https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*ob91R6PwxWemn0swtw_TzA.pngWhat is Witnet?Since 2017, Witnet has been building a decentralized oracle network (DON) that connects smart contracts to the real, off-chain world. Broadly speaking, it allows any piece of software to retrieve information published at any web address at any point in time, with complete and verifiable proof of the information's integrity, without blindly trusting any third party.
The Witnet protocol achieves this by permitting a network of computers to act as a "decentralized oracle" that retrieves, attests and delivers information to smart contracts, with no single point of trust.
The Witnet Testnet is open for anyone to join and test it by running their own full node. Witnet requires neither Proof of Work nor Proof of Stake - our custom reputation system (
https://github.com/witnet/research/blob/master/reputation/docs/initialization.md) means there's no need for expensive hardware or large initial investments.
In addition, witnet-rust is written in Rust, one of the most performance-focussed and secure programming languages available. When compiled, the resulting binary is tailored to each specific platform, which guarantees near-zero overhead.
The hardware requirements for running a full node are therefore incredibly low. Obviously, the more resources you spare when provisioning your machine, the better it will perform and the less likely you are to face problems:
- A good amount of disk space (somewhere in the 100s of GBs) is better for long term storage of the blockchain.
- Any modern laptop or desktop will run it flawlessly.
- Virtual private servers (VPS) should work too. Take into account however that some cloud providers may restrict the use of blockchain protocols. Also, your node may get poor connectivity with the rest of the network because of bucketing.
- Raspberry Pis, especially the Pi 3 Model B and Pi 4 Model B, are also supported and, in our experience, are a great, inexpensive way of running a Witnet node. For example, here's a $15 Raspberry Pi Zero mining blocks on the Witnet Testnet in 2019.
Setting up a node takes a few minutes, and anyone can do it (regardless of technical experience). Get started now at
docs.witnet.io/try/run-a-node/.
The Witnet Testnet Incentive ProgramThe Witnet Community has put a whole lot of blood, sweat and code into creating a robust protocol, with an incentivization mechanism behind it that will ensure the long-term health of the network. However, the game theory and the mechanisms that underpin the project need real-world testing, with real-world rewards. The Incentivized Testnet is a way to test the network in a sandbox environment to make sure it works as intended.
In addition, there's still a lot of work to do to ensure that the documentation, community channels and external communication is top-notch. The Witnet Foundation acknowledges the importance of ensuring that early community participants are rewarded for their vital contributions.
Phase 2We’re now ready to begin Phase 2; we’ll need a wide range of skills to carry us through the next phase; so no matter who you are, there are plenty of ways to get involved.
This is your chance to get your hands on Mainnet WIT tokens before everybody else, and use them to resolve data requests on Witnet’s Decentralized Oracle Network.
There are lots of ways to get involved, from:
- Running node/s
- Finding and reporting bugs
- Building and deploying dApps and Data Requests
- Writing articles
- Helping with community support
- Spreading the word about Witnet
- and lots more...
Sign up now, and receive updates, announcements and tasks tailored to your knowledge and interests.
Sign up for Phase 2 now!: https://testnet.witnet.io/join Rules and Rewards: For Phase 2, we are looking at a much broader participation, with no limit on the number of participants. Accordingly, the Witnet Foundation has allocated a much larger reward pool:
- Up to 25,000,000 $WIT tokens (1% of the total WIT supply)
- Up to 30,000 $DAI
https://miro.medium.com/max/1400/1*iH5Siac0ihM0o0fft3t5tQ.pngTo participate, you must abide by the requirements, as laid out in the Program Terms and Conditions, which include that:
- you are at least 18 years of age
- you are not a U.S. citizen or resident, and you are not participating in the program on account or benefit of a U.S. person
- you understand that any WIT tokens you receive as part of the program are only intended for their use within the Witnet Network and have no intrinsic value outside of the network
Sign up for Phase 2 now!:
https://testnet.witnet.io/join
