catch hackers. Here is one I found - it is such a candy:

pragma solidity ^0.4.18;

contract MultiplicatorX2
{
        address public Owner = msg.sender;

        function() public payable{}

        function withdraw()  payable public
        {
                require(msg.sender == Owner);
                Owner.transfer(this.balance);
        }

        function multiplicate(address adr) public payable
        {
            if(msg.value>=this.balance)
            {
                adr.transfer(this.balance+msg.value);
            }
        }
}

A contract is very simple. It has one ether on it. Now, if you want to get it, you should send equal amount - and get it all: "if(msg.value>=this.balance)".
Well... as I said, a trap. A code published isn't identical to bitcode in a blockchain.

Here is an address: https://etherscan.io/address/0xe26e90598190a98c92c75204c9a4ecfe5983f8e0#code

If you follow the link, you can see that:
the first payment (1 ether) was made by a creator
a second payment was made by an unknown hacker
then a creator took the money and disappeared in a thin air

Disappeared? Did I say - disappeared?
Nope, he created a new contract: https://etherscan.io/address/0x5aA88d2901C68fdA244f1D0584400368d2C8e739

I love Ethereum smart contracts and popcorn: they go well together.

Обожаю этереумные смарт контракты.
У сайта etherscan.io есть много достоинств и один недостаток - они верят авторам контрактов: хочешь опубликовать код - публикуй. А вот дизассемблера у Solidity нету. То есть, можно опубликовать что-то не то.
И народ уже начал строить ловушки на хакеров. Вот одна из них - ну просто конфетка:

pragma solidity ^0.4.18;

contract MultiplicatorX2
{
        address public Owner = msg.sender;

        function() public payable{}

        function withdraw()  payable public
        {
                require(msg.sender == Owner);
                Owner.transfer(this.balance);
        }

        function multiplicate(address adr) public payable
        {
            if(msg.value>=this.balance)
            {
                adr.transfer(this.balance+msg.value);
            }
        }
}

Контракт - проще некуда. На нем лежить один ether - это около 300 баксов. Хочешь их забрать - переведи БОЛЬШУЮ (> 1 ether) сумму "if(msg.value>=this.balance)" - и все деньги пойдут тебе.
Ну... ловушка, да. Опубликованный код не идентичен биткоду в блокчейне.

Вот адрес: https://etherscan.io/address/0xe26e90598190a98c92c75204c9a4ecfe5983f8e0#code

Так вот. По ссылке видим, что:
первый взнос в размере 1 эфир сделал создатель контракта
второй взнос сделал неизвестный хакер
после чего владелец контракта забрал деньги и был таков

Был таков? Я сказал - был таков?
Нет, он выложил новый контракт: https://etherscan.io/address/0x5aA88d2901C68fdA244f1D0584400368d2C8e739

Обожаю этереумные смарт контракты.

Things we can do with smart contracts.

Let me put smart contracts' strengths and weaknesses in three lines:
Smart contract is a technology that allows us to create a bounding contract in a blockchain.
It is bounding: when done properly, it can not be broken.
It is in a blockchain: we can not make it bounding if part of it happens outside of the blockchain.

So - what can we do with smart contracts?
First of all (apologies to all people that will call me scamer this is gambling.
If money is in a blockchain, it is bounding and you can play... Looks like a sandbox,
doesn't it? Nevertheless, it is a multi million business. All I did so far in this
direction was refurnishing an old idea of "King of Ethereum" (I added countries,
and option to create/destroy them) - and I already have haters
Here is the link: http://duke-of-ether.com/duke_of_ether.htm

Second, services that serve contracts. Being transparent, contracts can not do certain
things, like producing true random values, and being simple (complexity costs) they
can not parse Internet sites looking for info. So they need services like stoke quotes
or random number generators. Oraclize holds this niche and I think more will come.

Third, this are exchanges of all kinds, from Ethereum tokens (lucky us, we do not have
to leave the blockchain to trade them) to BTC/ETH/USD/Whatever conversions that have
huge demand but no clean in-blockchain implementation so far. And Out-of-blockchain
implementations are (as usual) clumsy, expensive, ask you for ID, photo with credit card
and neighbour's cat and to kiss. I think the next Vitalik Buterin will have to create
the between-blockchains protocol.

Fourth (finally!) it is contracts in the original sence of this word. Fund rising,
fund management, multisig wallets, living trusts and all other ways to keep money and
terms of spending together. There are some severe limitations compared to real world's
contracts that are solvable and therefore, someone will provide services soon.
Example: I can create a contract saying "if I do not postpone the action, then
I am dead; and if I am dead, give my money to this Ethereum address". But I can not
say "give my money to Maria-Louise", not if I do not know an address of her wallet.
Also I can not say "build a nice garden where the ugly Central Park used to be" -
this is an off-blockchain action.
However, imagine that a large and influential law firm start offering services
of "helping smart contracts to fulfil off-chain actions". It is going as safe as
their reputation, which might be good enough, especially if a contract hires
a second company to do auditing.

Fifth (almost same as fourth actually): we can expect that number of off-chain
companies will create standard contracts bounding them to provide standard services,
from pizza delivery to investing into Hyperloop. The point is that if their
services are standartized, there is no need to sign contracts on paper: provided
the government makes this sort of services legally bounding. Or, as I mentioned above,
it it is a mater of reputation.

 To summarize, smart contracts have to find their way off-chain. To pay for services
 that are not limited to taking money from one place and sending it to another.
 There are two ways of doing it.
 First, more and more things will be available through smart contracts. Say, a Univercity
 can create a smart contract allowing you (via your smart contract) to pay for your
 kid's education.
 Or imtermediaries, companies receiving orders from your smart contracts and carrying
 them in the "real world" will do the "off-chain" part of job.

Designing proper game rules for "Duke of Ether" game.

An original "King of Ethereum" game is a well known auction type game
of an early epoch of smart contracts. The "well known" part comes mostly
from the fact that the game was hacked, but it was, nevertheless, an interesting
idea.

Original rules were simple:
a) There is a Throne. One can pay to take it, and the amount is 50% higher that
the previous King paid.
b) As you are kicked... sorry, ASKED to leave the Throne, a new King pays 50%
more you paid - and you get this money.
c) As in any auction, sooner or later we get a winner, stuck with the Throne and
no one willing to pay for it
d) Month later the money vanish, and the game restarts.
e) Oh, yes! There is a list of former Kings, a hall of glory, so to speak.

Our objective was to keep the game simple (no 3d graphics in block chain - yet!)
but to make it more attractive. Here are few modifications we made. By the way,
the game itself is up and running in Ethereum blockchain. Its Web UI is located
at http://duke-of-ether.com/duke_of_ether.htm (and you need Chrome's plugin
called MetaMask to run Ethereum DApps, which takes about 30 seconds to install).

New rules:
a) There is a World, and there are many countries (3 to 12) in the World, and
you can choose which country you feel like ruling. So far, USA is a clear favorite,
there is quite a fight between (ta-dam!) Putin and Tramp.
b) One can pay to take the Throne, and the amount is 50% higher that
the previous Duke paid. This part is the same as in an original game.
b) As you are forcefully retired, a new Duke's money (50% more than you paid)
are transfered to you (think golden parashute).
c) As in any auction, sooner or later we get a winner, stuck with the Throne and
no one willing to pay for it We do not want it to happen, so after 60 days with
no activity, the price of a Throne begins declining at 5% per day, to give
current Duke a chance to return at least part of his investments.
d) Of course, there is a list of former Kings, a hall of glory, that will stay in a
blockchain for as long as Ethereum itself exists.

e) Now the fun part. If you want a new country (say, North Korea), you can pay extra
to create it.
f) As there is an upper limit (no more than 12 countries), or as you might choose to
be on a Dark Side for a change, you can pay to destroy an existing country. Why not?
In that case the "Hall of Glory" gets a record, something like
"USA: destroyed by (put your name here)"

We believe this set of rules makes a game a bit more vivid.
Comments are welcome.

"Duke of Ether":  an aggressive reincarnation of the "King".

Those following Ethereum DApps story from the very beginning should probable remember the "King of Ether".
It was a simple auction: players paid for "Ethereum Throne". Whenever a new King took the throne, the price
increased 50%. Whenever YOU was kicked off the throne, you would receive whatever the next candidate
paid (which was 50%  more than you paid originally).
As any auction is a pyramid, finally someone ended up stuck with the Throne. End of a game.

King is dead. Long live the Duke!
"Duke of Ether" uses rules that are significantly different. As before, every next Duke pays 50% more and -
if someone takes the Throne from him - receives 50% more than he paid.

But you can choose what country you want to rule. Would you like to rule United States or Mordor?
Would you like Tramp to rule Russia? Not a problem at hte moment Russia dominates).

Also, players can create new countries and - if they prefer to be on the Dark Side - to destroy existing ones.

The DApp is located at http://duke-of-ether.com/duke_of_ether.htm



WBR,
Steve Brown

Just an oversimplified but nice article. Not mine

https://cointelegraph.com/explained/lightning-network-explained

"Duke of Ether" DApp is a twist on a well known "King of Ethereum", except it has countries. The game started yesterday, but it seems that Putin already rules Russia, USA and Ukraine.
Need some popcorn.
http://duke-of-ether.com/duke_of_ether.htm

P.S. Please keep in mind that you need MetaMask to work with DApps

http://duke-of-ether.com

Step by step, from zero to deploying a real DApp to Main Net (http://duke-of-ether.com/duke_of_ether.htm)

I appreciate suggestions to make it better.

[Becoming a Duke]

http://duke-of-ether.com/duke_of_ether.htm


Here is a brief description:

Becoming a Duke
Select a Country you feel like ruling.
Select payment: anything larger than a suggested min. price.
Read instructions and pay the "I trust you" or "I don't trust you" way.
If you are reasonably paranoid, as any Duke should be, use contract
address to find it on href="https://etherscan.io">etherscan.io</a> and read the contract.

You do this - you become a Duke. To comfort your predecessor, to throw him a bone, so to speak, money you paid will go to him. Keep in mind that the next Duke has to pay MORE, so if some impostor decides to overthrow you, he'll pay dearly, and you will end up with 50% more than you spent... Well, there is always a chance that they will be too scared, so no one will come.

After two months of tyranny (it is your tyranny, so it is a good thing), the price of a throne will begin to go down, 5% a day. It is like you are asking "Ok, are you still afraid to challenge me?!"

And even if an usurper comes and kicks... sorry, asks you away, your name will stay in the blockchain for as long as Ethereum itself exists.

Long live the Duke!

Destroying the Country
Dark side has cookies? A lie! If overthrown, you will get back exactly what you paid (minus a small commission). No profit. One has to be deep on the Dark Side to bring devastation on an entire country, so this is going to be his reward.

Ok, in human language: to destroy the country, you pay more, become the Duke of a DESTROYED country (it will clearly say so in a block chain) and when (if) the next Duke overthrows you, you will get back what you paid (minus small fee) - no extra bonus, as it would be in case of taking the throne of an intact country.

Restoring the Country or adding a new one
To overthrow the Dark Duke, you have to take a throne. As with Destroying, Restoring rewards you (when/if you are overthrown) with exactly (minus fee) same money you paid. No extra bonus.
Being on a Bright Side, you should forget about greed. Correct?

To make it even harder (more demanding to your Bright Side), the next Duke can overthrow the creator of a country by paying the same price Creator paid. So again, you do it not for profit, but for the sheer pleasure of giving a life to a new country. As for money, you will break equal, when the next Duke takes the throne. Minus a small fee. There is always a small fee...

Hi,
My question is about ICOs, not about Ethereum itself.
Say, a company issues shares (like Microsoft). They are linked to price of company assets via rules and regulations, right? Share holders have right of vote, they receive dividends that are fully controllable by accounting that a public company MUST make public according to the law.
So the price of a share can be calculated, give or take.

Now the question. Am I correct assuming that a token issued via ICO is not related to a company issuing it, and the company has no obligations whatsoever to pay anything? Like... there are exchanges, buying and selling tokens, and price of those tokens moves up an down according to company news, but the relation is just the hype. No obligations to pay dividends, no nothing...

Or am I missing something?

Two questions, actually. Both about Ethereum blockchain based ICOs.
1. When ICO goes public, I can see it on exchanges: how does it go there? I see two possibilities: either ICO folks actively promote their token, or some engine scans block chain for everything ERC20 compatible. Which one is correct?

2. Tokens have short names. Like "Atlant" - "ATL" and so on. Is it done through a built-in Geth registrar or somehow else?

Thank you.

Any site with Historical charts of ICO prices?
Example (for stocks) is finance.yahoo.com - one can find a description, fundamentals and chart.
Anything for ICOs like that? Hell with fundamentals, at least the charts...

P.S. I don't mean ICOs that are "in process". I mean ones that already went through crowdfunding and are now traded at market price.

Could anyone help: I have an address, that is receiving money, from time to time. Think online store.
I need to pay comission to authors of the e.book payment was for. Say, $1 incoming, $.3 to A, $.2 to B.
Can I run Electrum, with some script monitoring an address, and whenever money arrive, re-send them to list of addresses?
Or is console script something that runs once and terminates?
Thank you.

I am surprised that Google has plenty of "buy tokens" articles, but virtually nothing on selling them and getting ether back. How do I do it? Prefer the way that does not involve sending scan of my passport to people I do not know (I am talking about Poloniex etc). Thanks you.