P2P Validator’s team successfully carried out the development of BLS-based Random Beacon to provide Cosmos application-specific blockchains with an unbiased source of entropy. The code is open-sourced and available for further exploration by the community. This implementation of Random Beacon opens new possibilities for projects that require truly unpredictable randomness in their decentralized products.
Our team will continue to develop features that can bring more users and add more value to the Cosmos ecosystem. If you want to support our initiatives the best way is to stake ATOM with us.
Random Beacon is a cryptographic primitive that periodically outputs random numbers which are publicly available and verifiable by any party. Random Beacon requires several important properties:
In a decentralized environment the ability to generate provably random outputs is critical to protect applications from manipulations and get rid of centralized random number sources. It can also be helpful for data protection as random numbers are used in the generation of cryptographic keys, establishing connections, internal sequences and so on.
Randomness can be useful for numerous blockchain applications:
Implementation of Tendermint with BLS-based random beacon - Arcade, provides each block with a random number that can be safely used during block processing without changing original Tendermint security assumptions.
We wanted our in-built pseudo random number generator (PRNG) to be suitable for applications like games and gambling: that means fast and unbiasable (many random beacons used for consensus are slightly biasable, what's fine for cryptographic sortition but is not suitable for a game like blackjack). Preferably it should be available at every block.
The most suitable random beacon to satisfy constraints is a BLS Threshold Signature-Based Beacon, proposed by the DFinity team. To build it we expanded a pre-commit step in the Tendermint consensus.
The idea works by expanding a pre-commit step of Tendermint consensus: validators send not only pre-commit but also add partial BLS threshold signatures. This allows every new block to come out with a freshly generated random number.
The outlined PRNG is available at every block and suitable for building randomness-dependent applications within the Cosmos ecosystem. We also built a Cosmos SDK adaptation that can interact with the random number in the block, and a reseeding module that is capable of bringing external randomness to deterministic BLS-based PRNG.
BLS threshold signatures need a key generation step. We implemented an off-chain distributed key generation based on Pederson distributed key generation (DKG), and an on-chain fallback that provides the ability to both attest and slash in cases when off-chain DKG fails.
P2P Validator is a world-leading non-custodial staking provider with the best industry practices and proven expertise. We provide comprehensive due-diligence of digital assets and offer only high-class staking opportunities securing more than 3 billion of USD value. At the time of the latest update, P2P Validator is trusted by over 10,000 delegators across 25+ networks.
Want to stake with us? Alexey will be happy to help. Contact [email protected] to get personal assistance.
P2P Validator provides secure non-custodial staking. Subscribe to our channels and stay tuned for updates and new blog posts.
Stake ATOM with us: https://p2p.org/cosmos
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Research & Analytics at p2p.org.
<p>P2P Validator has been supporting Cosmos network from day one, <strong><strong>providing high-quality validation services</strong></strong> for ATOM delegators. Our <strong><strong>developed products allow delegators</strong></strong> to easily manage investments and receive a detailed report on their staking income.</p><p><strong><strong>We invest in the development of Cosmos network</strong></strong> and see the long-term prospects, however, the costs of maintaining the infrastructure and product development are several times higher than the revenues that the validator receives currently. We have decided to <strong><strong>return to a commission of 8% in 21 days</strong></strong> to remain flexible and provide more sustainable services.</p><h2 id="what-have-we-done"><strong>What have we done?</strong></h2><p>For more than 5 months of hard work under a reduced fee, we <strong><strong>did not stop the development activity</strong></strong> in the Cosmos network. Here is a list of the <strong><strong>most significant achievements</strong></strong> that have been released for the Cosmos ecosystem:</p><p><a href="https://p2p.org/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee#dashboard-block">P2P Dashboard</a> for Cosmos users:</p><ul><li>Track and predict user rewards (more correctly than major explorers, check out our <a href="https://p2p.org/economy/lost-in-cosmos-explorers?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">article</a>)</li><li>Ledger delegation, redelegation, claim of rewards</li><li>Rewards report for all Cosmos Hubs (1,2,3)</li><li>CSV reward report</li></ul><ol><li><a href="https://p2p.org/economy/category/cosmos?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">9 articles</a> and users guides posted</li><li><a href="https://goz.p2p.org/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">Visualization of IBC handshakes</a> for the Game of Zones</li><li><a href="https://github.com/p2p-org/relayer/blob/master/docs/commands.md?ref=p2p.org">Documentation</a> and <a href="https://dash-goz.p2p.org/public/dashboards/PxNuUZv6XxsUwETE4iWhLiVEUIOiFlD3GJhPig6P?org_slug=default&ref=p2p.org">dashboards</a> for Game of Zones</li><li><a href="https://defiapi.com/?ref=p2p.org">Affiliate API</a> for Cosmos wallet monetization</li><li>We financially <a href="https://p2p.org/economy/p2p-validator-acquired-corestar-development-team?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">supported Corestar team</a>, who developed Arcade, Tendermint hack with built-in <a href="https://p2p.org/economy/p2p-validator-helps-to-carry-out-random-beacon-for-Cosmos?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">BLS random beacon</a> built on ICF grant</li><li>Ongoing work on public rate-limited GraphQL API for Cosmos applications</li></ol><p>Product development inside the ecosystem is an essential element not only to support the Cosmos network, but also as a part of the <strong><strong>long-term growth of the community and the network value.</strong></strong></p><h2 id="when-will-the-commission-be-increased"><strong>When will the commission be increased?</strong></h2><p>We will increase the commission by 1% every day, starting from June 12. <strong><strong>On June 18, our rate will remain at 8%.</strong></strong> There is a lot of work ahead and we believe that <strong><strong>joint efforts will accelerate the evolution of Cosmos network.</strong></strong></p><p>We want to <strong><strong>thank all our delegators</strong></strong> for their continuous support and being with us! <strong><strong>If you stake ATOM with P2P - you contribute to the Cosmos ecosystem.</strong></strong></p><h2 id="about-p2p-validator"><strong>About P2P Validator</strong></h2><p><a href="https://p2p.org/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">P2P Validator</a> is a world-leading non-custodial staking provider with the best industry practices and proven expertise. We provide comprehensive due-diligence of digital assets and offer only top-notch staking opportunities securing more than 3 billion of USD value. At the time of publishing, P2P Validator is trusted by over 10,000 delegators across 25+ networks.</p><hr><p><em><em>Want to stake with us? Alexey will be happy to help. Contact [email protected] to get personal assistance.</em></em></p><hr><p><strong><strong>P2P Validator</strong></strong> provides secure non-custodial staking. Subscribe to our channels and stay tuned for updates and new blog posts.</p><p><strong><strong>Stake ATOM with us:</strong></strong> <a href="https://p2p.org/cosmos?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">https://p2p.org/cosmos</a></p><p><strong><strong>Web:</strong></strong> <a href="https://p2p.org/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=cosmos_fee">https://p2p.org</a></p><p><strong><strong>Twitter:</strong></strong><a href="https://twitter.com/p2pvalidator?ref=p2p.org"> @p2pvalidator</a></p><p><strong><strong>Telegram chat:</strong></strong> <a href="https://t.me/P2Pstaking?ref=p2p.org">https://t.me/P2Pstaking</a></p><p><strong><strong>Telegram announcement:</strong></strong> <a href="https://t.me/p2porg?ref=p2p.org">https://t.me/p2porg</a></p>
from p2p validator
<p>Polkadot is a decentralized ecosystem of parallelized blockchains called parachains. They can be used for various cases and are able to communicate seamlessly while parallel transaction processing drastically increases scalability. Polkadot implemented shared security meaning that all parachains share their state and are verified by a single validator's set of a Relay Chain. Separate blockchains can also be linked to the Polkadot ecosystem via bridges.</p><p>Developers can utilize Substrate, a framework for building parachains, to minimize the effort of constructing their own blockchain and seamlessly join to the Polkadot ecosystem. The network is permissionless and governed by the DOT token holders on-chain in a truly decentralized manner.</p><h3 id="current-state-and-market-potential"><strong>Current state and market potential</strong></h3><p>Polkadot mainnet is expected to launch by the end of May as a Proof-of-Authority chain with gradual transition to Nominated-Proof-of-Stake.</p><p>Interoperability is an important component for the evolution of blockchains. The benefit of a single network is limited by its capabilities and design solutions. The ability to interoperate seamlessly and utilize some unique features of each other will bring new use cases across interconnected projects and increase the synergy of cumulative value flow.</p><p>The closest analogy to Polkadot Relay Chain is Cosmos Hub secured by the ATOM token, which has a market capitalization of more than $500 000 000 on the date of writing. The Polkadot’s concept of shared security can drive additional demand for DOT token resulting in a higher initial token price and market capitalization at launch.</p><h3 id="token-allocation-and-purpose"><strong>Token allocation and purpose</strong></h3><p>Web3 Foundation raised ~$144 million. The overall DOT token allocation looks as follows:</p><ul><li>50% of DOT tokens sold via ICO in 2017</li><li>50% remain with the foundation where 20% are reserved for future sales or other ways of distribution to the public and 30% to support the Polkadot ecosystem growth</li></ul><p>DOT is the native token of the Polkadot Relay Chain the main purpose of which is to host multiple parachains and form the robust validator set to provide shared security making interchain transactions trust-free. DOT holders will be able to influence the future development of Polkadot ecosystem by participating in governance. Another purpose is to select validators who will be the active set by bonding their DOT and nominating. In order to join Polkadot ecosystem, parachains will need to lock a certain amount of DOT and get approval from the community.</p><p>There is no information available regarding the additional sale before mainnet launch. To acquire tokens you should participate in Kusama as <strong><strong>one percent of DOT tokens at genesis are reserved as a reward for Kusama stakeholders and active community</strong></strong>. The distribution scheme has not been finalized yet.</p><p>Otherwise, you should wait for official announcements from Web3 Foundation and listing on exchanges.</p><h3 id="staking-economics"><strong>Staking economics</strong></h3><p>Polkadot currently uses hybrid consensus algorithm GRANDPA/BABE. Validator nodes verify blocks of Relay Chain and hosted parachains and earn DOT rewards. Polkadot Relay Chain will launch as a Proof-of-Authority chain with smooth transition to NPoS. <strong><strong>Staking rewards depend on annual network emission which is a function of staked tokens</strong></strong>. The maximum value of 10% annual emission is achieved at 50% of tokens at stake resulting in ~20% APR. If the staked percentage surpasses 50% then network emission will decrease drastically. Holders can nominate validators they believe and trust increasing overall security of the network and earn a share of rewards in proportion to their stake in the validator pool.</p><p>In Polkadot, due to the fact that validators perform the same job for the network, they have equal chances to produce a block regardless of their stake. Era rewards are distributed among the active validators meaning that with a rising number of active nodes the reward per validator pool will be lower.</p><p>There is no minimum required to become a nominator but balance must have at least 0.01 DOT and should be sufficient to pay transaction fees. Staking since the beginning of the mainnet will result in higher returns for nominators.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://p2p.org/economy/content/images/2020/09/I3IshhC.png" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy" width="1368" height="756" srcset="https://p2p.org/economy/content/images/size/w600/2020/09/I3IshhC.png 600w, https://p2p.org/economy/content/images/size/w1000/2020/09/I3IshhC.png 1000w, https://p2p.org/economy/content/images/2020/09/I3IshhC.png 1368w" sizes="(min-width: 720px) 720px"></figure><p>*<em><em>If 50% tokens are nominated and validators have equal stake.</em></em></p><h3 id="slashing-risks"><strong>Slashing risks</strong></h3><p>If a validator misbehaves there are<a href="https://research.web3.foundation/en/latest/polkadot/slashing/amounts.html?ref=p2p.org"> 4 levels of punishment</a> depending on the severity of misconduct.</p><p>In the case of an <strong><strong>isolated downtime</strong></strong>, the nominated stake won't be slashed but the validator will be removed from the active set and next election without receiving a reward. If it happens repeatedly or more than 10% of validators go offline simultaneously then the nominations of the offending validator will be lost and a portion of a stake will be slashed.</p><p><strong><strong>Isolated GRANDPA equivocation</strong></strong> occurs if a validator signs two or more votes on different chains in the same round. <strong><strong>Isolated BABE equivocation</strong></strong> occurs if the validator produces two blocks on the Relay Chain in the same time slot. In both cases the punishment will be more severe.</p><p>In the case of a validator’s hacks or low level of coordination like <strong><strong>simultaneous BABE/GRANDPA equivocation</strong></strong> by multiple operators, up to 10% of a stake can be slashed.</p><p>If validators form large cartels and pose a serious security risk then punishment can be even bigger - up to 100% slashing.</p><h3 id="about-p2p-validator"><strong>About P2P Validator</strong></h3><p><a href="https://p2p.org/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=polka_brief">P2P Validator</a> is a world-leading non-custodial staking provider securing more than $3 billion by over 10,000 delegators/nominators across 25+ high-class networks. We have been present in all Polkadot testnets and have been actively participating on Kusama network since the beginning. P2P Validator invested its own funds in Polkadot in 2017 and intends to support the network in the long term.</p><h3 id="useful-polkadot-resources"><strong>Useful Polkadot resources</strong></h3><p>Website: <a href="https://polkadot.network/?ref=p2p.org">https://polkadot.network</a></p><p>Github: <a href="https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot/?ref=p2p.org">https://github.com/paritytech/polkadot/</a></p><p>List of grantees: <a href="https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/en/grants?ref=p2p.org">https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/en/grants</a></p><p>Claim DOT tokens: <a href="https://claims.polkadot.network/?ref=p2p.org">https://claims.polkadot.network/</a></p><p>Whitepaper: <a href="https://polkadot.network/PolkaDotPaper.pdf?ref=p2p.org">https://polkadot.network/PolkaDotPaper.pdf</a></p><p>Litepaper: <a href="https://polkadot.network/Polkadot-lightpaper.pdf?ref=p2p.org">https://polkadot.network/Polkadot-lightpaper.pdf</a></p><p>Overview and design considerations: <a href="https://github.com/w3f/research/blob/master/docs/papers/OverviewPaper-V1.pdf?ref=p2p.org">https://github.com/w3f/research/blob/master/docs/papers/OverviewPaper-V1.pdf</a></p><p>Blog: <a href="https://polkadot.network/blog/?ref=p2p.org">https://polkadot.network/blog/</a></p><p>Forum: <a href="https://forum.web3.foundation/?ref=p2p.org">https://forum.web3.foundation/</a></p><p>Projects in Polkadot ecosystem: <a href="http://polkaproject.com/https://www.oasislabs.com/blog?ref=p2p.org">http://polkaproject.com/https://www.oasislabs.com/blog</a>)</p><p>Mainnet launch explained: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpcCeo-ZkDY&ref=p2p.org">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpcCeo-ZkDY</a></p><hr><p><em><em>Want to stake DOT with us? Alexey will be happy to help. Contact</em></em> <em><em>[email protected]</em></em> <em><em>to get personal assistance.</em></em></p><hr><p><strong><strong>P2P Validator</strong></strong> provides secure non-custodial staking. Subscribe to our channels and stay tuned for updates and new blog posts.</p><p><strong><strong>Web:</strong></strong><a href="https://p2p.org/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=economy&utm_campaign=polka_brief"> https://p2p.org</a></p><p><strong><strong>Twitter:</strong></strong><a href="https://twitter.com/p2pvalidator?ref=p2p.org"> @p2pvalidator</a></p><p><strong><strong>Telegram:</strong></strong><a href="https://t.me/p2pvalidator?ref=p2p.org"> https://t.me/p2pvalidator</a></p>
from p2p validator