[PRE-ANN] Ergo Platform is coming, the AAA class of blockchains

[mxxxxxx]

From now on, I will provide weekly updates, mostly on Fridays.

We're now working very hard towards next testing network, Testnet1. Release is planned around June, 1st. The main feature for this release is our brand new transactional language Sigma-State. We already have many examples in this language: P2SH, MAST, crowdfunding, demurrage currency, oracles etc. Complexity of language expressions can be decided before an execution, complex signature schemes are coming out-of-box! We're working on the language whitepaper, I'm also writing down transaction format specification.

After testnet1 release, we will work on design finalization, namely ASIC resistance, fighting with work outsourcing (pools), finalizing contract details, possible proof-of-storage scheme, system parameters upgrade via miners voting etc. Testnet2 should be similar to mainnet.

On research side, some exciting solution for fully stateless clients is coming!

https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/995244387444682752

[Redawn]

This project looks to be very promising! Nice that there will be a weekly update.

[blue_nexus15]

From now on, I will provide weekly updates, mostly on Fridays.

We're now working very hard towards next testing network, Testnet1. Release is planned around June, 1st. The main feature for this release is our brand new transactional language Sigma-State. We already have many examples in this language: P2SH, MAST, crowdfunding, demurrage currency, oracles etc. Complexity of language expressions can be decided before an execution, complex signature schemes are coming out-of-box! We're working on the language whitepaper, I'm also writing down transaction format specification.

After testnet1 release, we will work on design finalization, namely ASIC resistance, fighting with work outsourcing (pools), finalizing contract details, possible proof-of-storage scheme, system parameters upgrade via miners voting etc. Testnet2 should be similar to mainnet.

On research side, some exciting solution for fully stateless clients is coming!

The project is developing very well and in accordance with the schedule, I very much hope that this project will develop steadily in the future. Pay attention to the community and have a PR campaign for the investment community to know about your project. I will invest in this project if it is really good.

[Stellr]

It seems very amazing project for the future , maybe I can join as a team if you need , I can do as Indonesian translator especially the white paper or maybe as bounty manager.
egretia

[mxxxxxx]

"Many thanks to Ergo Platform and Blockchain Institute for supporting our work on authenticated data structures for blockchains and cryptocurrencies!"

https://twitter.com/chbpap/status/996498779196088320

https://twitter.com/umiacs/status/996479288370192384

http://www.umiacs.umd.edu/about-us/news/papamanthou-awarded-grant-study-security-blockchains-and-cryptocurrencies

[mxxxxxx]

Alexander Chepurnoy will be presenting "An authentication language for blockchain based on sigma-protocols enhanced by boolean predicate" at CTCrypt 2018 blockchain session

https://twitter.com/CryptographyRU/status/997015731366776832

[kushti]

18.05 update:

We're on track, so testnet2 release is planned on June,1st. We're finishing serialization of spending proofs, coins and transactions, and also a specification which will be online within next few days.

Testnet 1 transactional model features:
- Schnorr protocol and proof of Diffie-Hellman tuple knowledge protocol as building blocks (proof of Pedersen Commitment knowledge will be added later)
- Arbitrarily complex AND and OR conjectures (to build complex multisig schemes). Threshold conjectures will be added later.
- SecP384R1 curve
- A lot of (typed) predicates over blockchain state. We have many examples (see my prev. message) to test the network!
- No implicit rules to produce money out of thin air. No coinbase transactions, no implicit fee (we assume that a fee should be a spendable-by-anyone coin which will be claimed by a miner in a last transaction in a block). All the coins rewarding miners (presumably)  will be created before the genesis block (in a genesis UTXO set) and locked up to certain heights. Details in the spec.
 

[mxxxxxx]

18.05 update:

We're on track, so testnet2 release is planned on June,1st. We're finishing serialization of spending proofs, coins and transactions, and also a specification which will be online within next few days.

Testnet 1 transactional model features:
- Schnorr protocol and proof of Diffie-Hellman tuple knowledge protocol as building blocks (proof of Pedersen Commitment knowledge will be added later)
- Arbitrarily complex AND and OR conjectures (to build complex multisig schemes). Threshold conjectures will be added later.
- SecP384R1 curve
- A lot of (typed) predicates over blockchain state. We have many examples (see my prev. message) to test the network!
- No implicit rules to produce money out of thin air. No coinbase transactions, no implicit fee (we assume that a fee should be a spendable-by-anyone coin which will be claimed by a miner in a last transaction in a block). All the coins rewarding miners (presumably)  will be created before the genesis block (in a genesis UTXO set) and locked up to certain heights. Details in the spec.
 

https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/997537102328991745

[flowerofsun12]

I really hope project will be succesful, because I see the coin for a long time, after the coin is well known to general public.

[kushti]

25.05.2018: pretty minor update, as we're simply working. In particular, we're finishing merging our new transactional  \Sigma-state language. Initial code will be around Monday. There's significant progress with specification as well: you can details on details of coins and transactions constructions. Signature section is mostly ready and will be finished within next few days. Current spec draft: https://github.com/ergoplatform/ergo/blob/def485c3ce9a0565d51dced3d6ddff27765bfcc1/papers/yellow/main.pdf . Currently, the estimated day to launch Testnet1 is still June, 1st.

[mxxxxxx]

25.05.2018: pretty minor update, as we're simply working. In particular, we're finishing merging our new transactional  \Sigma-state language. Initial code will be around Monday. There's significant progress with specification as well: you can details on details of coins and transactions constructions. Signature section is mostly ready and will be finished within next few days. Current spec draft: https://github.com/ergoplatform/ergo/blob/def485c3ce9a0565d51dced3d6ddff27765bfcc1/papers/yellow/main.pdf . Currently, the estimated day to launch Testnet1 is still June, 1st.

https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1000103084767481857

[mxxxxxx]

On 29.05, Ergo Platform co-founder, Alexander Chepurnoy will be presenting "An authentication language for blockchain based on sigma-protocols enhanced by boolean predicates" at CTCrypt 2018 blockchain session

https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1000632579874344960

[Eulalila]

You guys have a great Idea, i Hope this project have success in the near future

[mxxxxxx]

Alexander Chepurnoy presented "An authentication language for blockchain based on sigma-protocols enhanced by boolean predicates" at CTCrypt 2018

https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1002116968416268289

[mxxxxxx]

Ergo Platform is supporting NIPoPoWs in its blocks, one of the greatest innovations in the blockchain space to date! Secure, short proofs. Efficient mobile clients

https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1002502455060516864

Ergo Platform Testnet1 with new transactional language Sigma-State is live!

https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1002575649431785472

"Super proud for our team we've released testnet 1 in time! Time to play with Ergo transactions and smart contract language and create some applications for Ergo. Full featured testnet 2 is scheduled to September."

https://twitter.com/DmitryMeshkov/status/1002581412405530624

[kushti]

Ergo Testnet1 release!

• This release introduce breaking changes, please remove old blockchain
• Header format changes: nonce removal, extension section hash addition
• Initial release with smart contract language sigma-State
• Coins emission implemented as a sigma-State contract (no implicit coinbase transaction rules, only a genesis megacoin which allows a proper spending via its contract)
• Target delay between blocks is set to 2 minutes
• Difficulty retargeting function changed, changes in difficulty should be smoother
• API changed due to breaking changes. Check openapi.yaml for new API description

Download and run: https://github.com/ergoplatform/ergo/releases/tag/v1.0.0

Old network is shut down.

No transaction generator and wallet are implemented, they will be added in next minor releases (as well as an address scheme etc).

We are also going to describe details of the language and the Ergo in specifications. There are some high-level languages implemented to develop contracts. More details soon.

Current primitives used in signatures are curve25519 + 224-bit Blake2b hash, they could be changed in future though. 

[Blocktree]

Look forward to mining it.

[leomaida]

What is needed to run a node? What is the reward? Thank you.

[KingVW]

Looks interesting. I'll follow the project.

[KingVW]

Mainnet is pretty far, but what is the team stance on ASIC? I'm looking at the Antminer Z9 mini in particular.