[KOBO] Kobocoin - Mobile Money for Africa

[TheTribesman]

Never heard of this project, is it legit? What happened with the identity theft?

Legit, and identity theft resolved!

[TheTribesman]

Also, I have started updating the OP. It had lost all images because I went to https and couldn't edit it while my account was hacked. I'll be using more screenshots of the website etc so it's more up to date.

[MammothK]

I have finally got back my original account that got hacked 2 years ago  

First things first. Sorry about Cryptopia. Beyond my control. I also lost KOBO and BTC. I would suggest that you use Golix or Coinexchange. Once the new initiative is rolled out I will start to look for other exchanges.
I'll soon have a nice update for you all that involves some Kobocoin branded buses that will be in an African capital city sometime soon.

https://kobocoin.com/busleftside.jpg

Wowzers Felix! You have been busy behind the scenes, I saw you trying to get your account back on another thread and figured it might be a lost cause, well done it can't have been easy, and double well done for that Kobocoin Minivan, I thought it was just a photoshop job when I saw it in your twitter feed and not a real van with a real engine that can actually move around Africa promoting our favourite coin, nice one
I am seriously looking forward to your next update.

Regards,

Mammoth

[TheTribesman]

I have finally got back my original account that got hacked 2 years ago  

First things first. Sorry about Cryptopia. Beyond my control. I also lost KOBO and BTC. I would suggest that you use Golix or Coinexchange. Once the new initiative is rolled out I will start to look for other exchanges.
I'll soon have a nice update for you all that involves some Kobocoin branded buses that will be in an African capital city sometime soon.

Wowzers Felix! You have been busy behind the scenes, I saw you trying to get your account back on another thread and figured it might be a lost cause, well done it can't have been easy, and double well done for that Kobocoin Minivan, I thought it was just a photoshop job when I saw it in your twitter feed and not a real van with a real engine that can actually move around Africa promoting our favourite coin, nice one
I am seriously looking forward to your next update.

Regards,

Mammoth

As soon as the vinyl is applied to one of the buses I will post further pics. I want to get pics of the buses in town and market settings. It will be good for publicity and community growth. These will be on public buses that transport people. These are not 'roadshow' buses. Three buses and one saloon car will be wrapped. We might try and make deals with more cab firms to get wider coverage but this will be a 6 month test.

This is all possible thanks to Panashe Tapera, previously with Golix, and now Head of Growth for Kobocoin.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ptapera/

Panashe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=rUjy8NoiZDU

He is already an invaluable part of the future growth of Kobocoin.

We are now working together to grow the kobo community. He's done good stuff so far. Without him on the ground the bus advertising idea would never have gotten off the ground.

There's also a new monthly newsletter that visitors to the website can sign up to.

[MammothK]

As soon as the vinyl is applied to one of the buses I will post further pics. I want to get pics of the buses in town and market settings. It will be good for publicity and community growth. These will be on public buses that transport people. These are not 'roadshow' buses. Three buses and one saloon car will be wrapped. We might try and make deals with more cab firms to get wider coverage but this will be a 6 month test.
This is all possible thanks to Panashe Tapera, previously with Golix, and now Head of Growth for Kobocoin.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ptapera/
Panashe on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=rUjy8NoiZDU
He is already an invaluable part of the future growth of Kobocoin.

We are now working together to grow the kobo community. He's done good stuff so far. Without him on the ground the bus advertising idea would never have gotten off the ground.
There's also a new monthly newsletter that visitors to the website can sign up to.

Hey Felix, seems a quiet summer for Kobocoin, how are the buses and van advertising going, have you had much feedback yet, any more pictures in action?

Have to say not we have not had much luck with exchanges, www.coinexchange.io are closing down soon and everyone must make withdraw by December 1st but at least they have not been hacked and are doing it honestly by the looks.

Regards.
Mammoth

[mix29k]

looks like the chain stopped and/or forked

[TheTribesman]

looks like the chain stopped and/or forked

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm able to sync my desktop wallet (it's syncing slower than normal but it's working). I can also stake. I'll look into it over the weekend.
 

[TheTribesman]

looks like the chain stopped and/or forked

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm able to sync my desktop wallet (it's syncing slower than normal but it's working). I can also stake. I'll look into it over the weekend.
 

So it looks  like there's definitely an issue with the blockchain. I'm looking into what the issue is and how to resolve it. At the same time, my wallet is fully synced and staking (more slowly than usual but still working).

[mix29k]

looks like the chain stopped and/or forked

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm able to sync my desktop wallet (it's syncing slower than normal but it's working). I can also stake. I'll look into it over the weekend.
 

what's your block height ?

[TheTribesman]

looks like the chain stopped and/or forked

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm able to sync my desktop wallet (it's syncing slower than normal but it's working). I can also stake. I'll look into it over the weekend.
 

what's your block height ?

2575909

[TheTribesman]

UPDATE

Issue

I've investigated what's going on with the KOBO blockchain. There's no quick answer as to what's occurred here. My current thinking is that there are multiple forks existing right now because of the very low transaction volume. It happens...

Proposed Solution

• I've spoken with CryptoID (https://chainz.cryptoid.info/kobo/) and Coinomi (https://www.coinomi.com/asset/kobocoin/). We've agreed that the client needs to be updated.
• The updated client will use an updated checkpoints file to point all clients at the right chain (up to block 2575000). This is not the solution used in the newer v20 bitcoin codebase, but kobo is still at a much earlier codebase, so it's a valid solution until kobo is upgraded. While transaction volume is low, it may require regular client updates (maybe every 6 months) to maintain blockchain integrity.
• I'll build 2x kobo nodes in the cloud (one with a koboseeder - https://github.com/kobocoin/koboseeder) for 24/7 operation. This should help. I used to have 3 cloud nodes running when the android wallet was in use but I discontinued them once we got onto Coinomi. They're not cheap!
• Update Github and inform community, CryptoID, Coinomi, and YoBit (if they'll listen) to update their clients.

This should hopefully resolve the issue. I should have github updated by the end of this week (I want to test locally before uploading). I'll then be in contact with Coinomi and CryptoID to update and regen their blockchains, and hopefully have the 2x new nodes fully operational by the end of next week (Sept 12th).

My block height while writing this is 2575909

TT

[TheTribesman]

UPDATE

MANDATORY - Client Updated to v2.2.0.1

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINUX CLIENTS AND WALLETS (Windows/Mac wallets to follow)

• Github Release page - https://github.com/kobocoin/Kobocoin/releases/tag/v2.2.0.1
• Github - https://github.com/kobocoin/Kobocoin/

- Resolves syncing issues experienced recently by introducing checkpoints on the blockchain.
- The Windows/Mac wallet build is in progress. This initial source release is to help service providers Cryptoid (explorer) and Coinomi (wallet) get past their current issues. I will also inform YoBit of the new code release.

New staking nodes added

To help secure the integrity of the blockchain, there are now 2 new kobo nodes up and running and staking 24x7:

• node1.kobocoin.com : 109.169.81.72
• node2.kobocoin.com : 95.154.192.152

[TheTribesman]

UPDATE: MANDATORY

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR LINUX CLIENTS AND WALLETS to v2.2.0.1

KOBO wallets for all Mobiles and Desktop OS are also available on Coinomi
https://www.coinomi.com/en/asset/kobocoin/



MANDATORY - Client Updated to v2.2.0.1

• Github Release page - https://github.com/kobocoin/Kobocoin/releases/tag/v2.2.0.1
• Github - https://github.com/kobocoin/Kobocoin/

- Resolves syncing issues experienced recently by introducing checkpoints on the blockchain.
- The Windows/Mac wallet build is in progress. This initial source release is to help service providers Cryptoid (explorer) and Coinomi (wallet) get past their current issues. I will also inform YoBit of the new code release.

New staking nodes added

To help secure the integrity of the blockchain, there are now 4 new KOBO nodes staking 24x7. I'll be adding more staking nodes over time:

• node1.kobocoin.com : 78.129.130.192
• node2.kobocoin.com : 95.154.194.58

Follow-Up

• CryptoID Block Explorer is now fully synced - https://chainz.cryptoid.info/kobo/
• Coinomi wallet is now fully synced - https://www.coinomi.com/en/asset/kobocoin/
• YoBit exchange has been informed of the update. Maintenance Request submitted
• Kobocoin website tidied up to remove dead exchanges, add info, and look more generic - https://kobocoin.com

Right now we're in a lot healthier position than a lot of projects that started around the same time. We're still on CMC (it's a big thing now!) and awareness has grown a lot in 2020. It may all be quiet on the surface but there's still work going on behind the scenes. KOBO is now recognised as part of the African crytpo landscape. In fact, as small a project as we currently are, we're punching well above our weight compared to other cryptos trying to get a foothold in mobile finance in Africa. Very many crypto aware Africans are now holding KOBO. With the new 4 staking nodes the blockchain is now a lot more secure and efficient.

One of the major problems we have is (still) exchanges. I have to be honest here. I do get requests from exchanges wanting to list KOBO. They all expect some sort of listing fee in the thousands of $$. I've already been burnt by paying for listings on exchanges that now no longer exist (e.g. Cryptopia). I can't be doing that forever. I'm reaching out to the exchanges to list KOBO but they generally want loadsa $$ for even a basic listing. I understand the exchanges operating costs. I know they need to make a profit. Poor BTC / LTC / ETH devs must have spent a fortune getting listed!

I'll keep pushing. We're getting there slowly, but we're still in the race, AND we're a recognised contender.

TT

 

[mix29k]

great, but where's official 2.2.0.1 windows build, really ?

[TheTribesman]

great, but where's official 2.2.0.1 windows build, really ?

I'll concentrate on that now. I really needed to sort out the blockchain and third party issues. Compiling the windows wallet failed at the last step and it's been a b*****d to troubleshoot (possibly a leveldb issue). If you know anyone who can compile a windows qt wallet then send them my way please. Mingw32 experts are hard to find.

[mix29k]

this guy was the guru, not sure if still active
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=522056
https://fuzzbawls.pw/

[TheTribesman]

this guy was the guru, not sure if still active
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=522056
https://fuzzbawls.pw/

Much appreciated. I've reached out to him.

[TheTribesman]

UPDATE

THE BAD NEWS AND THE GREAT NEWS

The Bad News - The Windows Wallet

Unfortunately, the current code needs to be updated to use QT5 and OpenSSL v1.1.1 to create the Windows QT wallet. The issues I was experiencing with the windows wallet build are common issues with older cryptos. The windows wallet cannot be easily built on the current code.

The Great News - Every cloud has a silver lining

This bad news about the Windows wallet was delivered to me by the same legendary dev who built the Windows/Mac wallets for the last update. He's also the dev who incorporated the encrypted messaging code into the desktop wallet (did you know the desktop wallets support encrypted messaging)?. I got in touch with him a few days ago and he's still in the crypto business. Awesome news for us!

So we've now agreed on the following code update and work:

• Full rebase to Bitcoin 0.13.x code. This is a very robust code base that PoS can be incorporated into. Once up and running, selected updates from BTC or other projects are easier to implement.
• Integrate Travis CI. This is a good way for users to see the changes pushed to the repo are correct and will build to specified standards.
• Automate build system using the Gitian Release process. This ensures users build their code in the same way as designed.
• Full set of builds and installers for Windows, Linux, Mac etc...
  

Once we get to Bitcoin 0.13.x code it opens up so many new features including:

• Compact Block support (BIP 152)
  
  • Less bandwith spikes
• Hierarchical Deterministic Key Generation
  
  • Seed phrases supported
• Segregated Witness - SegWit
  
  • Implements the Lightning Network (hurrah!)
  • Supports atomic swaps (trade without an exchange)

FULL DETAILS ON BITCOIN v0.13.0 - https://bitcoin.org/en/release/v0.13.0

Work started this evening and should take about 2 weeks. Please be patient for the Windows/Mac wallets. They'll be delivered as soon as the code update is completed. I'll also make sure that Coinomi and CryptoID are informed and up to speed once the update is released.

On another positive note, I was able to communicate with one of the senior support people at YoBit today. Once the update is completed I 'might' be able to get the wallet issues resolved on the exchange.

All in all, this is a major step forward for the project and sets us up very well for the long term. Once again, thanks for your patience and continued support.

TT

[TheTribesman]

UPDATE

Milestone reached! We're getting there. Kobo has now been rebased to 0.13.0. This is the first successful compile of the new QT wallet. Version will be updated to 2.13.0 for release. From now on kobocoin version will follow the bitcoin core version it's based on, so if we move to 0.14.0 then kobo will become v2.14.0

You'll also notice Mansa as a replacement for Satoshi in version being broadcast to the network. So the updated proto will be /Mansa:2.13.0/



Extras

I'm investigating the possibility of kobo once again having it's own schildbach moblile wallet once the upgrade is complete. Coinomi wanted too much money to continue using the service. I can develop our own mobile wallet (which is my plan) rather than spending $$$ on a third party service that can be discontinued at will. I'd like to see a completely independent kobo moving forward.

I've also built, and am investigating, the AtomicDEX dev suite (https://atomicdex.io/). I'm looking into kobo having it's own DEX located at http://asdex.com. The idea is that asdex will concentrate on cryptos devoted to African development, and cryptos most frequently traded in Africa. It's my plan that people will be able to use asdex to swap both ERC20 and UTXO tokens without a controlling central exchange. Most DEX's at this time concentrate only on ERC20 tokens. There will be no need to register or deposit any currency on the DEX, so your funds are safe and your private keys are yours and remain local to you. I think it will be a good move.

I've been speaking to some prominent African crypto projects to see if we can work together on this. So far the signs are positive but I'm happy to proceed alone if necessary.

Further updates to come as things progress.

 

[TheTribesman]

UPDATE

The code update and testing has now been completed. As normal, upgrading crypto code is never straightforward, so apologies for the delay.

We're now just customising the final look before it's released, so the new 2.13.0 wallets (Win/Mac/Linux) will be with you soon.

Then we get started on the new android wallet. It's a schildbach wallet but it's going to incorporate the simple USP of KOBO when I'm finished with it.

There's more news with https://asdex.com/ but I'll leave that for another time. It's looking more and more like it's going to be a Uniswap type service but we'll see.