Frequently Asked Questions about Ternoa 2/4

This article will go into detail about the Ternoa Blockchain, how it was created, how it works, along with our current products, what’s to come, and more

Ternoa, the NFT-based data encryption, and transmission blockchain… What does that mean?

In today’s world, securing data long-term and having the option to transfer it to someone else at a certain time is almost non-existent. As mentioned in the first article of this series, the founders of Ternoa wanted to create a blockchain that can do just that. The solution they found: NFT Time Capsules.

How is a time capsule made? First, Ternoa takes Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and encrypts them to create what we call a “SecretNFT”. Then the blockchain offers 5 different sending protocols to choose from, for example on a certain date, or even after your death. Adding the sending protocol brings the SecretNFT to its final form of becoming a time capsule.

Not only can this blockchain be applied to the general public, but there are endless use cases with this NFT technology even for companies and governments. For example hospitals, lawyers, real estate companies, or even those who want to create NFT games or marketplaces, the options are limitless.

To ensure the Ternoa Blockchain’s ability to provide these options in the best way possible, the team chose to be powered by Polkadot, as well as utilize SGX to ensure maximum security, and also go through decentralized storage companies like ArWeave.

Why is the Blockchain powered by Polkadot?

There are many reasons why Ternoa chose to be powered by Polkadot and the Parity Tech group. Not only does Polkadot allow Ternoa to reach its full potential in implementing its security and transmission protocols, as well as increase the interoperability between different blockchain ecosystems, it also opens up doors to Ternoa being built off of Substrate’s framework. Doing this exponentially shortened the blockchain’s time to market, as well as enforce our Nominated Proof of Stake governance system, and much more.

You can read deeper into the benefits of being powered by Polkadot and using Substrate’s framework by reading our White Paper on Github.

What are Ternoa’s Blockchain Security Measures?

Ternoa’s blockchain security will mainly occur in the background, and not be seen by the users. Meaning that in the foreground, there will be a user-friendly application that allows a quick and easy way to create a time capsule, add your files to it, and then choose to whom and when it will be sent. But behind the scenes, the Ternoa Chain is utilizing all of its power to secure user’s private data.

How is the time capsule secured? When the NFT is encrypted, the application account will generate asymmetric keys to this time capsule and use Shamir’s Secret Sharing to send it to SGX, security software that allows these keys to be stored “off-chain” in enclaves, out of touch from one another. This is a form of multi-party cryptography and is important to ensure the security of the keys to the time capsule, because without each one of them together, you cannot open it.

Once the chosen recipient receives their time capsule, they will be able to claim these keys and bring them back together from those secure SGX enclaves. This will decrypt the time capsule and allow it to open for the recipient to see!

How does Ternoa store its files?

By using Substrate’s framework, the TernoaChain has increased interoperability between ecosystems and therefore can redirect its files to be stored on other blockchains specialized in the field of decentralized storage, such as Storj, Sia, or Arweave. This allows the files to be stored on several different infrastructures, ensuring stronger security and that at least one copy of the preserved data is always available.

This delegated storage system is completely invisible from the end user’s point of view, as it takes place in the back end of the TernoaChain infrastructure.

Has the project been audited?

The quality of the Ternoa Blockchain is crucial, as Ternoa strives to put out the best possible blockchain services for data encryption and transmission out there. Therefore, to certify the work our team has put forward so far, the project was audited in early February by the world-famous Certik Foundation. You can read more about this audit in our article here.

Ternoa’s Blockchain in action

This brings us now to what the Ternoa chain can provide in terms of actual products. Since the blockchain is currently moving onto testnet, it can only provide structure for alpha and beta version products. It will only be at mainnet launch when the majority of what the blockchain can offer will be fully functional to the public.

Currently, the team has put forward an alpha version Wallet application, as well as an alpha version SecretNFT Marketplace and a faucet Tiime Engine. They have also hinted at their upcoming application Secret Drop, which will allow the general public to use Ternoa time capsules in the real world, as well as allowing professionals to create their own use cases on the blockchain.

Secret Drop

The Secret Drop application will be a way for the general public to access what the Ternoa blockchain has to offer in a transparent, user-friendly way. With this app, users will be able to create a time capsule by adding whatever digital data they would like (wallet keys, photos, videos, important documents, etc.), then choose the recipient/s, sending date, and sending protocol, and pressing “send”! There are five different protocols to choose from:

1. The Death Protocol triggers the time capsule transmission once the user has died.
2. The Consent Protocol for a transmission based on the principle of activation of opening by third parties and non-opposition by the sender;
3. The Safe Protocol to store searchable information in the form of a digital safe;
4. The D-Day Protocol to store and send data on a specified date; and
5. The Countdown Protocol where the user can have a countdown timer that can be reset.

Once the time capsule is received, the recipient can do whatever they would like with the information, they can even add data to the time capsule and send it to their own children or loved ones! Ternoa’s time capsules are created to help carry down important information from generation to generation.

This Application is set to be released after the Ternoa Blockchain’s mainnet launch. The team has recently revealed its name and will be slowly revealing more information as time goes on.

The Ternoa Wallet App

In early July, Ternoa released its alpha version of the Wallet app for Android and iOS users. In just under a month it has had over 25k downloads and 20k active daily users.

The idea of this wallet app is to offer users and CAPS holders a place to send, store, receive and use their CAPS, as well as their NFTs (Since this is just the Alpha version, the option to send and receive CAPS is not yet possible, our team is currently working on this bridge). But in the meantime, the application also allows users to get an overview of the Ternoa universe and all the derivative applications that this blockchain can create, like for example our SecretNFT Marketplace and our Tiime Engine rewards platform.

If you want to try it out for yourself, you can download it here for iOS, and here for Android.

The SecretNFT Marketplace

In April 2021, Ternoa launched its Alpha SecretNFT Marketplace, a platform entirely dedicated to non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The platform, which uses Ternoa’s own CAPS token, is equipped with many unique features to allow artists to issue authenticated digital artworks in a single edition, as well as protect them so that only the true owner sees their true quality.

To test this alpha version of the marketplace, the Ternoa team is working with more than 30 international artists to build the NFT catalog. New artworks will be added every 2–3 weeks to the platform. In the not too distant future, however, SecretNFT will be fully open to the public and any user will have the opportunity to forge their own NFTs.

Once the official version launches, artists will be able to create their NFT by uploading their work, adding a title, description, and price in CAPS, then choosing 1 of the 4 protection options:

1. Protect — adds a watermark
2. Secret — hides the original work behind a mask/another artwork
3. Blur — blur filter over the NFT
4. None — low-quality version shows

See the SecretNFT Marketplace website here.

The Tiime Engine

The Tiime Engine is our new rewards earning platform, or in other words a crypto faucet. It’s an incentive platform to push our users to take action, interact with the Ternoa Universe and boost our community.

The Tiime Engine also works hand in hand with the Ternoa Wallet app. To start participating, users need to connect to their Ternoa Wallet. Each day they connect to the wallet, they will be rewarded with a game token called Tiime. There will also be certain actions they can do to earn more Tiime, for example retweeting one of our Twitter posts, or connecting your social media accounts, etc. At the end of each month, there will be an event called “Happy Tiime” where users can spend their earned Tiime tokens on SecretNFTs, which may or may not include a hidden surprise within!

This DApp not only benefits the users and the Ternoa community, but it allows people to become more and more used to the Ternoa Universe, what it has to offer and how it works. For more information, check out the Tiime Engine website here.

What’s to come for the TernoaChain?

The Ternoa team is currently preparing the blockchain for it’s testnet launch planned for October 2021, testing out all of the products and procedures that have been put into place so far. The main things the dev team will be focusing on is the Blockchain’s Masternodes, as well as NFT minting for the SecretNFT Marketplace. Ternoa will also be conducting a Bounty campaign to push the communication on the project as much as possible. The team is determined to make as many partnerships as possible before mainnet launch, as well as pushing their international strategy.

After all of these preparations and more, Ternoa is projected to launch its mainnet in Q1 2022, meaning the blockchain will be fully operational and the official versions of its use cases will be released. This includes the Secret Drop application, allowing users to create their own time capsules. This will be the time where the world can truly see the potential of the Ternoa Blockchain and the innovative team behind it.

Be sure to follow Ternoa on Twitter to stay up to date on all that is to come!