Persona update, September 7

Stefan Neagu
Sep 7, 2018 · 3 min read

Since we made the decision to go with developing Persona on Ark V1 a week ago, the entire team felt like it was the right decision to do so. With new found energy we will focus on developing and pushing the Persona vision into reality. I’m glad to say that these are not just words. This is what we’ve been doing:

Our main work has been on the Persona blockchain. We have been able to create three new transaction types: Create, Verify and Validate.

Furthermore, we also update our internal testnet. Here we created the following new transaction types: ‘create attribute’ (meaning: adding an SSN, or birth date) and ‘validate attribute’ (meaning: to verify and validate the attribute added in the create attribute transaction). More updates on this later.

In internal tests, we managed to propagate these transactions between nodes, which have successfully verified and queued it. This, in particular, is a very big step forward for Persona. Saving an attribute in the database, after a block is successfully forged, the then still unconfirmed transaction is being applied and part of that is the saving of attribute in the database.

With these new updates on the internal testnet we have managed to successfully create an attribute via the ‘Create Attribute transaction’ the attribute & transaction were both saved correctly in the database. The transaction was also added to the blockchain. The reason we chose to verify this on our internal testnet is that at this stage in the testing we need access to all nodes on the network. Doing it on the official testnet itself will require having permissions to access all the testnet nodes, and pulling the code containing attribute logic multiple times during the test. Test on the public testnet will be done in a later stage.

A Request Attribute validation transaction that is correctly propagated to the remote testnet node, but unable to be forged because the target remote internal blockchain was already forked by the create attribute transaction. So, we’ve continued with Request Attribute Validation and bypass the issue with forging, by either using a localnet or by manually creating the attribute (avoid forking the chain before confirming this “RAV” transaction)

We have also been working very hard on the Persona IPFS. It is now possible to store documents because IPFS is built into Persona node. We started with an off-chain IPFS just to see how to store and manage documents. The IPFS was linked to out internal testnet successfully. because of these positive results we’ve integrated IPFS in Persona node and started an IPFS server within Persona node!

These are some of the new features that have been added to the IPFS

  • Uploading documents as an intermediary step in creating attribute, When you create and claim an attribute you upload a document that proves that very same attribute. This is an intermediary step in adding an attribute.
  • Integrating IPFS with create attribute transaction, this means that in the “create attribute transaction” the files added as prove for that identity are managed and stored by the IPFS instance.
  • Developed a lite client that sends requests to create attribute and add those files to IPFS, a simple client to call the IPFS instance during the create attribute transaction and add those files to IPFS to be stored.
  • Pin IPFS files on forging, sync seeded peers to receive copies of the files (work in progress), the files added to IPFS are hashed and added to the blockchain and distributed among peers.

We would also like to share the great news that Persona will be listed on an exchange.

Last week we’ve signed a “Listing Agreement” with an exchange, now there is a technical aspect that the exchange needs to complete. There is no update from the exchange at this moment, but we’ve expressed our technical support in case they need any. We will communicate and update the community as soon as we know more.

Depending on how the development progresses, we will migrate from internal testnet to public test in the coming weeks. So, in order to replicate the mainnet conditions, we urge the delegates to start their nodes in testnet so it’s being maintained by the community like the mainnet is. If you would like to support persona with a testnet node please visit the #testnet channel on Slack (personablockchain.slack.com)

Last but not least there is an update to ou mainnet, so please update your nodes. We had to change the token ticker from PERSON to PRSN at exchanges request. The ticker was too long which made it impossible to implement.

Until the next update,

The Persona Team

personablockchain

Persona represents the solution for identity management, aligned with the latest data protection regulations. Its scope is to empower the customer and grant him/her the control over their personal data as well as the means to secure access to their private details.

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