Theta Network: Mainnet 2.0 in a week, THETA.tv app launches on Android, Partnership with gumi Cryptos to enter Japan market, THETA.tv hosted CoinDesk’s Consensus: Distributed virtual conference, Theta Live Events announced, Sizzle Popcorn brings TFUEL rewards to their Shopify store

Published in

Paradigm

15 min readMay 19, 2020

Biweekly update 6th May — 19th May

Welcome, Theta community to our regular update on the Network! We’re so excited for the next phase of the Theta decentralized streaming network, the Theta Mainnet 2.0 launch! It will happen just in one week, on Wednesday, May 27th. Can’t wait!
The Theta team envisions the Network to become critical infrastructure for video and data delivery worldwide. An important step in that goal is reaching the Japan market, which is a global leader in content and media, as well as an early adopter of crypto technology. Theta’s partner in entering this market is gumi Cryptos, a market leader in blockchain and gaming in Japan. gumi Cryptos is already a key stakeholder in the Theta Network, operating a Theta Enterprise Validator Node and participating in block production and governance of the Theta Network alongside Samsung, Binance, and Blockchain Ventures. Now, expanding their partnership with gumi Cryptos, the team has signed a new business development agreement to work together introducing Theta technology to Japanese media companies. gumi Cryptos will also leverage their experience in the Japanese crypto market to guide Theta through Japan Financial Services Agency’s regulatory process for approving new crypto assets.
A few weeks ago, the Theta team announced the launch of THETA Live Embed, a new turnkey product that allows 24/7 THETA.tv live streaming content to be added to almost any website, blog, or social media platform with minimal technical effort. THETA Live Embed is now live with more than 10 partner sites! Popular games like Fortnite, League of Legends and CS:GO streamed through THETA Live Embed are fully integrated with the Theta Network blockchain, allowing viewers to relay streams to their peers and earn Theta token rewards, TFUEL, just for watching and sharing their bandwidth resources. The first partner to integrate the product was GFUEL, the Official Energy Drink of Esports. Good news is, now you can watch THETA.tv live on Sizzle Popcorn using Theta Live Embed. More THETA Live Embed partners coming soon with their streamlined new integration process!
These days marks an exciting time in the growth of the Theta Network ecosystem — the launch of the THETA.tv Android app natively built for smart TVs! For the first time, users around the world can watch a Theta-powered Android TV channel and earn Theta Fuel (TFUEL) tokens directly from their TV, by relaying the streams to other Theta viewers in the network. This means any Sony, Sharp, Philips and many more smart TVs are now powered by Theta Network along with popular Android TV set top boxes including Amazon Fire TV stick, NVIDIA Shield TV, and Roku.
And last but not least, on May 11th THETA.tv hosted CoinDesk’s Consensus: Distributed virtual conference. Consensus: Distributed is the biggest crypto event of the year, featuring speeches and panels from Vitalik Buterin, CZ, the Winklevoss twins, Dovey Wan, Joseph Lubin, and many more. THETA.tv was the conference’s exclusive third-party distributor and the only place besides CoinDesk to watch the biggest crypto conference of the year! After hosting Consensus and other top crypto conferences, THETA.tv is taking virtual conferences to the next level with Theta Live Events — the turnkey solution for ANY conference to livestream on THETA.tv. Now with Theta Live Events, the organizers of top conferences in tech, gaming, crypto, and more can easily stream direct to THETA.tv and its highly-engaged audience. Their viewers can also earn TFUEL rewards on the Theta Network for sharing the livestream, spreading crypto adoption to an even wider audience. Read the details below!
Stay tuned for the Theta Mainnet 2.0 and more updates soon!

Development

GitHub metrics:

THETA has public repositories and private repositories. Overall, the Project has frequent commits to the collection of repositories.

Developer activity (from Coinlib.io):

THETA.tv app launches on Android TV, bringing TFUEL token rewards to smart TVs around the world

These days marks an exciting time in the growth of the Theta Network ecosystem — the launch of the THETA.tv Android app natively built for smart TVs! For the first time, users around the world can watch a Theta-powered Android TV channel and earn Theta Fuel (TFUEL) tokens directly from their TV, by relaying the streams to other Theta viewers in the network. This means any Sony, Sharp, Philips and many more smart TVs are now powered by Theta Network along with popular Android TV set top boxes including Amazon Fire TV stick, NVIDIA Shield TV, and Roku.

The THETA.tv Android TV app available through the Google Play Store features all the same great content you expect from THETA.tv — rising esports streamers, live blockchain conferences, top content from World Poker Tour, and more.

Android TV is used on more than 25 million smart TVs in the U.S. alone, with millions more in use worldwide. With the THETA.tv app, each one of these devices is now a potential relayer in the Theta Network on a peer-to-peer TV-to-TV basis leveraging any excess unused bandwidth. Theta’s Android TV app is built on our standard THETA SDK that will be made publicly available for free to any third-party developers. So, it would be just as easy and seamless for Amazon Prime video, Netflix, Sling TV, YouTube, Hulu or hundreds of other popular streaming apps to integrate the Theta protocol.

The team is particularly excited about seeing THETA.tv running on Sony TVs, since Sony Innovation Fund is an early investor in Theta. Here’s the THETA.tv app running on a Sony Bravia for example:

The app is available in the Google Play Store now! Download it now and start earning TFUEL with your smart TV, all powered by the Theta Network.

Notice on launch of Theta Mainnet 2.0

The Theta Mainnet 2.0 will happen on Wednesday, May 27th. Roughly two weeks prior to that date, the exact block height will be announced that Theta blockchain will switch to Mainnet 2.0 code.

The primary reason for pushing back the release date is simply to allow for more testing of the Mainnet 2.0 code. The Theta community, including the Guardian Nodes operating on Theta testnet, are excited to get started on Mainnet 2.0. More Guardian Nodes are being onboarded to testnet_sapphire so that when Theta Mainnet 2.0 launches the protocol will be as decentralized as possible. At the same time, the team will be running stress tests on testnet_sapphire to ensure that Theta can accommodate the necessary level of concurrent users that video platforms require.

Stress testing will tentatively follow this schedule between now and the release of Mainnet 2.0:

Testing of peak concurrent viewers on Theta Network: May — 1m+ concurrent viewers.
Testing of number of Guardian Nodes participating in Theta consensus: May — 750+ Guardian Nodes.

Theta Mainnet 2.0:

Why the team is creating the Theta blockchain?

The team’s long-term vision for the Theta Network is a decentralized end-to-end protocol for processing and delivering data, not just video but all types of data. Decentralized data delivery, at the edge, powered by you. That vision encompasses three main components that are to be powered by Theta edge nodes, run by the community:

Data Delivery — Initially focused on video delivery, and implemented on THETA.tv and multiple other video platforms coming soon. But the scope of decentralized data delivery goes beyond video into file updates, game patches, OS and app updates, web content, and any other form of data delivery.

Data Storage — As Theta expands from livestreaming applications to Video-on-Demand (VoD), app updates, and game patches, it becomes necessary to have a decentralized solution to data storage. Theta nodes can cache the most in-demand live and static content and files to ensure they are able to contribute to the network and earn TFUEL.

Data Encoding — By allowing Theta nodes to perform ingest/encoding of raw video and data as close to the source as possible, particularly for live events (professional sports, concerts, conferences, for example), the Theta Network will truly become an end-to-end solution for video and data. Building out this functionality is a natural extension for the Theta team, based on the team’s experience encoding live VR events in 2016 for SamsungVR, Intel IEM, ESL, and others.

Awareness and social encounters

Theta Live Events — the turnkey solution for live conference streaming:

After hosting successful live events like Consensus by CoinDesk, Virtual Blockchain Week, and Crypto Asia Summit, THETA.tv is taking virtual conferences to the next level with Theta Live Events — the turnkey solution for ANY conference to livestream on THETA.tv, powered by the Theta Network.

THETA.tv recently hosted Consensus:Distributed by CoinDesk featuring Vitalik Buterin, the Winklevoss twins, CZ, and other top crypto leaders. The conference was a hit with the average THETA.tv viewer watching more than 67 minutes of the live event.

Now with Theta Live Events, the organizers of top conferences in tech, gaming, crypto, and more can easily stream direct to THETA.tv and its highly-engaged audience. Their viewers can also earn TFUEL rewards on the Theta Network for sharing the livestream, spreading crypto adoption to an even wider audience. The THETA.tv registered userbase totals more than 10 million users, many in the desirable demographics of gaming and crypto enthusiasts and 18–35 age range. By cross-promoting conferences via THETA.tv, organizers can greatly increase their reach to millions of new users.

If you’re a conference organizer looking to improve your reach and engagement, Theta Live Events is designed for you! Contact the team here to stream your next conference to THETA.tv.

Since April 22nd, 2020: Theta hackathon hosted by DevPost:

One of the silver linings of pushing Mainnet 2.0 launch to May is that it gives Theta community time to get involved in building tools and applications for the Theta ecosystem. The team has enlisted DevPost, the leading hackathon community (they are currently running hackathons for Facebook, Samsung, and EOS among many other top names), to host the 1st Theta Network virtual hackathon began in early April.

The hackathon will run for 2 months and feature project feedback from Theta team, as well as other marquee advisors and supporters of the Theta Network. Additionally Theta Labs is setting aside a hackathon prize pool of $25,000 in tokens, 100% of which will be awarded to the top 3 community projects at the end of the hackathon. The team has got a few ideas of Theta blockchain tools and apps they’ll propose, but want to also give the Theta community the flexibility to build the projects they want to.

Upcoming events:

The team had planned a major marketing push in the lead up to Mainnet 2.0, including a marketing tour through South Korea, Hong Kong, and Vietnam and a meetup held with a Korea-based partner. With the unfortunate and tragic spread of the COVID-19 virus, their travel plans to these countries had to be postponed. While these travel restrictions may still be in place in May, this at least gives the time to re-tool the marketing efforts for Mainnet 2.0 in other directions, and give it the push that the release and the community deserves.

Finance

Live Network Statistics: May 19th, 2020

You can now see the distribution of Pre-Guardian Nodes, Edge Cachers, and Enterprise Validator Nodes in real-time at thetatoken.org! Scroll down to “Live Network Stats”, which will update each time you refresh the page.

Edge Cachers: 889

Guardian Nodes: 405

Enterprise Validator Nodes: 12

Information from Theta explorer:

For information on Theta Guardian Nodes and how to join, see the announcement blog.

A step by step video on how to install the PGN/UEC.

Latest PGN client download link for Windows only.

If you want to become a Guardian node click here.

Theta markets:

Information from Coinlib.io:

Network

Theta.tv, formerly known as Sliver.tv, is an e-sports live streaming site that has already implemented the Theta Network and are now able to offload ~50%+ CDN costs on an ongoing basis. TFuel has been integrated into the site platform and is earned by viewers streaming content to peers, can be donated to streamers, or used to purchase goods in the Theta.tv store.

THETA.tv Launch AMA

Roadmap

Theta Roadmap:

Q2 2020

Beta launch of decentralized data storage
Beta launch of decentralized file delivery of any content type, such as game patches, applications, OS updates
Beta launch of Theta protocol adapted to Smart TVs and IoT devices

H2 2020

Release of generalized Turing-complete smart contract support
Beta launch of decentralized encoding protocol
Production release of the end-to-end Universal Edge Cacher

THETA.tv Roadmap:

Partnerships and team members

Theta Labs partners with gumi Cryptos to enter Japan market:

Theta Network is the leading video delivery protocol powered by blockchain, and the team envisions it becoming critical infrastructure for video and data delivery worldwide. An important step in that goal is reaching the Japan market, which is a global leader in content and media, as well as an early adopter of crypto technology. Theta’s partner in entering this market is gumi Cryptos, a market leader in blockchain and gaming in Japan.

gumi Cryptos is already a key stakeholder in the Theta Network, operating a Theta Enterprise Validator Node and participating in block production and governance of the Theta Network alongside Samsung, Binance, and Blockchain Ventures. Now, expanding their partnership with gumi Cryptos, the team has signed a new business development agreement to work together introducing Theta technology to Japanese media companies. gumi Cryptos will also leverage their experience in the Japanese crypto market to guide Theta through Japan Financial Services Agency’s regulatory process for approving new crypto assets.

gumi Cryptos Inc. is the representative member of gumi Cryptos Capital, which is the blockchain/crypto venture fund launched by gumi Inc., a publicly-traded leading global mobile game publisher and developer (https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/3903:JP). gumi Cryptos Capital offers its portfolio companies a strategic venture capital investment partner with unique access to the Japan cryptocurrency market through its network of investors and management board. Since launching in 2018, gumi Cryptos Capital has invested in many top crypto projects including Origin, Evercoin, Spacemesh, Opensea and Vega Protocol.

“As an early supporter of the Theta Network, we’re excited to see the protocol continue to expand its reach into Japan,” said Hironao Kunimitsu, Representative Director of gumi Cryptos. “Japan is a world leader in crypto adoption and a perfect fit for a protocol like Theta with real-world usage.”
“With Theta Mainnet 2.0 launching at the end of May, it’s the perfect time to start expanding to new global markets,” said Theta CEO Mitch Liu. “We expect widespread adoption for Theta Network in 2020, and Japan will be a key part of our strategy”.

Theta Network adopted by 10 partner sites and counting through THETA Live Embed:

THETA Live Embed, the turnkey product that allows 24/7 THETA.tv Esports live streaming content to be added to almost any website, blog, or social media platform, is now live with 10 partner sites! Popular games like Fortnite, League of Legends and CS:GO streamed through THETA Live Embed are fully integrated with the Theta Network blockchain, allowing viewers to relay streams to their peers and earn Theta token rewards, TFUEL, just for watching and sharing their bandwidth resources.

With a simple IFrame approach and a few lines of JavaScript, THETA Live Embed can be added to any site with minimum development. This turnkey integration enables platforms to seamlessly adopt THETA.tv Esports content and the underlying Theta Network peer-to-peer video delivery infrastructure, without the need to understand digital wallets, security and other technical aspects of blockchain technology. This ease of use has led to 10 partners already going live with Theta Live Embed, and more on the way every week!

In addition to the progress being made in driving Theta adoption through more sites, the team is also nearing completion of a game-changing payments integration for THETA Live Embed partners — more on that soon! It’s all part of our strategy to get Theta tech in the hands of as many partners as possible, getting users earning TFUEL, and showing the value Theta Network can bring to all stakeholders in video streaming.

You can see THETA Live Embed in action on each site here: G FUEL Sizzle Popcorn Sweeps God Mode Unlocked EasternMediaGG Cruz Ctrl Zetetic News Network Alt Customs JSCO

To learn more about THETA Live Embed or to integrate it into your own site, visit us at embed.theta.tv.

Sizzle Popcorn brings TFUEL rewards to their Shopify store — opening the door to a million ecommerce sites: Theta Live Embed, the turnkey Theta implementation that allows 24/7 THETA.tv Esports live streaming content to be added to almost any website, just got even better. Sizzle Popcorn just went live with the first THETA.tv + Shopify integration, allowing users to earn TFUEL for watching THETA.tv on their site and spend it on Sizzle Popcorn’s Shopify store, all with a few clicks.

Theta’s Shopify plug-in enables nearly one million ecommerce stores worldwide to simply integrate a widget that allows users to convert TFUEL into a discount code on their shopping cart checkout. Shopify supports over 600,000 businesses across 175 countries, processing over 1 billion orders. The more value a user derives from their TFUEL earnings, the more views and engagement can be driven to the website and Theta.tv content.

The user experience is simple: after earning TFUEL for watching THETA.tv esports content, users can redeem it for discounts on items in Sizzle Popcorn’s Shopify store. Don’t want to pay full-price for that Sizzle 2-pack? Just watch a few hours of THETA.tv esports, share the video stream with others in the network, and you can buy your item at a discount!

“Integrating Theta and TFUEL rewards to our Shopify site is a gamechanger, and should increase viewers on THETA.tv and our Sizzle Popcorn sales at the same time”, said Devon Sevy, CEO of Sizzle Popcorn. “It’s a win-win and let’s us deliver more value to our customers via the Theta Network.”

The most exciting part of this release is how easy the implementation is to port to other websites. Soon any Live Embed partner with a Shopify store can benefit from adding Theta + TFUEL to their site, increasing the utility of TFUEL and bringing more value to users.