https://www.cryptostream.jp/nem-catapult-9593/All in all: What is the next version of NEM Catapult (catapult)
The last updated 2019/03/28 Published 2019/03/28 You can read this article in about 22 minutes.
NEM was born at 9: 6: 25 on March 29, 2015 in Japan time, with the timestamp of the Genesis block (the first block), called the Nemesis block.
By the time this article was written, it took less than 24 hours to reach 4 years old, but another big birth moment is approaching every moment in 2019.
That's Catapult .
For the next version of NEM, Catapult , we have summarized information that has been known so far, such as new features, updated points, and release dates.
Rather than for engineers, I tried to narrow down to a range where general NEM users, fans, and investors thought that “it only needs to know”.
※ It is information as of March 28, 2019.
※ Please let me know if there is any mistake in the text!
table of contents [非表示]
1 What is Catapult?
1.1 Private chain version to public chain version
1.2 production version mijin
1.3 Problems with the current "NIS 1"
1.4 Development status of Catapult
2 What does NEM change with Catapult?
2.1 Processing speed
2.2 New Features
2.3 programming language
3 Does the consensus algorithm change with Catapult?
3.1 Upgrade from PoI to PoS + (PoI Lite)?
3.2 What does NIS1 do after Catapult?
4 When will you migrate to Catapult?
4.1 The launch has been delayed
4.2 Road Map
4.3 Migration to Catapult
5 Developer Interview
5.1 NEM Core Developer
5.2 Other Catapult and NEM developers
What is Catapult?
Code name for the next version of NEM (NEM 2.0).
Jaguar, a core developer core figure, says Catapult's vision is "flexible, configurable, high-performance blockchain for both private and public use cases ."
From private chain version to public chain version
Let's check those differences first. These two existences are also key points.
Private chain version
A centralized blockchain with specific administrators . For example, companies do not (or do not want to) expose their transactions to meet the need to use NEM blockchain technology within their membership services.
Another feature is that there is no charge for using the public network (transfer).
Public chain version
It is a true distributed blockchain without a specific administrator . It is the part that we usually send XEM to the exchange or to the other party for payment.
For example ...
Although nemlog and nemstore are so-called centralized services developed and operated by individuals, public chains are used for dumping and settlement.
Even if content services become inoperable due to unforeseen circumstances etc., there is no impact on user assets as the operator does not manage private keys or assets.
The full version mijin
It is NEM's private chain product " mijin " announced by Tech-Buro (now Tech-Buro Holdings) in September 2015. The new core engine "mijin v.2 (Catapult)" was announced in May 2016. It will be open to the public in May 2018.
Catapult is to be implemented in NEM which is a public chain version after a certain use as a private chain version, and it migrates from NIS1 (NEM Infrastructure Server) which is the current public chain part to NIS2 (Catapult version). Development is in progress.
Problems of the current "NIS1"
It is generally said that cryptographic currency should be an open source project . While NEM clients are open source, NIS1 is closed source .
People in the technical field had shown reluctance to be closed source, but I think that it may be so for that part. Some rumors have also been told that the major overseas exchanges refused to be listed because of that.
However, Catapult's NIS2 is completely open source , and there is no doubt that it will be an update that will take a big step in these areas . Also, mijin, a private chain version, is scheduled to launch dual licensing of open source and enterprise licenses.
The reason why NIS1 is closed source is not clear, but if you think positively that it might be a measure for not being copied easily from the early stages of development, the presence of NEM will be demonstrated It is thought that it is still from now.
Development status of Catapult
You can check the development status on GitHub .
The code version is added to the version (milestone), and as of March 2019, Alpaca → Bison → Cow has been completed, and the next stage is decided to be Dragon → Elephant.
In addition, it is possible to set a milestone that starts with the 6th release F. By the way, core developer recruits hope candidates on Twitter, and the animal name code name is decided by voting.
Names of animals starting with F ... Falcon, Frog, Fox ... How about thinking about it?
You can check the milestone outline after Cow here .
What does NEM change with Catapult?
processing speed
NEM sees a lot of information that "it will be able to process 3000 to 4000 transactions per second!" When NEM is loaded with Catapult, but it is all wrong , and that figure is public network It is the number in the case of the private edition which is not used .
Although it is physically possible to cope with such a large processing even in the public, this will require a more powerful node environment and the burden on the node operator will be too large, lowering the operation motivation. There is a risk of
By doing so, the decentralization of nodes will be difficult to spread, so I think that it can not be said that it is still a reasonable measure to construct a solid distributed network at the bottom. The core developers say this.
Furthermore, if we put high environmental conditions on nodes to have enough processing power, it is not a network that actually generates thousands of transactions per second, but it is not realistic prospects. It doesn't make much sense.
Having made a huge factory, if you do not have many orders to pay maintenance costs and profit, it's the same as simply losing.
Not good if the market price for XEM is high? There is also a way of thinking, but as the XEM unit price soars by itself even though the network is not used, it is not a long-lasting unstable situation and it is hard to say that it is sound, so it is not good to target that.
Currently it supports two transactions per second, but Catapult seems to be more than that.
However, given the low incidence of even over 100 transactions per minute so far, it seems realistic to scale as the NEM network is used more often.
Catapult is properly described in the public chain as "it will be able to handle more processes than it is now", but "it is not possible to handle 3000 to 4000 processes per second, but it is not necessary yet" .
new function
I think we should know these five new features.
Account filter
You can receive only transmissions from permitted addresses, or block addresses that you do not want to receive, and reject them. In addition, you can receive only when the mosaic token that you allow is attached, or you can reject the transmission that includes the mosaic that you put in the block list.
Allowing only transactions from required parties can also prevent spamming and unnecessary airdrops.
Namespace and mosaic
Everyone can easily issue tokens (assets) called mosaics on the NEM blockchain, but first they had to get a namespace (like a surname).
NEM itself is the same configuration, "NEM" is a namespace, and "XEM" is a mosaic. Catapult separates them (and can optionally set them).
Both have a one-year rental period, but now you can set the time limit freely, and mosaics can also be set without expiration .
Multi-level multi-signature
Multi-signature (multi-sig) is, for example, that two remittances from three signer accounts are signed (2 of 3) when remittance is made from a certain account, and so far have already been in NEM It is a function.
By this multi-level , multi- sig can be executed up to 3 layers.
For example ... budget request
Technology department requests budget → Accounting department approves → The president approves, the signature of these three (layers) (layer) is complete and approval is obtained, and it is possible to realize multi-stage management that the budget is remitted.
Aggregate transaction
Multiple transactions can be done in one go. The addition of this function is expected to diversify transactions and broaden the use of NEM.
For example ... Escrow service
In crowdsourcing service, the intermediate company adds an intermediary fee and the work is completed in order to prevent fraudulent transactions where the orderer runs away without paying a fee after delivery, and the orderer receives a fee but has delivered waste data. There is a thing called escrow service which once charges the charge until it is done.
When an aggregate transaction is used, it becomes possible to eliminate the mediation or reduce the role and secure both transactions, and save the mediation fee which was not necessary between the parties of the client and the customer. can also do.
※ There is something to be solved other than on-chain such as file transfer.
It also allows third parties to bear the remittance charge when another party sends it .
For example ... block chain game
Even if you play a Dapps game that uses mosaic tokens, the user must have the necessary XEM as a money transfer fee when sending the tokens in-game.
Therefore, just letting new users buy XEM on the exchange can be a bad idea to start a game. Similarly, even if a game operating company sells cryptographic currency such as XEM directly, it is necessary to register it as a virtual currency exchange business in the country, and it is realistic to acquire the exchange business which is difficult because of that. It is not.
In an aggregate transaction , a game operating company or the like instead bears the transfer fee , allowing users to enjoy blockchain games purely via public networks without the knowledge of NEM.
Cross chain swap
I think that NEM can further refine its strength, which has set up the so-called Blue Ocean strategy, as “ a powerful block chain solution that offers the benefits of both public and private chains ”.
Cross-chain swaps enable cryptographic currency exchange between different blockchains without the need for a third party (for example, an exchange) in the transaction.
It is possible to exchange tokens issued on services used by the private chain mijin with tokens on the public chain NEM ( atomic cross chain exchange ), and also to exchange between private chains of other companies (others) Is supported.
In addition, token exchange between different chains such as XEM and ETH is also possible.
For example ... point service
Even if tokens are adopted as in-house point (royalty) services, in the case of a public chain, it is not so realistic because remittance fees will be incurred for giving points and receiving points from users. It may be
Companies that have made such a decision will adopt a private chain and circulate membership points within their own network.
However, eventually, you want to make the points on the private chain you have stored exchangeable with XEM etc. issued in the public chain, or join an organization that promotes the exchange with tokens on other companies' private chains. You may want to expand your service.
Cross-chain swaps can make those services a reality.
Programming language
The core development language is migrated from Java to C ++ to improve performance. Furthermore, SDKs used by Catapult applications (eg FiC , nemlog, etc.) have been developed for multiple languages such as TypeScript / JavaScript and Java.
Does Catapult Change the Consensus Algorithm?
During the transition to Catapult, feedback from the NEM community has been called for in the “ Proposals for Catapult Roadmap Creation ” document. In the document, the details are unclear and the matter is still unconfirmed, but the following is mentioned.
Upgrade from PoI to PoS + (PoI Lite)?
Change the PoI, which is expected to be harmful if there are too many network participants and too many network participants, to be a " simple PoS ", and a specification that adds alpha to the opportunity to earn commission fee according to some network contribution conditions It is a suggestion that it will be changed to.
The new algorithm seems to be called PoS + or PoI Lite .
The features of the current PoI are
XEM's holding balance (previous balance)
Remittance of more than 1000 XEM at a time
Deposits from users with an acquired balance of 10000 XEM or more
Trading within 30 days (within 43,200 blocks)
An importance score (importance) is calculated based on these, and the higher the score, the higher the probability of winning a block reward obtained by harvesting.
The basic idea of making the basis of the algorithm PoS seems to be the only basic thing mentioned above is "the balance of XEM" . The other three elements are scored by "contributing not only to holding but also using the network", so I think that some people (even me) feel attracted to those parts.
However, in reality, even if it is good as an idea, I think that there may be subtle points to say whether it is functioning enough to realize the advantage of scoring by the current PoI logic.
Make up with plus alpha
The "+" part seems to be a specification that is not just PoS, and there is a proposal that a bonus will be paid based on the remittance fee paid in a certain period . There are still many questions about this part, such as where the detailed conditions and bonus come from.
The merit of this logic being adopted is that the account with a small holding balance is used many networks (pay remittance fee) , and the opportunity to be able to be obtained bonus or cashback bonus is added So I think there may be more opportunities to get paid than the current PoI harvesting.
Maybe upgrading to PoS + is also part of NEM's philosophy,
How can people who actively use the NEM network benefit?
To give equal opportunity to empower people in general
I feel like it will become more realistic, and I am looking forward to how it can be improved.
What does NIS1 do after Catapult?
As Catapult becomes a new chain, I think that some people are worried about the split of NEM like split of bitcoin. However, I think that worries are unnecessary because it is obvious that even if NIS1 is in parallel, it will deteriorate as an unused chain.
In the proposal, after the transition,
1: Only turn on Catapult and turn off NIS1
2: Turn on both Catapult and NIS1 and use two chains
There is a question asking which is better. However, I think that it is true that there is an opinion that it is best to end NIS1 with a fixed time limit and finally narrow it down to only NIS2 (Catapult) with a certain time limit .
In addition, please refer to the document for details, including the post response requirements.
When will you migrate to Catapult?
Now that you have a broad overview of Catapult, when is the public chain NEM going to be NEM 2? It's a topic.
The launch has been delayed
At first I think that it was scheduled to launch in 2018, but it will be after 2018 and now it is in 2019 .
The reason why he has been delayed in this way is, to put it briefly, the intentions and goals with the core developers who want to promote Catapult and with some members of the old foundation whose marketing-oriented attitude and focus on other projects stand out It was analyzed that it was not a disagreement. This incident has given the avid NEM community a feeling of resentment to the old foundation camp.
However, the foundation became a new system in the election in December 2018, and organizational reform is now positively promoted to Catapult first principle and product specialization type . First of all, I realized that I could not accelerate the progress of NEM without first moving to Catapult.
Also, why was Core not ignoring the Foundation and forcing it even though the NEM is not a project created and operated by the Foundation? There may be some doubts.
As for Catapult, the core developer, Tech Bureau, and the NEM Foundation were originally decided to jointly decide on the functional aspect, so the operation with the complicated impression that was pervasive in a part of the former foundation I think that it would be good to understand that problems and complicated human relations have been involved and they have been delayed as a result.
As people in different countries where I live in are decentralized in one project, it is a personal impression that people who do not have any problems feel uncomfortable. However, it can not be overlooked that NEM is only exposed to selling pressure due to labor and expenses and that it has not brought about great results. The Foundation is not an integral part of NEM, but it is neither an unnecessary thing, so I would like to watch as one of the NEM community and one of our stakeholders.
Roadmap
When and what do roadmaps do? It is a plan table. I heard from the council that there are two types of Catapult roadmap.
Roadmap from the core camp to implement Catapult in the public chain
Roadmap from the NEM Foundation to represent Catapult's work in business
That's right.
I think most people recognize and expect that the Catapult road map is the former . There are two nuances and some subtleties, but at the moment the community and consensus have been gained by releasing the "road map" by the end of March 2019 .
However, it is clear that Catapult migration is performed and stable operation of NEM2 is more important than road map publishing.
Migration to Catapult
Last but not least, transition to Catapult (NEM2) is not a simple story where everything switches instantly with a single button.
It is not completely decided yet, such as what exactly will be done in the face of the transition, and whether we should also take action, not only for nodes and harvesting users. There is also.
As such, it seems that it is better to remember that there are a number of processes that need to be resolved and determined over time.
Sitting and waiting while collecting the correct information.
Isn't that best for us?
Developer Interview
I will introduce you what I translated into Japanese in the past. It is a very valuable "field voice".
NEM core developer
Interview with Jaguar 0625, the core developer of NEM
Interview with NEM core developer Bloody Rookie
Interview with gimre, NEM core developer
Other Catapult and NEM developers
Interview with Kaizen, NEM Catapult Core Developer
NEM Catapult: A Realistic Private DLT Solution for Businesses (He3Labs)