Reflecting on a transformative year at aleph.im

Clément Fermaud
Aleph.im
Published in
7 min readDec 24, 2023

2023 Year in Review

As 2023 draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year that was as challenging as it was rewarding. In these moments of introspection, the first and most important thought that comes to our mind is gratitude — gratitude for the unwavering support, insightful feedback, and enthusiastic participation you’ve all generously offered throughout this journey.

This year has been pivotal for aleph.im. We’ve not only pushed the boundaries of decentralized cloud computing but also fortified our commitment to innovation and excellence. Each milestone we achieved and every obstacle we overcame was a step forward, made possible by the collective effort and trust of our incredible community.

As we share this end-of-year review, we invite you to join us in celebrating our accomplishments, learning from our experiences, and looking forward to an even more exciting future — where we continue to grow together, shaping the world of decentralized cloud solutions and AI.

Product and service highlights

Instances Launched:

We achieved a notable milestone with the launch of Virtual Machine instances. These instances, accessible via SSH, cater to a wide range of requirements, offering specific configurations including varied amounts of RAM, CPU power, and storage capacity. Access to these services has been democratized for token holders, effectively bridging the gap between blockchain technology and practical cloud solutions.

Gaming — Random Verifiable Functionality (VRF)

We’ve introduced an innovative VRF system, enhancing the integrity and fairness in blockchain gaming. This feature sets a new standard in decentralized gaming, ensuring random outcomes are both verifiable and tamper-proof.

👉 Read Cointribune article (French) about aleph.im VRF: https://www.cointribune.com/comment-les-nft-dynamiques-dnft-transforment-ils-lindustrie-du-jeu-video/

AI Integration — Libertai.io

A landmark achievement, Libertai.io’s integration onto the aleph.im network, underscores our platform’s robustness and versatility. The chatbot at chat.libertai.io exemplifies the seamless integration of AI technologies in our decentralized environment.

👉 Try Libertai now: https://libertai.io/
👉 Try Libertai on Telegram: https://t.me/liberchat_bot
👉 Read Cointelegraph Magazine thoughts about AI on aleph.im:
https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/real-use-cases-crypto-based-ai-markets-ai-financial-analysis/

Support for Binance Smart Chain

Our support for the BNB Chain has undergone significant expansion, enhancing our integration and interoperability within the EVM ecosystem. This enhancement includes reverse oracles and the capability for balances on the BNB Chain to be utilized for service payments and the implementation of an indexing framework.

Cloud Management UI:

• Console
We’ve launched a brand new user-friendly cloud-managed UI, providing users with an intuitive and efficient way to manage their resources and services on our platform.
• Account
With a brand new dashboard, the overall experience using the aleph.im account page has been greatly improved. You can now easily access CRN and CCN data, the first available CCN to stake your ALEPH, as well as direct links to the aleph explorer and aleph swap.

Migration of Core Channel Nodes to Postgres

The pyaleph V0.5.0 release introduced the migration from MongoDB to PostgreSQL. This switch is motivated by the development of new features for which a relational database is more appropriate. PostgreSQL allows for more efficient storage and retrieval of the various types of messages associated with aleph.im.

Events and community

  • ETHCC (Ethereum Community Conference) in Paris: For the second consecutive year, we were thrilled to be part of ETHCC, the largest Ethereum convention in Europe. Our presence at this key event underscores our deep involvement in the Ethereum community. Stay tuned for our participation in 2024.
  • Future of France: Coinciding with ETHCC, the Future of France event stood out as a highlight. It attracted over 1000 attendees, making it one of the most memorable nights of the conference. This event showcased the vibrancy and potential of the French blockchain industry.
  • Shenzhen Hacker House: Our engagement at the Shenzhen Hacker House was a significant step in connecting with the tech community in Asia. We interacted with 50 developers and hackers, fostering collaborations and sharing valuable insights, particularly in decentralized solutions.
  • DeCompute: Held alongside Token2049, DeCompute is Asia’s premier conference on decentralized computing. Here, we shared our latest developments in cloud computing, underlining our position as innovators in this field.
  • Kryptosphere — Pragma Hackathon: Our commitment to nurturing the future of blockchain technology extends to supporting student hackathons and projects. Recently, we granted resources to two promising projects focused on ring signature technology and password management solutions, signifying our investment in privacy and decentralization.
  • DNAWeb3, Web3 Security, Web3Family, LëtzStake, ETH Milan: Each of these events offered unique opportunities for us to engage with our community, share knowledge, and showcase the capabilities of our platform. These interactions have been integral in reinforcing our commitment to the blockchain community and in shaping our future strategies.
Aleph.im booth during ETHCC 6
Future of France 2023
Loaker team and Moshe Malawach during Kryptosphere Hacktahon 2023

Key Developments:

  • Aleph-VM (9 Releases): Regular updates to our virtual machine environment, enhancing performance and security.
  • Core Channel Node (19 Releases): Continuous improvements to the core channel node, ensuring reliability and efficiency.
  • New Node Scoring: Introduction of a new scoring system for nodes, optimizing network performance and trustworthiness.

New Branding

New Logo and Design: A significant highlight of this year was the unveiling of our new logo and brand identity. This redesign reflects our evolving journey and commitment to modernity, signaling our forward-thinking approach in the blockchain and decentralized cloud solutions space. The new design encapsulates our mission to be at the forefront of innovation, while remaining accessible and engaging to our diverse user base.

Revamp of UI and UX: We’ve made significant strides in enhancing the user experience this year. A comprehensive revamp of our user interface and user experience was undertaken, with a focus on intuitiveness and ease of use. Key improvements were deployed on our account and console pages, streamlining access to our broad range of services. This overhaul is more than just a cosmetic change; it represents our dedication to providing a seamless, user-friendly platform that meets the evolving needs of our users in the most efficient way possible.

Partnerships

Blockchain Game Alliance: Earlier this year, we proudly became a member of the Blockchain Game Alliance. This alliance brings together leading companies in the Web3 gaming sector, including prominent gaming studios (Ubisoft) and key infrastructure providers. Our membership in this alliance underscores our commitment to being at the forefront of the Future of Gaming. By collaborating with these industry leaders, we aim to contribute significantly to the development and scaling of blockchain technology in the gaming world, leveraging our expertise to enhance the gaming experience through decentralized solutions.

Key Growth Metrics in 2023

Looking Ahead to 2024:

As we approach 2024, we stand at the threshold of an exciting era for aleph.im, poised to introduce a range of innovative services and products that build upon our existing achievements. The coming year will see us enhance our offerings in Confidential VMs, Oracle support, and GPU capabilities, and other big announcements in Q1 2024. These enhancements are designed not just to meet the evolving needs of our community but to set new standards in the decentralized cloud solutions sector. Expect a year where privacy, efficiency, and advanced technological integration take center stage in our service offerings.

As we close the chapter on 2023 and look towards a bright and promising 2024, we want to express our deepest gratitude. Your trust, support, and enthusiasm have been the cornerstone of our progress. Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones, and together, we will continue to pioneer and lead in the decentralized cloud space.

Aleph.im is Hiring!

Aleph.im is a pioneering force in web3 cloud infrastructure, revolutionizing how developers interact with cloud resources. Our platform offers a distributed database service, on-demand and persistent functions, and virtual machine instances. We provide an extensive library of tools for indexing on-chain data, document certification, timestamping, document management, account delegation, IPFS-pinning, website hosting, a VRF library, and more. Our solution mirrors traditional Cloud services but in a decentralized, web3-centric manner, fully running on our robust network of nodes. Esteemed clients like Ubisoft, Synaps, and Request Network trust us for their needs. Take part in a team leading the future of decentralized cloud.

Thank you for an amazing 2023

Join our live conversation on our Telegram Community Chat.

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