Acala Bulletin: March-May

Welcome to the first edition of our bi-monthly bulletin, where we bring you all the exciting updates and achievements from the last two months. Our team has been hard at work, and we’re thrilled to share the progress we’ve made in various initiatives, product releases, partnerships, and technical advancements. Dive in to discover what’s new in our ecosystem and how we’re continually enhancing our platform to serve you better.

Ecosystem Initiatives

• Binance Adds ACA on Simple Earn
  Acala’s native token, ACA, is now available on Binance Earn, providing users with opportunities to earn rewards by locking their ACA tokens.
  Read more
• Launch of the Acala Ambassador Program
  Aimed at fostering a vibrant community, the Acala Ambassador Program invites enthusiasts to promote and support the network’s growth.
  Launch Announcement
• Polkadot Loves Connor NFTs Campaign
  Collaborating with Unique Network, Acala launched the Polkadot Loves Connor NFTs campaign, highlighting unique digital collectibles.
  Campaign Details
• Incentivized StellaSwap DOT/LDOT LP Pool
  In partnership with StellaSwap, Acala plans to incentivize liquidity providers with a new DOT/LDOT pool, enhancing liquidity on the platform.
  StellaSwap Announcement
• EasyA In-Person Hackathon for 180 Days of Polkadot
  Supporting innovation, Acala participated in the EasyA hackathon, fostering new ideas and projects within the Polkadot ecosystem.
  Hackathon Details
• “Explore Acala” Editorial Series
  A three-part editorial series delves into Acala’s platform features, applications, and open-source tools, providing comprehensive insights for users.
  Part One | Part Two | Part Three
• $PINK Token Airdrop for Participants
  Acala Network rewarded its community with a $PINK token airdrop, further engaging participants and adding value to their involvement.
  Airdrop Announcement | Acala’s Announcement
• $VARCH Token Airdrop for DOT Stakers
  DOT stakers on Acala received $VARCH tokens, enhancing the value proposition for staking and participating in the network.
  Airdrop Details | InvArch Announcement

Product Releases & Partnerships

• One-Click Cross-Chain DOT Staking
  Simplifying cross-chain interactions, Acala now offers one-click DOT staking on the platform and Euphrates.
  Feature Announcement | Feature Announcement 2
• Launch of Sentinel
  Acala introduced Sentinel, a robust security tool designed to safeguard cross-chain interactions, enhancing the network’s security framework.
  Read More
• ACA Staking on Ledger Devices
  Acala’s ACA tokens can now be staked directly from Ledger hardware wallets, offering users enhanced security and convenience.
  Ledger Integration
• Next Roadmap: The Sinai Upgrade
  The forthcoming Sinai Upgrade promises to bring significant enhancements to Acala’s network capabilities and performance.
  Roadmap Details
• Tanssi Collaboration with Acala
  Acala announced a strategic collaboration with Tanssi, aiming to explore new opportunities and synergies in the blockchain space.
  Collaboration Announcement
• Unique Network x Acala
  Partnering with Unique Network, Acala continues to push the envelope on cross-chain NFTs and digital assets.
  Partnership Details

Karura Campaigns

• Karura Trading Competition
  The Karura Trading Competition on Gate.io incentivized trading activities, boosting engagement and liquidity on the Karura platform.
  Competition Announcement | Gate.io Details
• Karura Playnation Campaign
  In collaboration with Playnation, Karura launched a campaign to drive user engagement and showcase the platform’s capabilities.
  Playnation Announcement | Campaign Details | Karura Announcement

Technical Updates Summary

Key Technological Improvements and Advances

• Upgrade to Polkadot SDK Version 1.9.0 and Enhanced EVM Compatibility
  Acala’s upgrade to the latest Polkadot SDK enhances EVM compatibility, providing a more robust environment for developers.
  SDK Release
• LDOT Holders Can Elect Validator Nodes
  Enabling LDOT holders to participate in validator elections, Acala enhances user engagement in network governance.
  Validator Node Election
• Acala EVM+ Improvements
  Implementations of the prevrandao instruction and call tracing feature in Acala EVM+ offer advanced functionalities for smart contracts.
  Prevrandao Instruction | Call Tracing Feature
• Karura 2.15.0: Runtime Release
  This release ensures compatibility with the upcoming XCM v3 upgrade on Kusama, maintaining seamless operations.
  Runtime Release

Technical Solution Discussions

• Design Draft for Cross-Chain Query Language (XCQ)
  A proposed solution for cross-chain queries, the XCQ language aims to streamline data retrieval across different chains.
  Design Draft
• Multichain XCM Integration Test
  Testing the integration of multichain XCM, Acala ensures robust cross-chain communications.
  Integration Test
• Refactor EVM Origin with DispatchContext
  Aimed at optimizing transaction handling, this refactor will enhance the performance and reliability of EVM-based operations.
  Refactor Details
• RefProvider Implementation
  Furthering Acala’s technical capabilities, the implementation of RefProvider addresses specific functionality enhancements.
  RefProvider Details