Nolus Twilight v0.5.0: Boosted performance for boosted adoption
Exploring the latest upgrade and its impact on users
The Heart of the Upgrade: Cosmos SDK v47
At the core of Twilight is the integration of Cosmos SDK v47. This version brings a bouquet of features and optimizations, enhancing the overall blockchain experience. Let’s dive into the key milestones:
CometBFT Integration: A New Era of Consensus
CometBFT is now fully integrated into the Nolus blockchain. But what is CometBFT, and how does it differ from the previously used Tendermint? In simple terms, CometBFT is an advanced consensus mechanism. CometBFT is a Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) middleware that takes a state transition machine — written in any programming language — and securely replicates it on many machines. It is a fork of Tendermint Core and implements the Tendermint consensus algorithm but with additional useful enhancements on top such as improving the ABCI layer or modifying the mempool.
ABCI 1.0: Paving the Way for ABCI++
ABCI (Application Blockchain Interface) is a critical layer in Cosmos SDK-based blockchains. It allows developers to build applications on top of the Tendermint consensus algorithm. With ABCI 1.0, we’re moving closer to ABCI++, which promises even more control and flexibility.
This version opens doors to finer control over transactions in the mempool. Mempool in the world of blockchains stems from a memory pool and is a list of pending transactions waiting for validation from a node before it is committed to a block on the blockchain.
Additionally, ABCI++ introduces vote extensions, allowing consensus votes to include valuable use cases like Oracle data. Nolus currently uses a proprietary Oracle system for off-chain price feeding. With vote extensions, validators can apply a similar price-feeding mechanism, leading to more decentralized feeds and enhancing data reliability.
User-Centric Innovations
Proposal Validation Upon Submission
A key decision by the Nolus development team was to retain the proposal validation process upon submission. Unlike Cosmos SDK 47, where the validation occurs at execution (leading to potential failures), Nolus ensures that every proposal is checked for viability right at submission. This means less frustration for users and a smoother governance process.
Fee Abstraction Mechanism: Flexibility in Gas Payments
The introduction of fee abstraction is a game-changer for user experience. Now, users can pay gas fees with tokens other than the native NLS. The first token to be introduced for this purpose is axlUSDC. This flexibility greatly enhances the user experience, allowing more freedom in how users interact with dApps. From a protocol’s revenue point of view, it is important to note that a 40% protocol tax on transactions remains, regardless of the payment token. This tax is a vital revenue stream for Nolus. It is used to buy back NLS and support the lenders’ incentives pool.
Performance at the Forefront
Twilight isn’t just about new features; it’s also about enhancing performance. With several optimizations, the base layer protocol is now more capable of handling the increasing user demand, ensuring a smoother and more efficient blockchain experience.
In conclusion, Nolus Twilight v0.5.0 is more than an upgrade; it’s a transformation. With groundbreaking features like CometBFT integration, ABCI 1.0, proposal validation improvements, and the fee abstraction mechanism, Twilight sets a new epoch for Nolus.
The future looks bright, or should we say, Twilight bright!
#GetToNolus better! 👇
