Idena Chronicles

Epochs 103–105

Idena

Published in

Idena

14 min readApr 5, 2023

Network metrics

Epoch #0105

Active miners — total number of actively mining identities running their own mining nodes or delegated into mining pools.

Mining nodes — total number of full mining nodes run by individual identities or pool owners who activated online status.

Newcomers — number of addresses that validated for the first time

Success ratio — share of users attended the validation and successfully validated

Active wallets — unique wallets that made transactions during the last epoch

Competitors

Network stats

Number of validated identities by status

Markets

Last validation stats

Nodes on VPS — users running their nodes on VPS
Built-in nodes — users of the Idena Desktop App with build-in node
Shared nodes (web) — Web App users renting shared nodes via marketplace
Unknown shared nodes (web ) — Web App users who connect to shared nodes that are not listed in the Idena shared nodes marketplace

To have a smooth and reliable validation ceremony experience, we recommend using VPS or built-in nodes if you have fast Internet connection and good router, or the nodes listed in the node marketplace in the official Idena Web App in other cases.

Idena Core Team Update

AI-resistance of Idena flips
Corea Hackathon
Stake protection badges
Oracle vote recovery in the Web app
Blockchain explorer update
Idena node update
Idena desktop app update
Q&A from IDENA dev team

AI-resistance of Idena flips

With the recent release of ChatGPT, many concerns were raised regarding AI-resistance of flips. According to our subjective evaluations, the quality of flips has improved significantly with the decrease in the number of accounts of large pools. We see more diversity and less uniformity in flips. Many good flips are not solved by ChatGPT even if a detailed textual prompt is given. However, of course, there is still a large share of too simple flips which can be solved even with adversarial noise.

What you can do to make your flips AI-resistant:

Use adversarial shuffling — shuffle only the minimal number of images necessary to make the shuffled side less logical. Do not break the obvious logical connection between all images. However, make sure that the shuffled side of your flip still makes less sense.

Let’s look at some examples:

These flips could be shuffled much more strongly, creating clear logical inconsistencies in the story, but it will be easier for AI to solve them.

One more interesting example:

To solve this flip, one needs to see and understand the difference between two shuffled images. However, AI does not see the red nose that has been drawn.

2. Add some drawings and collages to make your image unique. Typically they are poorly transformed into text. For example, how AI sees the pictures from the last example:

3. Use nonsense images. AI cannot distinguish meaningless pictures from meaningful ones, and this creates additional interference for solving the flip correctly.

AI is becoming an increasingly powerful tool. However, understanding the limitations of AI allows us to improve the tests. In the long term, for flips to remain AI-hard a competitive protocol between humans and AI is needed. It would be inefficient to add new rules for reporting easy flips (by continuously adding more criteria such as thumbs up, 1234, etc.). People should strive to beat AI while creating flips that are still solvable for humans. To achieve this, reporting based on the criterion “the flip is not AI-hard” is necessary. Verifying this criterion can be quite labor-intensive. However, this can be made easier with convenient tools for qualifying flips that would convert images into text and submit the text for verification to ChatGPT. We would be happy to support community developers who want to create open source tools for solving flips using any public available AI.

Corea Hackathon

We have launched the COREA hackathon, which comes with a prize pool of 250,000 iDNA, to bring in new dApps to enrich the Idena ecosystem.

Read more details here: https://medium.com/idena/corea-hackathon-2c7bfbbba0bb

On March 31st, the Hackathon came to an end, with three submissions that Syd describes in the Community updates section below. The winners will be chosen by Idena Oracles.

We want to thank all participants for their hard work and dedication!

Stake protection badges

Have you noticed our recent UI upgrade featuring stake protection badges? These badges are included to provide users with a clearer understanding of their stake protection status and the potential consequences of missing or failing a validation.

For new users, the hints provide instructions on when they can get full stake protection motivating users to keep their identities until they achieve Human status.

UI update: stake protection badges for Newbie status

Oracle vote recovery in the Web app

When users vote in the web app, they face a problem where their votes could be lost if they switched between devices or cleared their local cache in the web browser. This is particularly critical if the Oracle voting requires users to deposit coins, as they could potentially lose both their votes and their coins.

However, a recent update to the web app has addressed this issue. The update allows users to send their secret vote in one browser and their public vote in another browser during the counting period. The web app now features an automatic pop-up form that appears when users click on the Oracle voting.

Blockchain explorer update

Due to the hard fork, we have made several changes to the blockchain explorer:

on the flip page in the Qualification committee section now users can see which votes are ignored. The most common reason why they are ignored is that the identity from which this vote is sent did not approve any flip (see more about ignored votes).

An example of qualification committee with ignored votes

displaying the compiled contract code on the wasm page of the contract
on the transaction page, the Call contract information block with information about the contract transaction is added
bug fixes of incorrect displaying missing flip rewards and invite rewards

Idena node update

After the hard fork certain users reported issues with their mining setups. However, we managed to address these issues and released a beta version of Idena node for the community to test. As there was no negative feedback we have released publicly the new version of Idena node v.1.0.2 which now supports:

AArch64 architecture
Apple M1 CPU
SSE4.2 CPU

Idena desktop update

We have released the new version of Idena desktop client v.0.39.0. The following changes have been made:

introducing stake protection badges
adding skip button for missing keywords during validation
submission of the wrong flip keywords bug fix
other improvements and bug fixes.

Q&A from IDENA dev team

Q: “Would it be possible to integrate a feature in the desktop and web applications that allows users to save their `pendingVote` data from IndexedDB (`txs` file in the `./deferred-txs` folder) and import it during the vote counting period? Currently, when people begin voting in fact certification Oracles, where the voting deposit is quite high, this feature would be particularly important as per idna.bet statistics, some users do not open their secret votes due to a lost `pendingVote` value” (by Idena World)

We have implemented the feature in the web app that allows the secret vote to be restored even if the scheduled transaction is missing. To reveal your vote, you need to go to the oracle voting during the Counting period. If your vote is not disclosed, a form will appear automatically.

We also recommend using the Telegram bot https://t.me/MyIdenaBot which sends reminders to disclose your vote if you haven’t done so automatically.

Q: “An unencrypted nodekey is a pretty serious security risk IMO, especially when the node is installed on a VPS. Are there any plans to start using encrypted nodekeys? As I understand, there are some UX downsides to having an encrypted PK, but I believe that the security of user’s funds is much more important than some minor inconveniences.” (by EDM)

This task is on our to-do list, however, we are not prioritizing it. The task requires significant changes on both the node and client sides, and is not limited to just encrypting the private key.

Q: “The Fact Certification Oracle is becoming more and more popular, thanks to the idna.bet platform. However, we have encountered a problem in that some events may be potentially cancelled. Would you consider to modify the current predefined contracts and add a third option to cancel the contract and return all funds by a majority of votes in case the event is cancelled or a force majeure circumstance occurs. Or would you suggest deploying a custom smart contract for such cases?” (by Idena World)

Yes, with custom smart contracts you are able to cover all the cases.

Q: “Currently the validation ceremony disables transactions during the flip lottery and short session. This means every epoch there are around 7 minutes when contract calls are not possible. How will this affect dApps built on idena, especially DEXs where “downtime” can really have an impact? Is there a safe way to enable contract calls during the critical parts of the ceremony?” (by Zen)

Break time is quite predictable and happens once per epoch for only 7 minutes (flip lottery 5 minutes + short session 2 minutes). This should not cause inconveniences or risks.

Q: “How do you feel about your early vision for idena? Is the former roadmap for 2025 still realistic?” (by UbiUbi)

Our vision remains the same. To solve the scalability problem of blockchains, we need a redundant number of nodes that are not colluding with each other. This requires organic growth of the network that is not linked to the malignant growth of pools. We consider the staking experiment successful and see a reduction in the size of pools. For organic growth of the network, there needs to be development of real on-chain applications. We see great potential for the application of the crypto identity primitive in the face of increasing risks to democracies associated with the spread of misinformation.

Q: “How do you feel about the latest financial crisis? Wouldnt it be about time to democratize money and trading, instead of bailing out centralised players?” (by UbiUbi)

The crisis revealed the negative impact of stablecoins on the crypto market. On the one hand, stablecoins, being a necessary element of cryptocurrency adoption, act as a Trojan horse, making them more vulnerable and centralized. On the other hand, we see that cryptocurrencies, even theoretically, cannot offer an alternative to the existing monetary system, remaining centralized themselves and subject to problems in traditional finance.

Q: “How is the gas price calculated? Does it take into account how close the latest block got to its maximum gas consumption? Will the blockchain explorer display the gas units used by a transaction and the gas price?” (by Zen)

The calculation of the gas price is done automatically depending on the occupancy of the last block (you can find the gas price on the page of any block in the blockchain explorer). See more details here: https://docs.idena.io/docs/wp/economics#transaction-fees

The amount of gas used by the transaction is automatically calculated by Wasmer. We have added the GasUsed field to the contract call transaction details in the explorer

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If you have more questions post it in the comments below. We will pick the most interesting questions to answer them in the next Chronicles.

Community

Global community channels

Community updates

Edited by Syd

Hello Humans! As we transitioned to Idena Mainnet, our community builders continued to push forward. Along with the COREA Hackathon underway, a new era for Idena has definitely begun. So today, let’s see what is cooking and have a sneak peek of some new projects built on top of Idena!

Please note that all these projects are still under development, so use them at your own risks. Additionally, if you are building on top of Idena as well and would like to be featured in the Chronicles, please let me know on Discord (@Syd#9907).

BNA, the 1st token built on Idena by Bus

We kick off of the Chronicles by mentioning the first token built on Idena, BNA.

While it’s more a proof of concept than anything else (as Bus himself put it: “Will the tokens be worth anything? No! Do the tokens have any utility? No!”), it was a great initiative to “inaugurate” Idena Mainnet activation with the first IRC20 contract using Idena wasm. Will it make History? Maybe!

You can find the source code for BNA at this link: https://github.com/busimus/bna/tree/main/bna/contracts/bna_token

Phaos Wallet and Phaos Token by @Fireshift, @Zen and @ToniDev.idna

Community members @Fireshift, @Zen and @ToniDev.idna have developed a new wallet that is compatible with the latest IRC20 Tokens, but also custom ones.

You can check out the app here: https://www.phaos.app/

The source code is accessible on https://github.com/ltraveler/phaos-wallet and a video tutorial can be found on https://vimeo.com/813456635

At the same time, the team released Phaos Token (https://github.com/ltraveler/phaos-wallet/tree/main/Phaos%20-%20IRC20) in order to support IRC20 standard.

Don’t hesitate to follow the development and support the team!

iNFT, a NFT you get for being validated! by @bus

The next project highlights Idena Identities thanks to NFT generation.

iNFT is indeed an ERC721-compatible NFT that can be generated by validated identities in Idena. As per description “an identity can only generate one iNFT, and it can be regenerated to update its look and stats (looks change once per epoch).”

Note also that, as Bus stated, “art generation is done in a separate contract, so it can be changed in the future. You can send your iNFT to someone else and they too will be able to regenerate it as long as you’re validated. Or you can burn it, then it will be gone forever. Maybe some day you’ll be able to trade it somewhere”

Check it out now: https://inft.bus.bz/

A video tutorial can be found here: https://vimeo.com/813611454

Source code: https://github.com/busimus/inft

Try it and spread the word!

Idexchange, a new decentralized cross chain solution by Chainpioneer

Another project cooking, we have here a fully decentralized cross chain solution for iDNA <-> XDAI exchange, based on atomic swaps.

You can check it out on https://idexchange.tech/

Video guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH5ebK6g3TI

Source code: https://github.com/DyuldinKS/idena-atomic-dex-dapp
https://github.com/chainpioneer/idena-atomic-dex-contracts
https://github.com/chainpioneer/idena-atomic-dex-gnosis
https://github.com/chainpioneer/idena-atomic-exchange-bot

Idena (WebApp) available on Google Play Store

Community member @Morienzo made a WebView of app.idena.io with more features to be added later. It’s already available on the Play Store and the French community Blockside highlighted it:

Source code: https://github.com/morienzo/Idena-WebViewApp

Winners of Idena Flip Wars — Corea Edition by EDM

The Flip Wars Corea edition has come to an end and it will be no surprise to regular readers of the Community Chronicles to learn that the Winner is @Cryptogeek! Congratulations to the new Flip Wars Champion who was awarded a prize of 2400 iDNA!

This Flip War edition was particularly interesting, as it was also possible to bet on the event on iDNA.bet!

Thanks to all the participants and to EDM for organizing the event!

Notable tweets

· Idena was featured in Web3earner.com

· Few words from crypto OG Adli on Idena:

· A thread on Idena, in French, from community member @Morienzo

Community Wallet and Community Proposals

Address: https://idenawallet.community/wallets

Previous and on-going proposals: https://idenawallet.community/proposals

New delegates have been selected in March: @nudesushi, @Egyptian Pharaoh, @Ubiubi2018 and @Fireshift, congratulations to them.

Community Proposals

Thanks for your participation in supporting the projects through Idena Oracles:

· Idena Sibling Development https://scan.idena.io/contract/0x36dae7d35f442eb789d90e57a959cbb1acc5df4f

· Chronicles translations https://scan.idena.io/contract/0xb5f795b2bbe4d249714210bc81d9832b925d9e4b

REMINDER regarding Community Proposals:

ICYMI, the Community Wallet is now controlled by 5 delegates who execute decisions made on Oracles through multi-sig. For more details, please refer to the Chronicles #89.

As the Community is now empowered to build and get funded/rewarded through a democratic governance leveraged by Idena Oracles, please remember that everyone can make a funding proposal.

For that purpose, please join the Community Discord https://discord.gg/UrsDEHMs, reach #community-proposals-and-discussion and follow instructions in the pinned message.

Governance Rules are:

· https://ubiubi2018.medium.com/proposal-for-governance-mechanism-for-idena-community-wallet-1d3f42819a50

· Amendment: https://medium.com/@Zen-44/community-wallet-governance-protocol-23a0e331b5eb

Top active users

Community Discord leaderboard:

Telegram — Global community leaderboard:

Telegram — Idena Balkan leaderboard:

Telegram — Idena Italia leaderboard:

Telegram — Idena France leaderboard:

If you want to feature your telegram community leaderboard in the Idena Chronicles, please add ComBot to your telegram group and add @AndrewIdena to the list of group admins to give the Idena core team access to your group stats.