Artist, filmmaker, and storyteller Retro Manni reflects on his journey into Web 3.0 and finding a home in the Tezos ecosystem.

Tezos’ exciting digital art and NFT ecosystem serve as an important entry point into the Tezos ecosystem. The Tezos art scene, initially driven by low gas/minting prices and bolstered by intuitive user interfaces and ease of use, has become one of the most active and engaged blockchain art communities in the Web 3.0 world. It has gone on to birth a thriving ecosystem of marketplaces, collectors, artists, and art appreciators from all across the globe, and represents an important case study in organic Web 3.0 community growth.

In its short time in existence, the Tezos art ecosystem has attracted countless talented artists to its cause. They’ve come from every corner of the globe and brought along with them talents spanning multiple disciplines, subject matters, and mediums. Every single one of them has a story that led them to develop and mint their work right here in the Tezos ecosystem.

Enter: artist, filmmaker, and storyteller Retro Manni. He, like so many others, comes from a background steeped in creativity and chose to embark on a new journey into the exciting Web 3.0 space, eventually finding a home in the Tezos art community. Presented with the chance to chat with Manni about his work and his journey into the Tezos ecosystem, I jumped at it.

Here’s what Retro Manni had to say…

“Since 2004 I’ve been working as a filmmaker, but I was also a teacher. I kind of got fed up with being a teacher. I’d kind of had it with that industry, to be honest. I decided that I wanted to pursue filmmaking full-time — leading into more painting and digital work and animation, so I set up my own company and left teaching. About a month after that I had a heart attack. It completely hit me out of the blue. I had an operation and I was on lots of meds, and I went into a good few months of depression. I knew about NFTs at this time, but I wasn’t embedded in that community or anything like that, I just knew about them from the media. Then a friend of mine called me and said “Why are you not in NFTs? You need to be in there.” He’d seen some of my work online and couldn’t fathom how I wasn’t involved already. I was very resistant, but luckily after I got that call I sat with it for a while and next thing you know, I’m 2–3 years on now and knee-deep into it!”

As an artist familiar with working with digital canvases to produce his work, NFTs were a natural fit for Manni. His work, richly laced with cyberpunk and 80s retrowave iconography seemed, in many ways, custom-suited to the medium. And, quickly after dipping his toes into blockchain-powered art, the amazing possibilities for sharing his work with the world and developing his talents became clear.

The realization led Manni to the genesis of “Retro Man”, an ambitious and fascinating storytelling project he is currently working to realize here in the Tezos ecosystem…

“Retro Man is a concept that came out of being in NFTs and being on Tezos. I initially came in with some digital artworks that I’d created — very Cyberpunk. A throwback to the retro wave 80s culture. I was just finding myself. I was meeting new people and trying new things out and I was doing a lot of digital paintings. The problem I was seeing as AI was growing at the time and becoming more popular is that it was looking a lot like the digital paintings that I was doing. It threw a lot of things up in the air for me and made me question the value of what I was doing and whether I belonged in that future. Then I realized: I’m a filmmaker. I don’t really see myself as an artist if I’m honest with myself. I’m a storyteller. I started to really hone in on that idea. I thought ‘I need to take some of those stories that I’ve got and bring them to the blockchain because they’re going to outlast any style or medium of art. Retro Man came out of that.”

With this blueprint in place, Manni stepped forth to bring his storytelling concept to fruition. While the Retro Man Universe currently exists as an ongoing animated series in the style of old SNES games and an audiobook, Manni’s larger vision for this project includes a film and a video game as well.

And, while the journey to realizing his vision for the Retro Man Universe has only just begun, Manni’s journey into the Tezos art space is emblematic of the things that have made Tezos’ art scene so successful, something we explored together during his recent appearance on TezTalks Live…

“The more I learned about it — and I did try minting on Polygon, and no shade to Polygon, but it was a horrible experience. Jumping into the communities on ETH, at least from what I first discovered, I just wasn’t getting a good feeling of ‘this is where I fit’. I was actually very close to giving up until one day I woke up and randomly got a notification that objkt and Teia were running a space on Twitter. I didn’t know much about Tezos at the time, but I jumped in. Immediately, compared to what I’d seen and heard in all those other spaces, the vibe was completely different. It was way more chill. It wasn’t about trying to pump anything or exclusivity or anything like that. It was just people talking about how they can use these platforms to sell their art. They were all really super nice! I thought ‘This is where I see myself’.”

As a newcomer to the Web 3.0 art and NFT space, the elements that attracted Manni to the Tezos ecosystem were, in large measure, the same ones that have always appealed to artists who’ve found their way here: ease of use, low fees for minting and selling works, etc. But it wasn’t just Tezos’ second-to-none technology and marketplaces that made Manni’s foray into Tezos such a positive one. A newer element has emerged within Tezos’ thriving art scene that has both made this ecosystem appealing to new artists and made it a place they want to stay once they’ve arrived: a sense of community…

“The technology is awesome. I struggle to go anywhere else. I’m not really interested in doing anything elsewhere. I’m quite resistant to change, and I’ve gotten so used to using my Temple wallet, I’ve gotten so used to using objkt and Teia to collect, everything connects so well, I’ve had no issues, and I trust it. I feel comfortable using it.

The community’s been brilliant, and there have been some absolutely wonderful people who have welcomed me since the moment I got here. I came in completely fresh — not knowing anyone, and I’ve met some really nice people. The experience has been brilliant.”

Today, with his works minted and listed on multiple Tezos NFT marketplaces, Manni has become fully ensconced in the Tezos ecosystem. And that, for anyone interested in bringing new users to Tezos, is a very good thing. It’s why blockchain art continues to be a key pillar of Tezos’ success and ongoing growth.

With all of that in mind, I wanted to know more about Retro Manni’s experience here in the Tezos ecosystem…

Who are the people who have given you such a positive perception of the Tezos art ecosystem?

There are so many, that I couldn’t possibly name them all. From a community-building perspective, 3 people who massively helped me integrate were @NftyTrap, @NftPeperoncino and @rblbab. I wouldn’t have been as consistent without their Twitter spaces and also their support and encouragement in those early days. As of right now, this scene just wouldn’t be the same without @pocobelli — I actually think his Artist Journal series has kept the Tezos scene alive and kicking during the darkest periods.

Which Tezos platforms, tools, and marketplaces do you use the most today?

I am using Teia and objkt. Objkt primarily for my collection drops and Teia for stand-alone, more unique pieces — those are the ones I really treasure and kind of don’t want to let go of. But I’m extremely excited about DNS’s new platform because of its integration with social media and the Tezos blockchain — it’s shaping up to be a much-needed, rock-solid addition to the ecosystem. I have a special drop planned for that when it launches.

What would you say to an artist considering the Tezos ecosystem as a home for their work?

As with anything, I would encourage them to do their research and decide whether the blockchain in general will support their overall direction and vision. Times have changed since I came in — it’s no longer the unsustainable gold rush of the last bull run. But, I do believe the accessibility of Tezos, and more importantly, the community around it is one of the most supportive, period. And with that said, I would ask them to think big, and not be held back by some of the barriers and limiting beliefs the trad/irl art world has instilled in them. The sky’s the limit if you have a long-term outlook and a vision you believe in. It’s why I am still here. The full potential hasn’t been realized yet, but I think it’s going to turn the creative industry on its head. This is something I strongly believe.

As a case study in the onboarding of a talented artist with an ambitious Web 3.0 vision, Retro Manni’s journey into the Tezos ecosystem can’t be considered anything less than an unmitigated success. From his initial entry point at the hands of a community-organized online event to his current status as a Tezos artist and active community participant (and everything in between), Manni’s journey into this bustling space — marked by the welcoming individuals he encountered every step along the way — stands as a testament to the power of the Tezos community, its generous spirit, and the smooth user experience that brings it all together.

I’ll be watching as Manni continues his quest to bring the Retro Man Universe to life, and I hope you all will too!

Seeking The North Star: The Fascinating Web 3.0 Journey of Retro Manni was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“H&N: Edition 6” is upon us. A look into one of Tezos’ most exciting projects and its upcoming grand finale!

“Here & Now” has redefined the virtual experience landscape over its previous five editions, blending art, technology, and interactivity in groundbreaking ways. As we approach the launch of its sixth and final edition next month, anticipation builds for what promises to be the most immersive installment yet, not just on Tezos, but around the whole web3 industry.

Scheduled to launch on May 11th, “Here & Now: Edition 6” offers attendees a unique virtual realm accessible through specially minted entry tokens, now available for participants on Tezos. This final edition is set to showcase a spectacular lineup of artists, through an immersive digital experience, where art can be viewed, interacted with, and even collected (if you are fast enough). But more on that later.

The “Here & Now” Journey

Launched by the talented Michael Beets, an award-winning director, “Here & Now” kicked off its epic run on Tezos in 2021 and has already rocked out five killer editions, each one upping the ante from the last. Looking back, “Here & Now” has stretched the limits of immersive art and virtual get-togethers with great side events like ANTIDOTE and CTRL+ALT+REVOLT.

It’s not just about art shows; it’s a whole vibe — fusing a buzzing community of artists and digital art collectors with virtual escape rooms, movie references, and all sorts of jaw-dropping experiences in a totally immersive and interactive metaverse.

Here & Now: Edition 6; We’re In The Endgame Now

<a href="https://medium.com/media/832200fe7d975aeec8d6d06ecf4dd560/href">https://medium.com/media/832200fe7d975aeec8d6d06ecf4dd560/href</a>

After a thrilling three-year run, the grand finale of Here & Now is upon us, and it promises to be an absolute blowout. Here are some of the things to expect from Edition 6:

A Fire Lineup of Artists: Get ready for an incredible roster including Xer0x, Goldcat, Brolket, Cemhah, Uczine, Salawaki, OMGiDRAWEDit, Marcel Flores, Danielle King, YUDHO, Simulacro, Poppel, and Santiago. These talented creators are bringing fresh artworks to life under the compelling ‘2027: Memento Mori’ theme that you will be able to explore and collect through the experience.

Interactive Minting Experience: Powered by Emergent Properties, this feature offers a unique minting experience that’s part of your introspective journey. Reflect on your present and envision your future in 2027. Your choices influence the traits of a generative artwork which is then minted directly to your wallet, offering both a personal and collective representation of your journey.

3D Vending Machine: An interactive 3D vending machine filled with artworks by Sky Goodman, showcasing a new collection within the immersive environment.

Commissioned Artworks for Claiming: Special artworks crafted by artists from past editions (Sutu, Nate Hill, Mumu_thestan, just to name a few) are available for free claiming, each Edition 6 coin entitling the holder to one free mint on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Tezzardz Game: The Tezos OG PFP project springs to life with an exciting super fun gaming experience within the H&N experience!

It’s also worth mentioning that if my experience with the previous editions has taught me anything, it is that there’s usually much more to these events than what the announcements cover.

How to Participate

To join in on the sixth edition of the Here & Now experience, you’ll need an entry token in your wallet. These tokens (1000 editions total) are available for purchase on Objkt.com. When you buy a token, not only does it grant you access to the event, but you also receive complimentary mints as mentioned above. If you’ve collected tokens from previous editions, you’ll enjoy additional special perks.

For those interested in extra benefits, purchasing three coins entitles you to a complimentary mint for an Edition 6 gallery on Oncyber, plus more advantages for holding Edition 6 tokens. Once you have your entry token, you’re all set to access the event. The virtual doors will open on May 11th, and you can dive into the experience through the Here & Now website. Get ready to explore an immersive digital art environment like no other! Tip: For the full immersive experience, be sure to wear headphones!

As the final edition of “Here & Now” approaches on May 11th, there’s a real sense of excitement in the air. This series has been a testament to the innovative spirit of the Tezos community, consistently pushing the envelope in digital art and not only.

“Here & Now: Edition 6” embodies the spirit of innovation, and trust me, it’s something you need to experience firsthand to fully appreciate. Words and pictures don’t do justice to the unique feelings and immersive atmosphere this event creates.

So grab your entry tokens, put on your headphones, and get ready to step into a world that brings the experimental vibe of Tezos into every artwork and interaction. Join and be part of a community that’s reshaping the future of digital art right before our eyes. It’s more than an event — it’s where technology meets creativity in the most dynamic of ways.

Built on Tezos: ‘Here & Now: Edition 6’ Enters the Endgame was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What makes a blockchain great? What are the “must-haves” and how is Tezos meeting these standards?

As someone who’s navigated the choppy waters of blockchains for a couple of years, looking at the current crypto market, I’ve come to wonder what truly sets a platform apart in this revolutionary space, and for me, it’s about more than just smart contracts, transaction speeds, and gambling — it’s about adhering to the core values of cryptocurrency while continuously evolving to meet future challenges.

At its heart, a solid blockchain platform needs to champion transparency, decentralization, security, and user empowerment. These aren’t just nice-to-have features; they are the foundational pillars that support the trust and functionality of any blockchain. With that in mind, I wanted to share what I think are some of the “must-haves” for any blockchain and how Tezos ticks all those boxes. Let’s get into it!

Future-proof

If you want to build a project, mint some digital art, or in general invest your time and money in a blockchain, you want it to be future-proof. You need to feel safe and that the foundations that you build upon will still be solid in one, ten, or a hundred years and this is a point where Tezos excels.

I can’t think of another blockchain that has evolved and upgraded as consistently as Tezos. With 15 upgrades already under its belt and a 16th on the way, Tezos’ on-chain governance model makes it exceptionally adaptable. It continually incorporates the latest technologies and meets the evolving demands of the industry, ensuring it never gets left behind.

Security

Another critical element of a robust blockchain is its security. Blockchains are currently undergoing groundbreaking technological advancements, and we often see hastily developed projects that lead to failures. The Tezos protocol is crafted in OCaml, a functional programming language known for its “Secure-By-Design” qualities.

Additionally, it employs Michelson as the primary programming language for its smart contracts, which supports formal verification of code — crucial for institutions and other high-security applications.

It’s worth noting that Tezos is open-source and has been rigorously tested over its five-plus years in existence. Lastly, as we mentioned in the previous point, Tezos is getting upgrades more than any other blockchain, these upgrades almost always include improvements to its security which make it even more secure as we move forward.

Scalability

The idea here is simple, If you want to build the digital commonwealth on top of blockchain technology, your blockchain must be able to support the demand. This has been made clear and it’s no wonder most blockchains, new and old, have put their marketing focus on scalability. So how is Tezos doing on that topic?

Well, besides the 1 million transactions per second (TPS) demonstration that we saw last summer, the Tezos core teams have been really hard at work on scalability. The integration of enshrined rollups last year was a significant milestone, and now, with the Data Availability Layer (DAL) included in the upcoming “Paris” protocol upgrade — currently in the on-chain governance voting process — Tezos is truly staying ahead of the curve in decentralized scalability.

Sticking to the Core Values of Crypto

One aspect often overlooked in today’s blockchain industry is the commitment of certain platforms to uphold the foundational principles of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. We frequently observe blockchains compromising on decentralization and censorship resistance — key tenets that originally defined this technology.

In contrast, Tezos continues to honor these essential values as it progresses toward its 16th upgrade. It consistently implements innovations and enhancements in security, scalability, and other critical areas of its ecosystem without forsaking its core principles. As a result, Tezos remains among the most decentralized and inclusive blockchains available. After all, without genuine decentralization and resistance to censorship, one might as well opt for a centralized database.

Additionally, Tezos stands out for its accessibility; with low hardware and stake requirements, it’s one of the most affordable blockchains for validators to join. Furthermore, Tezos’s approach to decentralization extends beyond merely having a large number of nodes and equitable token distribution. It has also been a trailblazer in decentralized decision-making through its on-chain governance system. Tezos is effectively driving progress in the blockchain space, motivated by the right reasons and focusing on what truly matters.

Community

In the topic of blockchain “must-haves” and differentiators, I couldn’t have left out the community. We all understand the importance of community and I have to say the Tezos community is a unique one. A collective full of diverse and passionate people. It is the kind of community that will welcome and support everyone but will not stay passive. It will voice its opinions and it will actively participate in improving the Tezos ecosystem.

Be it developers, artists, gamers, defi users, traders, or simply Tezos enthusiasts, you will find a like-minded sub-community where you will feel at home. I really can’t say enough good things about our community, I’m just super glad I’m part of it.

In wrapping up, if your priorities align with stability and a principled approach to blockchain development, then Tezos is your go-to blockchain. It’s not just about being part of another blockchain community; it’s about engaging with a forward-thinking ecosystem that values progress while sticking to its core principles.

Tezos isn’t just ticking boxes — it’s creating them. Whether you’re a developer, artist, or just a crypto enthusiast, Tezos offers a solid foundation and a vibrant community that’s ready to welcome and grow with you. Join us in shaping a future where technology respects values and where every update is a step towards a better, more decentralized world.

Tezos Ticks All The Boxes was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Adaptive Issuance: Transforming Tezos Staking

Tezos Governance Watch: Paris B Inches Closer

As I reflect on this week’s update for the Baking Sheet, a compelling analogy comes to mind: Tezos' governance mechanism resembles a meticulously crafted clock—each tick a deliberate step, each tock a testament to the Tezos’ relentless pursuit of advancement. Currently, the hands of this clock point towards a critical milestone, the approval of Paris B, a proposal teeming with transformative potential.

Paris B has secured an impressive 99.46% approval rate from the voting participants, yet it stands at a precipice, with participation hovering just above 50%, still short of the required 51.37% quorum. This moment is more than procedural; it’s a measure of the community’s pulse, testing the collective commitment of Tezos' bakers to propel the blockchain forward.

Tezos thrives on its dynamic and inclusive model of governance, a feature that has catalyzed its rapid evolution. This system is built on the active participation of its community, turning each voting phase into a reflection of its democratic ethos.

A Brief Recap of Paris B’s Core Enhancements:

Reduced Block Times: Designed to accelerate transactions and enhance network efficiency without compromising security.

Data Availability Layer (DAL): Increases throughput and scalability, especially for Smart Rollups, by enabling data attestation outside of Layer 1 blocks.

Adaptive Issuance and Staking: Adjusts economic parameters to ensure greater sustainability and bolster security.

Adaptive Slashing: Implements nuanced penalties for protocol violations, aligning penalties more closely with the severity and intent of infractions.

Reflections and Mobilization:

To the Tezos Bakers, your engagement now is more pivotal than ever. Each vote cast is not just a procedural step but a testament to the robustness and vitality of Tezos' democratic foundations. If you have yet to vote, consider this a call to weigh in on a proposal that could shape the blockchain's future.

And to those who have vested their tokens with bakers, this is a crucial time to ensure your voices are heard through the bakers who represent your stakes. Your proactive participation is essential, not just for the passage of Paris B but for the vibrancy of the governance ecosystem itself.

As we inch closer to the decisive threshold, every vote not only counts but speaks volumes. The success or stalling of Paris B will serve as a poignant indicator of the community's readiness to embrace change and innovate at the speed of trust.

This moment in Tezos' journey is a profound one, offering both a test and a testament to the power of collective action in the blockchain world. As subscribers to this narrative, your insight and actions will help script the next chapter of Tezos' ambitious saga. Let's watch closely as this governance cycle unfolds, revealing not just the fate of Paris B, but the character of the Tezos community at large.

As always, you can follow all the governance activity on Tezos Agora.

Tezos Community Engagement: Your Voice Matters

In the spirit of continuous improvement and community-driven progress, the team at Trilitech invites all members of the Tezos community to participate in a Tezos Community Survey. This initiative is a crucial step towards harnessing the collective insights and experiences of Tezos stakeholders to further enhance the ecosystem.

The Tezos ecosystem thrives on the active involvement and feedback of its community, embodying a project powered by its users. The insights gathered from this survey will play a pivotal role in shaping future strategies and innovations within the Tezos ecosystem.

Here's What You Need to Know:

Purpose: The survey aims to collect feedback on recent activities and developments in the Tezos ecosystem.

Anonymity: Your responses will be anonymous, ensuring the freedom to express honest opinions and feedback. However, if you wish to engage further or identify your feedback, there is an option to share your Twitter handle at the end of the survey.

Impact: Your feedback is invaluable. It not only helps identify areas of success but also highlights opportunities for improvement and innovation.

Participate Now: Ready to make your voice heard? Click on the link below to begin the survey. It’s quick and straightforward, designed to respect your time while capturing essential insights.

Start the Tezos Community Survey

This is more than just a survey; it's an opportunity to contribute to the trajectory of Tezos, ensuring it remains a robust, user-centric blockchain ecosystem. Your participation is crucial—let’s shape the future of Tezos together.

Universal Health Token to Introduce Gamified Digital Healthcare to the Tezos Ecosystem

Following a partnership with the Tezos Foundation, the creators of the Universal Health Token have selected Tezos as the blockchain ecosystem of choice for the launch of UHT.

The Force of Good Foundation created UHT in partnership with Animoca Brands-funded healthcare start-up GOQii. With a focus on widespread adoption and interoperability, they envision a collaborative healthcare ecosystem where the token serves as a catalyst for wellness and positive behavioral change.

Initially released in beta on Polygon in October 2023 via the GOQii digital platform, the project is set to transition onto Etherlink - the Tezos-based EVM-compatible L2 network - in the coming months.

About the UHT

UHT focuses on rewarding people for holistically healthy living by gamifying health and rewarding healthy behaviors and lifestyle habits. This includes staying active, eating healthy, sleeping well, meditating, monitoring vitals, interacting with experts, and storing health records.

Conceived as a response to the urgent need for preventive care, UHT aims to combat chronic diseases by incentivizing healthy living through a comprehensive digital ecosystem.

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands and an advisor for UHT, commented:

The Universal Health Token is a project at the confluence of decentralization and preventive healthcare. The integration of gamification in health initiatives represents a pioneering approach to addressing some of the most pressing challenges in global healthcare. We support and share UHT’s vision of leveraging blockchain technology to create immersive digital experiences and achieve meaningful real-world outcomes.

Use cases

A health e-marketplace provided by GOQii is already available for users to spend UHT to purchase health-focused products, services, and digital health solutions.

In addition to the existing relationships with healthcare organizations through the partnership with GOQii, the Force of Good Foundation is working to partner with other healthcare organizations, including hospitals, pharmaceutical and insurance companies, to enable them to reward their users for proactive health management, adherence to treatment plans, and achieving positive outcomes.

Living healthy

As global life expectancy continues to grow and healthcare costs soar, preventative initiatives such as UHT become increasingly important. Preventative initiatives are essential for addressing the underlying factors driving a rise in chronic diseases and healthcare expenditure.

Living a healthy life shouldn’t depend on treating illnesses after they occur. Rather, it should be about proactively managing health and wellness to prevent the onset of diseases - where possible. Projects like the Universal Health Token have the potential to shift the focus of healthcare from reactive to proactive by offering incentives to promote healthy behavior.

Incentivizing healthy choices demonstrates the positive impact that technological progress can have on the well-being of people in their day-to-day lives. The Tezos Foundation is proud to support the pioneering healthy behavior enhancement program of Universal Health Token. – Jean-Frédéric Mognetti, Executive Director at the Tezos Foundation.

To stay up-to-date with this and other news, follow Tezos on Twitter.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Tezos-Focused DeFi Accelerator Program Launches in Singapore

This week, the DeFi ecosystem welcomed a significant new initiative as the DeFi Catalyst Accelerator (DCA) launched in Singapore. Hosted by TZ APAC, this six-week program is designed to foster innovation and growth in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector by supporting startups that are developing on Etherlink and Tezos.

A New Horizon for DeFi Innovators

The accelerator has opened its doors to six teams of early-stage innovators, offering them a unique opportunity to create the next generation of DeFi applications within the Tezos ecosystem. Throughout the program, these participants will receive essential resources, expert mentorship, and the possibility of securing up to $200,000 in funding to bring their innovative ideas to life on Tezos and Etherlink.

Meet the DeFi Innovators:

Plenty: Set to become the first lending and borrowing platform on Etherlink, Plenty aims to evolve into a comprehensive lending and borrowing aggregator for the entire EVM landscape.

Hanji: This on-chain spot exchange built with Solidity focuses on reducing gas costs compared to AMMs (automated market makers). Hanji plans to enhance its offering with features like LP tokens with market-making strategies, embedded wallets for one-click trades, and credit accounts for margin trading.

SaveX: Aiming to redefine remittances and e-commerce payments, SaveX is a non-custodial neobank that ensures high transaction success rates, favorable exchange rates, and low costs in emerging markets. Its integrated wallet supports frictionless stablecoin transactions, offering a seamless alternative to traditional payment systems.

Hashleap: Tailored for Web3 businesses, freelancers, and contractors, Hashleap simplifies cryptocurrency payment management through a blend of on-chain and off-chain tools, facilitating efficient transaction tracking, receipt, and reconciliation.

Rivo: Rivo’s self-custodial AA wallet and one-click yield options across multiple blockchains provide users with a Web2-like investing experience, streamlining the entire DeFi investment process.

StableTech: A Tezos consortium expert in creating foundational DeFi tools such as asset-backed stablecoins (StableTez), decentralized exchanges (TEZEX), and decentralized lending platforms (TezFin).

What’s Next for DCA Participants?

The DCA aims to not only assist these teams in developing functional products but also to connect them with the broader industry to foster partnerships and investment opportunities. With resources to build and iterate on a minimal viable product (MVP), these teams are positioned to collect user feedback and attract potential investors, thus enhancing their trajectories within the dynamic DeFi landscape.

Etherlink: A Platform Built to Connect Ecosystems

Etherlink, a key component of the program, offers an EVM-compatible L2 rollup built on Tezos. It promises lightning-fast transactions, robust censorship resistance, and low fees. The upcoming introduction of a decentralized sequencer and built-in MEV protection further positions Etherlink as a secure and reliable platform for DeFi development.

Tezos Foundation Announces Latest Grantee: Star Symphony

The Tezos Foundation has announced Star Symphony as the latest recipient of its grant program. Developed by Sekai Studio, Star Symphony is a rhythm game that not only entertains but also empowers musicians and artists within the burgeoning creator economy.

A Symphony of Innovation and Community Engagement

Star Symphony has garnered significant attention with over 20,000 registered players and a robust monthly active user base of 4,000. The game's vibrant community has contributed to an impressive catalog of over 100 tracks, showcasing the creative potential and engagement of its user base.

What sets Star Symphony apart is its innovative use of blockchain technology to benefit creators. The game allows musicians and artists to list their music as NFTs, which players can mint directly within the game environment. This model offers creators up to 90% in royalties, providing a substantial income stream and leveraging Tezos’ blockchain capabilities for transparent and efficient transactions.

Collaborative Foundations for Future Growth

The collaboration highlights include partnerships with notable industry figures such as the co-founder of Guitar Hero and the CEO of Team Secret. These collaborations underscore the game’s commitment to quality and its ties to both the gaming and music industries, enhancing its appeal and credibility.

Exploring Star Symphony

For those interested in experiencing this innovative blend of music, gaming, and Tezos tech, more information is available on the official Star Symphony website. Here, visitors can dive deeper into the game's features, explore its community-driven content, and learn how Tezos is powering this unique platform.

Learn more about Star Symphony

This Week in Tezos Development

Octez v19.2 is live | Nomadic Labs

Nomadic Labs has announced the release of Octez v19.2, a significant update designed to enhance the functionality and reliability of the Tezos blockchain, particularly for those involved with Smart Rollups and operating nodes in archive or full history modes.

Key Updates in Octez v19.2:

Enhanced Node Reliability: The update addresses a critical issue in nodes running full or archive history modes. Previously, these nodes could encounter errors while accessing blocks from the cemented store. With v19.2, this problem is resolved, ensuring that blocks can always be retrieved successfully, thereby enhancing the stability and reliability of node operations.

Smart Rollup Improvements: Another crucial fix in v19.2 pertains to the Smart Rollup node. There was an issue where the incorrect computation of Dissections could unfairly cause honest players to lose refutation games. This update corrects that error, fostering a fairer and more secure environment for all participants.

Comprehensive Documentation: For those interested in the specific changes and looking for guidance on updating their systems, a full Changelog and detailed update instructions are available on the version 19 release page.

Read the full Changelog and update instructions.

For further details and discussions around the release of Octez v19.2, community members and developers are encouraged to visit the Tezos Agora forum.

Join the discussion on Tezos Agora

LigoLANG v1.6.0 | Marigold

LigoLANG, a cornerstone in the Tezos development community, is excited to unveil the release of LigoLANG v1.6.0. This latest update marks a significant stride forward, incorporating support for the newly proposed Paris B protocol alongside other key enhancements aimed at improving the developer experience.

Key Features in LigoLANG v1.6.0:

Paris B Protocol Support: In alignment with the ongoing advancements within the Tezos ecosystem, LigoLANG v1.6.0 has upgraded to support the Paris B protocol proposal. This update ensures compatibility with the latest protocol features, paving the way for developers to leverage the enhanced capabilities of Paris B.

Improved Type Distinction: A notable enhancement in v1.6.0 is the refined ability to disambiguate array tuples from lists using typing information. This improvement addresses a common source of confusion in code readability and maintenance, facilitating clearer and more precise programming constructs.

For more detailed information about this specific feature enhancement, developers and interested parties can visit the following link: Learn more about the array tuples vs. lists enhancement

🔴 Now Streaming: Tezos Creator Spotlight | Retro Manni

Join us as we spotlight Retro Manni! Retro Manni joins us to talk about his larger vision for his fascinating Retro Man project and his journey to realizing that vision here in the Tezos ecosystem. Retro Man, for those who might not know, is an ambitious multimedia project encompassing NFTs, an audiobook, and eventually also both a game and a film.

Where to Watch:

YouTube

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Highlighting the STELLAR art event hosted by Victoria West on April 2nd, 2024, in NYC.

The STELLAR exhibition hosted at LUME Studios, an event venue in New York City, brought over 500 artists and enthusiasts to witness an immersive art experience. This was the second consecutive year that Victoria West organized a world-class art event in NYC, powered by Tezos, and it did not disappoint.

The event had an engaging panel discussion with artists and collectors, live performances, and was full of amazing art from talented artists minting on Tezos. It was another testament to all of the talented artists that can be found in the Tezos community.

Highlighted Works

The exhibition included digital art from over 60 artists such as Vendingnfts, OMGiDRAWEDit, Wondermundo, and more.

According to Victoria West, the crowd at the event was quite diverse. She stated that during the event:

At one point, I saw one of the bouncers that work for the venue was over at the tez vending machine with Flexasaurus Rex getting onboarded to Tezos. I think we definitely had some impact outside of our little space.

A notable artist who has minted many works on Tezos, OMGiDRAWEDit, had one of their latest art piece displayed at the event. Beyond the popular Tezzardz PFP collection and Bedroom Nostalgia series, George showcased a similar appeal to his unique style.

There was also some impressive artistic poetry displayed from collectives like TheVERSEverse, including threads that were curated by OBJKT for the event. Check out those threads to see more fantastic works showcased at the STELLAR exhibition.

Panel Discussion

This day-long immersive experience wasn’t only about showcasing art. It was also a deep dive into how web3 reshapes lives, especially for artists.

Aaron Vick steered a compelling panel discussion featuring voices from the Tezos community, including Jen Panepinto (QuantumSpirit), Empress Trash, Leslie Spurlock, Joanne Enders (itsltlthings), and Sunny Sangwan, which also contained a Q&A from attendees. As art from the Tezos community lit up the walls, the conversation veered into the transformative power of web3.

Panelists shared a unified belief: web3 isn’t just changing the game; it’s redefining it. Tezos has emerged as a user-friendly and affordable platform that allows artists worldwide to share their work with the world while breaking traditional barriers to entry. This democratization of art promotes inclusivity, enabling non-traditional artists, poets, and photographers to connect with new collectors and audiences.

Yet, for all its advancements, the panel acknowledged that web3’s journey is far from complete. The goal is to make navigating the blockchain as straightforward as surfing the current web. While there’s concern that web3 could be dismissed as a fringe movement, the panel remained optimistic. The continuous march towards a digital expanse suggests a different outcome.

The overriding hope is that creators alike will see web3 not just as a means to make a living, but as a platform to build communities and forge lasting friendships. STELLAR’s panel underscored a pivotal moment in the art world, where technology and human connection intersect, promising a vibrant, inclusive future.

Live Performances

Attendees were also treated to a performance by Graphite Method, a collaboration between actor and artist Laurence Fuller and actor and poet Vincent D’Onofrio. The duo recited poetry during the event while projections enveloped the studio, creating a visually immersive experience.

Fuller and D’Onofrio’s collaboration, Graphite Method, features poetry that resembles a graphic novel or noir thriller, with recurring characters such as Sheldon, a boy, and Lady Bushwick, an aging woman. These characters appear in a series of poems linked by a plot called “Sparrow.” Their performance included additional poems that contributed to the depth and texture of the show.

I contacted Laurence about how the two famous actors got together and made the collaboration happen and this is what he had to say…

Vincent D’Onofrio and actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Philip Seymour Hoffman have inspired me since my youth. He is known amongst cinema lovers as one of the truest actors of our time. His capacity to transform into different characters and commit to artistic choices with boldness and wild determination has been a compelling and poetic statement that’s rare in the field. Actors like Vincent came to redefine the craft, and he participated at The Lee Strasberg Institute and other such studios.

Working with Vincent D’Onofrio has been a long time in the making. I initially connected with him on Twitter 4–5 years ago, posting about his acting, back when my followers were 100% from the film and art worlds. And he responded. At one point, he posted about one of my first pieces, ‘Garden Of Barnacles,’ originally minted on Opensea, and I wrote to him asking for a collaboration.

I onboarded Vincent to Tezos for the Poetics exhibition I put together in 2022 ~ our first collab was with my friends Henrik Uldalen and Ruben Fro called ‘Flood Of The Soul.’ We worked with FakeWhale on “Reflections Of Ours” about six months later and cross-platforms SuperRare and MakersPlace afterward.

Sparrow came about after the Fable exhibition on SuperRare in NYC last year ~ Sutu approached me with the idea to do a cube, and I’d just met with Vincent about some potential projects we could do. We thought a noir thriller could be a great fit, what started a one year in the making, developing the visuals in tune with the ever-evolving AI tech as well as very personal cinematics. Many of the scenes were built from footage I’d shot around my neighborhood in LA, and the characters were composed of scans of Vincent and me and people in his life.

During the making of it, SPARROW toured NFC Lisbon, Film3 Summit in LA, and most recently, Lume Studios immersive space during NFT NYC.

Not to be left out of the limelight, Andressa Furletti also did an excellent live performance. “Washed Dreams,” created by Andressa, is a multimedia performance that combines video art with live performance, improvisation, and AI technology. It explores renewal, identity, transformation, and self-discovery through a poetic and physically expressive narrative.

I’d like to thank Lauren McDonagh-Pereira for providing the photo above and all the others.

Final Thoughts

It’s safe to say the STELLAR event was a success, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of over 500 artists and fans to witness Tezos-based art, live cinematic poetry readings, and a fascinating panel discussion from artists. The event’s host, Victoria West, certainly surpassed her event from last year with another remarkable showing. This immersive art experience showcased digital works from over 60 artists deeply embedded in the Tezos community, demonstrating the strength of the Tezos art community and the Tezos blockchain that powers them. We at Tezos Commons are proud to support this event, are in awe of how talented the Tezos artistic community is, and cannot wait to see the collaborations that are born out of this event!

Spotlighting Tezos Art In NYC With STELLAR was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Community Rewards — March 2024

Greetings Tezos Community,

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Community Rewards Program (CRP) for March 2024!

For more details about the various categories, please refer to the rewards page on the Tezos Commons website.

The Community Rewards Program is a Tezos Commons Foundation initiative to foster adoption and support the Tezos ecosystem. Up to 5,000 tez are rewarded every month to those who stand out in merit and act in the interest of the Tezos ecosystem.

The nomination form has been drastically streamlined to make it easier for community members to nominate their favorite contributors to the ecosystem. Now containing only three questions, submitting a nomination takes less than 30 seconds.

Don’t have 30 seconds? You can tag any discord message, Reddit post, or tweet with #TezosCRP; we will collect them!

This is the fifth iteration of the program, and we will continue to make changes based on community feedback. Just like the Tezos blockchain, we will be continually evolving this program.

Numerous factors are used when evaluating submissions, such as quality of submissions, quality of activity, number of submissions, and verifiable proof of activity done by the nominee (no single factor is determinative of a winner, as all aspects were weighed to select winners). The judges would like to note that for each category, they are looking for the respective monthly related activity, meaning submissions should reflect activities done for that current month, i.e., activities for February.

Without further delay, here are the results of the winners below.

Assimilation Award

@spike_0124

@TheTezos

@pocobelli

@xtzmyid ​​

@skllzarmy

Drill Sergeant Award

@RichAyotte

Formal Verification Award

@realbaktz

@tezospole

Helping Hand Award

@siftcroix

@libertez_baker

Influencer Award

@mooon640

@tezos_army

@_FirstRain_

Patissier Award

@blockbakery

@BakerIsland1

TEO Award

@YinYangYoeshi

Tez Dev Award

@mknol

@Alisis_official

Tezos Tutor Award

@textrapper

Nominations Are Open For April

With April underway, we have begun accepting nominations for this month. If you know someone who deserves a reward for their contributions or have ideas about other categories that should be recognized, then please fill out a nomination located here, or you can tag a post (or discord message) with #TezosCRP.

As mentioned previously, we are still working on long-term improvements to this program. We know this program is far from perfect, so please bear with us while we strive to keep improving it based on community feedback. Stay tuned, stay creative, and keep nominating!

As a reminder to the reward winners, the awards are all distributed through Kukai and DirectAuth. If you need any help claiming your awards, please message us here.

Tezos Community Rewards — March 2024 was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Adaptive Issuance: Transforming Tezos Staking

Tezos Community Embraces Change: Paris B Wins and Enters Exploration Phase

In a resounding show of preference, the Tezos community has chosen Paris B as the victor in the race for the blockchain's 16th protocol upgrade. This decision ushers in the next crucial phase of Tezos' governance process, the Exploration Phase, where the future of Paris B hangs in the balance, dependent on the collective will of the Tezos Baking community.

A Victory for Paris B

After a highly anticipated voting period, Paris B emerged as the clear favorite, securing its position as the next potential milestone in Tezos' continuous evolution. Garnering a substantial 74.2% of the votes, the community's choice underscores a strong desire for the immediate enhancements and innovations that Paris B promises. This outcome not only marks a pivotal moment in Tezos' history but also reaffirms the community's readiness to embrace change.

The Exploration Phase: A Call to Action

With Paris B's victory, the focus now shifts to the Exploration Phase, a critical juncture where the Tezos Baking community's involvement becomes paramount. During this phase, bakers are called upon to cast their votes in a decisive round that will determine whether Paris B will be implemented on the Tezos blockchain.

To move forward, two key thresholds must be met:

Quorum Requirement: At least 51.37% of the baking community must participate in the vote, ensuring that the decision is representative of the wider community.

Supermajority Approval: A compelling 80% supermajority is required for Paris B's implementation, a testament to the level of consensus needed for such a significant upgrade.

The Significance of Paris B

Paris B stands as a beacon of innovation, offering a suite of enhancements that promise to elevate the Tezos ecosystem. Key features include:

Reduced Block Times: Accelerating transactions and improving overall network efficiency without compromising security.

Data Availability Layer (DAL): Boosting throughput and scalability, particularly for Smart Rollups, by facilitating data attestation outside Layer 1 blocks.

Adaptive Issuance and Staking: Refining Tezos' economic model for greater security and sustainability.

Adaptive Slashing: Introducing nuanced penalties for protocol violations, bolstering network security.

What You Need to Know: Tezos Paris Upgrade

Two Proposals, One Goal: The Paris upgrade presents two proposals, Paris A and Paris B, both aimed at enhancing the Tezos protocol but offering different paths regarding Adaptive Issuance, Staking, and Adaptive Slashing.

Speed and Efficiency: Block times are reduced to 10 seconds, lowering latency and enabling faster finality without sacrificing security or decentralization.

Data Availability Layer Activation: The DAL is activated on Mainnet, significantly boosting the throughput and scalability of Smart Rollups by attesting data outside Layer 1 blocks.

Proof-of-Stake Innovations:

Adaptive Issuance and Staking aim to adjust the economics of Tezos to better fit real-world usage, promoting a more secure and economically sustainable blockchain.

Adaptive Slashing differentiates penalties based on the severity and intent behind protocol violations, enhancing network security.

Participation Options: Paris B includes immediate activation of the new features, while Paris A allows bakers to vote on their activation at a later stage, offering flexibility and community engagement in decision-making.

A United Front

As the Exploration Phase commences, the unity and active participation of the Tezos Baking community will be crucial. This phase is not just about confirming a technical upgrade; it's a testament to the collective will and vision of the Tezos ecosystem. The successful implementation of Paris B could mark a significant leap forward in blockchain technology, showcasing Tezos' commitment to innovation, scalability, and security.

In these pivotal times, the strength and efficiency of the Tezos governance model are once again put to the test. The choice made by the bakers in this Exploration Phase will not only shape the immediate future of the Tezos blockchain but also reinforce its position as a leader in embracing technological advancements and community-driven governance.

As the Tezos community embarks on this decisive phase, the anticipation and support for Paris B reflect the ecosystem's resilience and forward-thinking ethos. The journey towards implementing Paris B is a collective endeavor, underscored by the belief in a more scalable, secure, and innovative Tezos.

Adaptive Issuance: Transforming Tezos Staking and Enhancing Network Security

With the introduction of Adaptive Issuance in the Paris Protocol proposal, the Tezos network is set to undergo a substantial change in how staking rewards are determined and distributed. This adjustment, developed in close collaboration with key Tezos ecosystem stakeholders, aims to address and clarify prevalent questions and confusion regarding its implementation. It's a pivotal shift from the traditional fixed annual issuance rate, designed to optimize the staking economics on the Tezos blockchain by adjusting the reward rate dynamically. This article aims to provide clear insights into Adaptive Issuance, its impact on network security, and the significant updates introduced in the Paris proposal.

Clarifying Adaptive Issuance

Until now, Tezos has operated with a fixed issuance rate of approximately 5% of the total supply annually to incentivize bakers, the network's validators. Although this system has supported network security, it has introduced inefficiencies, particularly in reward redistribution via the delegation system. Adaptive Issuance seeks to rectify this by allowing the network to automatically adjust the reward rate. This adjustment is based on a target ratio of staked tez to the total supply, ensuring that new tez is generated only as needed to maintain an optimal level of network security.

What You Need to Know: Key Points on Adaptive Issuance

Automatic Reward Adjustment: Adaptive Issuance tailors staking rewards to current network needs, increasing them to boost staking when necessary, and reducing them to prevent excess dilution.

Reduction of Inefficiencies: This mechanism aims to streamline reward distribution, making the issuance rate more responsive to the network's actual requirements.

Target Staking Ratio: A set goal of 50% staked tez to total supply enhances network participation and security, with staked funds meeting higher security criteria than under the previous system.

Staker Role Introduction: A novel role allowing tez holders to stake directly, increasing security measures and streamlining reward processes.

Measured Rate Transition: Initially, the Adaptive Issuance rate will vary within a narrow range of 4.5% to 5.5%, gradually expanding over six months to a broader range of 0.25% to 10%, ensuring a smooth transition for the ecosystem.

Focused Penalties: Adaptive Slashing introduces nuanced penalties for protocol violations, enhancing network integrity while ensuring fairness.

Impact and Improvements

Adaptive Issuance's dynamic approach addresses key issues with the fixed rate system by aligning reward distribution more closely with network needs. This adjustment reduces the dilution for tez holders and simplifies reward management for custodians, presenting Tezos as a more practical option for a range of applications, from decentralized finance to digital governance.

Enhancing Security and Liquidity

The mechanism's design, including a staking target of 50% of the tez supply, ensures robust network participation. Unlike the delegated system, where funds are not at risk, Adaptive Issuance mandates staked tez to be actively securing the network. This shift not only elevates the level of security but also maintains sufficient liquidity within the ecosystem.

Paris Proposal Innovations

The Paris proposal introduces critical refinements to Adaptive Issuance:

Smooth Reward Rate Adjustment: Ensures the reward rate range gradually widens, allowing the ecosystem to adapt without sudden changes.

Precision in Penalties: Differentiates between types of protocol violations, protecting network participants from undue losses while deterring harmful activities.

New Participation Dynamics: Redefines ecosystem roles by introducing stakers, enabling direct participation in security without transferring custody of funds, thereby democratizing reward distribution.

Forward Steps

As Tezos moves towards implementing Adaptive Issuance, the involvement and feedback of the community are crucial. Participation in the Weeklynet testnet and engagement with simulation tools will play a significant role in refining this feature. This collaborative effort is essential for adjusting the economic model of the Tezos ecosystem to meet current needs and expectations.

The shift towards Adaptive Issuance signifies a major step in Tezos' development, moving towards a more flexible, efficient, and user-centric blockchain. This mechanism not only aims to enhance network security but also to provide a clearer, more equitable framework for staking rewards.

Engaging with Adaptive Issuance

For Tezos, the journey toward a refined staking mechanism involves the entire community. Through active exploration and constructive feedback, stakeholders can contribute to shaping a feature that promises to redefine the Tezos economic landscape. As the community navigates this transition, the collective effort will further solidify Tezos' position as a sophisticated, secure, and accessible blockchain platform.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

TZ APAC Welcomes Seven Startups to Fortify Labs: A Milestone for Tezos EcosystemTZ APAC announced the induction of seven promising startups into Fortify Labs, its Web3 startup studio focused on the Tezos and Etherlink platforms. This initiative marks a significant step toward enhancing the blockchain ecosystem's growth and diversity.

Fortify Labs: Empowering Startups

Fortify Labs distinguishes itself by offering robust support to startups, linking them with the extensive resources of the global Tezos ecosystem, and facilitating direct collaboration with TZ APAC's team. The selection of startups from sectors such as gaming, NFTs, DeFi, AI, and infrastructure was rigorous, with the final choices standing out due to their technical prowess and potential for impact.

Highlighting the New Startups

Akaswap: Leading NFT marketplace in Asia on Tezos, now venturing into Web3 gaming.

Ladder Protocol: A decentralized AMM akin to "Uniswap for NFTs," focusing on GameFi assets for seamless NFT liquidity.

OnChainVision (OCV) Labs: Innovators on Etherlink, offering an interactive asset builder and utilizing AI for efficient JPEG conversion.

Questflow: An AI-driven platform that simplifies workflow automation, making programming accessible to a broader audience.

Renora: A platform offering non-custodial, automated investment strategies on Tezos, enabling passive asset growth.

TaskOn: Decentralized solution for Web3 tasks, aiming to streamline collaboration and engagement across the community.

YourD: Facilitates the transition to Web3 with decentralized identity verification and crypto payments, focusing on privacy and regulatory compliance.

Driving Growth and Community Engagement

Julian Low, an entrepreneur and mentor at Fortify Labs, shared his excitement about the startups, emphasizing the challenges and rewards of building within the blockchain space and pledging support for their development.

Furthermore, the launch of TZ Apex, a community rewards program, aims to deepen engagement with Tezos-based projects. It promises rewards such as Tez, NFTs, and exclusive merchandise to participants.

TZ APAC's Commitment to the Ecosystem

Through Fortify Labs and TZ Apex, TZ APAC is at the forefront of fostering a vibrant and inclusive blockchain ecosystem. By backing these startups, TZ APAC not only aids in their development but also encourages the broader community to explore and engage with new advancements in blockchain technology, paving the way for a dynamic future in digital solutions.

Tezos Foundation Grants Support to Sugar Gaming for Sugarverse Saga

The Tezos Foundation recently announced its support for Sugar Gaming, a Bulgarian game studio initiated by the founders of XS Software in 2022. This endorsement comes as a strategic grant aimed at fostering the growth of Web3 gaming on the Tezos blockchain through the development of Sugarverse, a series of five games. The first game to debut from this saga is Sugar Match, a Web3 PVP Match-3 mobile game inspired by the successful Match Masters.

Sugarverse: A New Chapter in Web3 Gaming on Tezos

Sugar Gaming's venture, Sugarverse, represents a significant step forward in integrating blockchain technology with mobile gaming, creating a dynamic player experience. By launching Sugar Match, the studio sets the foundation for an engaging series of games on the Tezos blockchain, illustrating the flexibility and adaptability of Tezos for gaming applications.

Engaging Gamers in the Tezos Ecosystem

With the experience of engaging over 60 million gamers from previous projects, Sugar Gaming plans to leverage this audience to introduce them to Web3 gaming on the Tezos blockchain. Through strategic communications like eDMs and in-app notifications, the studio aims to smoothly transition a large user base into the innovative world of blockchain-based gaming, enhancing the Tezos ecosystem's visibility and engagement.

Enhancing Gameplay with Tezos NFTs

An intriguing aspect of the Sugarverse saga is the incorporation of Sugarbear NFTs, which allows for unique in-game enhancements and personalization. These NFTs, tradable within the game, enable players to customize their gameplay strategies in PVP matches, showcasing the Tezos blockchain's capability to support complex and user-engaging NFT functionalities within gaming applications.

Invitation to Explore Sugarverse on Tezos

The grant from the Tezos Foundation to Sugar Gaming underscores the blockchain's commitment to supporting developments that enhance its ecosystem, particularly in the gaming sector. As Sugarverse takes its first steps with the launch of Sugar Match, it opens up new opportunities for gamers and developers alike to explore the benefits of blockchain technology in gaming.

Interested parties and gamers are encouraged to learn more about this exciting venture by visiting the official Sugarverse website: Explore Sugarverse.

This collaboration between the Tezos Foundation and Sugar Gaming highlights the potential of the Tezos blockchain as a robust platform for Web3 gaming, driving forward the integration of blockchain technology in digital entertainment and expanding the reach and capabilities of the Tezos ecosystem.

Unicorn DAO Joins Forces with Tezos Foundation to Expand Artistic Collaborations

Unicorn DAO proudly announces its new partnership with the Tezos Foundation as it joins the Tezos ecosystem. This collaboration marks a significant step towards enriching Unicorn DAO’s vault with a vibrant community of both emerging and established artists. The partnership aims to leverage the Tezos platform’s capabilities to support and showcase creative works through NFTs.

Key Points of the Announcement:

Partnership Goals: Unicorn DAO aims to build its art collection within the Tezos ecosystem, discovering new artists and collecting innovative works along the way.

Community Engagement: Over the next few months, Unicorn DAO will unveil a series of initiatives calling for community involvement to help expand its collection of art.

Artistic and Activist Endeavors: The DAO has already begun identifying notable artists who use their work for activism, similar to co-founder @nadyariot of @pussyriot, who is actively engaged with Tezos and objkt.

Promotion of Clean NFTs: Unicorn DAO is set to promote environmentally friendly NFTs within Tezos’ flourishing artistic ecosystem.

Weekly Artist Highlights: A weekly series will spotlight artists supported by Unicorn DAO, inviting the community to participate by suggesting and showcasing art.

As Unicorn DAO integrates into the Tezos ecosystem, it anticipates becoming a part of a fresh and dynamic environment that supports artistic expression and digital innovation in art collection and curation.

Openpad.io Integrates Tezos Blockchain to Enhance Web3 Project Launchpad

Openpad.io, a prominent IDO launchpad for Web3 projects, is set to elevate its platform by integrating with the Tezos blockchain, in partnership with Kukai Wallet. This integration aims to enhance the efficiency, security, and transparency of decentralized project management. Games developed on Tezos and linked with Openpad will also receive additional marketing support.

Key Highlights of the Integration:

Tezos Blockchain Features: Utilizes Tezos' adaptability, self-amending protocol, and community governance system.

Environmental and Governance Benefits: Employs Tezos' Liquid Proof-of-Stake (LPoS) system, promoting environmental sustainability and broader network participation.

Strategic Collaboration: Games built on Tezos and integrated with Openpad benefit from marketing support, broadening their reach and impact.

Technical Advancements on Openpad:

Deployment on Etherlink: Utilizes Etherlink, a cutting-edge L2 EVM-compatible Smart Rollup built on Tezos, offering sub-second latency and enhanced security features.

Innovative Features: Includes a decentralized sequencer and MEV protection to secure user transactions and ensure equitable operations.

Smart Contracts for Governance: Employs Tezos smart contracts to facilitate decentralized governance, allowing stakeholders to manage projects collaboratively and securely.

Security and Engagement Enhancements:

Document Security: Ensures document integrity and authorship through immutable recording of document hashes on the Tezos blockchain.

Tokenization and Incentives: Leverages the Tezos platform for issuing tokens and rewarding contributors, enhancing user engagement and participation within the ecosystem.

As this integration unfolds, Openpad and Tezos are poised to unlock a new level of collaboration in the Web3 space, setting a benchmark for project management and development on blockchain platforms.

Storm x Tezos

STORM provides consultancy services to support Tezos projects in marketing, legal, BD, and fundraising. Based in Switzerland, they are committed to taking a leading role in the evolution of the blockchain and crypto ecosystem. Check them out here: https://storm.partners

Now Streaming

🔴 Now Streaming: Gaming on Tezos | BattleRise

BattleRise is a fantasy mobile role-playing game (RPG) developed by Triumph Games. Set in a mythical world, EOS, players can participate in turn-based combat with various game modes, such as Dungeon Run, Arena, and Adventure.

Powered by Tezos, BattleRise will eventually leverage the Tezos blockchain for various things, such as trading in-game items like artifacts, weapons, and more.

Where to Watch:

YouTube | X

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How To Easily Airdrop Your Newly Created Token On Tezos

A guide on how to mass-airdrop your new FA2 tokens to multiple Tezos wallets and leveraging community-developed tools, including methods for compiling the wallet list.

We are back with another guide for our Tezos Decentralized Finance (DeFi) series. So far, we’ve gone through how to make your own token, set up a liquidity pool, and get a farm up and running on Tezos. Pretty cool stuff, right? Well, we’re not done yet. This time, we’re looking into something super handy: distributing your token, through airdrops.

In this piece, we’re going to break down the tools and tricks for finding out who holds certain tokens or NFTs, and then show you how to send your tokens over to them in one batch. This isn’t just about getting your token out there; it’s also a neat way to say thanks to the folks who’ve supported your NFTs or other FA2 tokens.

For this guide and as an example, I will be airdropping my DSB token that I created in previous guides to the holders of the Ottez Gen2 NFTs. Ready to get into it? Let’s roll!

Step 1 - Getting the lists of wallets that will be airdropped

To begin, we need the wallet addresses of every individual holding Gen2 Ottez NFTs. To seamlessly get this information, we’ll use the “Fans/Collectors” tool developed by the remarkable NFTBiker. The process is straightforward: we go to the “Fans/Collectors” webpage, we enter the Ottez GEN2 NFT contract address into the designated field, and we hit the “Check” button.

Shortly thereafter, a list displaying all the holders and their corresponding wallet addresses will materialize in the section below. The page should look like as follows:

At this point, we click the “Copy Wallets” button and save them somewhere as we will need them in the next step.

Step 2 - Preparing the airdrop

Alright, now that we’ve got our list of wallets sorted out, let’s dive into the next steps for the airdrop and get into the nitty-gritty. We’re going to pull out another tool from the NFTBiker toolbox, this time it’s the “Giveaway/Airdrop” gadget. Heading over to the tool’s site and connecting our wallet, we’re faced with three blanks to fill out:

First up, we paste in the contract address of the token we’re dropping. If it’s an NFT that you’re airdropping, just drop the URL of that NFT from places like Objkt, Teia, or fx(hash). The tool will fetch the contract address and token ID all by itself.

Next, in the second slot, we’re typing in how much of the good stuff each wallet’s gonna get. Keep in mind, if you’re dropping a token with decimals (just like I am), those extra zeros matter as this field requires you to input the amount in decimals. For example, the token I am airdropping (DSB) has 6 decimals, so to send 100 DSB to each wallet, I will input 100,000,000 (the amount I want to send followed by six zeros) in this field. The decimals of your token were set when you created it. If you set it with 5 decimals, then you add 5 zeros, if you set it with 7 decimals, then you add 7 zeros to the amount you want to send, and so on.

Last but not least, the third box is where we paste our wallet hit list — the one we prepped in Step 1. A heads-up here: if your list has more than 500 wallets, it’s better to break it into smaller parts and airdrop less than 500 wallets at a time so that you don’t hit any storage limits* that would cause the whole batch to fail.

*Tezos, like many other blockchains, has a limit on how much storage and gas you can spend per operation and block so that the network nodes can process transactions and communicate fast enough. Storage costs are related to the size of the data that we store on the Tezos blockchain and the more we store, the higher the fees get.

Once we have filled everything, we click the “Prepare” button and the page should look something like this:

Step 3 - Sending the airdrop

Alright, we’re almost done! Before we proceed, let’s meticulously review all the details one last time — the token contract address, the amount to be distributed, and the list of wallets. If it all checks out, it’s time to adopt our best Oprah impression and press the “Send Tokens” button. This action triggers a confirmation prompt from our wallet, and upon approval, the tokens will be dispatched.

Do keep in mind, that the cost associated with this batch transfer depends on several factors: the type of token you’re sending (such as a simple FA2 token or an NFT), and the number of wallets you’re targeting. For instance, when I executed my DSB token airdrop to a group of 121 Ottez Gen2 holders, the total cost amounted to 2.14 tez.

And there you have it — a step-by-step guide to airdropping your newly minted tokens on Tezos, complete with tools and practical advice to ensure that your token finds its way to the right hands efficiently.

Stay tuned for more insights and guides as we continue to explore the depths of DeFi on Tezos. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates, and feel free to share your thoughts or suggestions for future topics. Happy airdropping!

How to easily airdrop your newly created token on Tezos. was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Month At A Glance — March 2024

A breakdown of the latest happenings and significant milestones within the Tezos ecosystem for March 2024.

Welcome to our latest issue of Month At A Glance, where we give a quick breakdown of the latest happenings and significant milestones in the Tezos ecosystem on a monthly cadence.

March 2024 was another big month, especially for development and adoption, with new developments introduced to the Tezos ecosystem. These developments include the Paris A/B protocol proposals, updates to tzBTC 2.0, advancements in Tezos gaming, and much more.

Let’s break it all down.

Ecosystem Insights

Paris A/B Protocol Proposals

The latest Tezos protocol proposal currently undergoing voting has been introduced.

The Paris protocol proposal, a significant development in the Tezos ecosystem, consists of two proposals, one named Paris A and the other Paris B. Let’s highlight some of the differences and features of each proposal.

Some of the new features are as follows for Paris A:

10-second block time reductions, lowering latency and enabling faster finality without compromising on decentralization.

The Data Availability Layer (DAL) activates on the Tezos mainnet, a foundational step towards ensuring Tezos’ long-term scalability and provides a massive throughput boost for Smart Rollups like Etherlink.

Further PoS refinements, such as shortening the consensus rights delay to 2 cycles.

A signaling mechanism to activate features later proposed in Paris B.

Paris B includes the aforementioned features but also introduces three features that the Tezos community has requested:

Activation of adaptive issuance, a deviation from Tezos’ existing model of issuing new tez.

Introduction of a new role to the economic protocol called “staker”.

Introduction of adaptive slashing, a new economic incentive to prevent misaligned or malicious attacks.

As a whole, these features collectively represent a forward-looking approach, aiming to strengthen the Tezos blockchain’s functionality and appeal to a broader range of users and developers. With the new Paris proposals undergoing voting, be sure to tune in and participate in the discussion on Agora. Also, make sure to get out there and vote!

STELLAR New York 2024

Join us at STELLAR for a transformative art journey, proudly brought to you by Victoria West and sponsored by Tezos Commons. This immersive experience is set to unleash a wave of creativity and innovation, featuring incredible speakers, live minting sessions, electrifying music, and the opportunity to forge connections with both new and familiar faces.

Event Details:

Date: April 2, 2024

Time: From 2 pm to 11 pm EDT

Location: 393 Broadway, Lume Studios, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Registration: Visit the Eventbrite page

Spanning 9 hours, STELLAR is designed to be an art experience like no other, hosted at the iconic 393 Broadway in New York City. Attendees are invited to immerse themselves in a world where art meets technology, fostering connections and sparking conversations in the vibrant Tezos community.

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this incredible moment together. See you there!

More Tezos Gaming Updates

With games like Coinblast, StarSymphony, BattleRise: Kingdom of Champions, Chestnut, and Metapals, we can see Tezos gaming is taking it up a notch. This is evident in another new game support for Tezos, AutoHero.

Developed by Bombus Studio, Auto Hero is an automatic-shooting 2D platformer game. It also features role-playing (RPG) mechanics, such as the ability to select heroes like Hank, Barry, Dracula, and more.

The game’s objective is clear: shoot as many enemies as possible without dying. It features three different modes, and there are a few options, such as “Endless” or “Tower” if you get tired of playing the campaign mode.

If you play the campaign mode, you must complete 30 rooms to complete each campaign. The first campaign revolves around Woodland Realm and is certainly meant to be easier to help you learn how to play the game. I finished it quite quickly.

One thing that comes up as a strategizing aspect of the game is how you choose your “perks”. Perks in the game represent unique abilities that help you gain an edge as the rooms progress in intensity/difficulty. The strategy that overwhelmingly worked for me was to get as many “double shot” and “ATK up” as I could.

Eventually, enemies became super easy to kill, which is essential as there is a boss room where you’ll need as much of an edge as possible. As for how often these perks drop, they typically come after every 2 or 3 rooms you complete. So, choosing them wisely and strategizing is key to completing these campaigns.

One of the more novel features is the ability to fuse and upgrade items. This is where Tezos comes in. As mentioned in a tweet from the Tezos Foundation, “these actions will transition into on-chain transactions once they are converted into NFTs.”

You can play the game on your Android or iOS device if you haven’t already done so.

News From The Tezos Ecosystem: Quick Bits

Tezos presence at NFT Paris

Teams from Nomadic Labs and Trilitech brought Tezos to builders and partners in one of the world’s leading NFT events. Check out the full recap post here for highlights from the event.

Baanx raises $20M Series A led by Tezos Foundation and Chiron

The investment round, including Tezos Foundation, Chiron, and British Business Bank, brings the crypto payment enabler’s total funding to over $30 million. Learn more about the raise here.

SIWT gets a grant from Tezos Foundation

As an open-source initiative, SIWT is on a mission to transform online user authentication. In collaboration with Kukai Wallet, they’re crafting a TZIP for foolproof message signing. Read more about the grant details here.

Oxalus secures a grant from Tezos Foundation

Oxalus, creators of the hit game Auto Hero, has received a grant from the Tezos Foundation to evolve the game into a Web3 experience on the @Tezos blockchain. Auto Hero, a successful side-scrolling 2D platformer with automatic shooting, will integrate its in-game items as NFTs, allowing players to fuse and upgrade items through on-chain transactions.

Tezos Foundation gives a February community update

Check out the monthly update here.

Blockscout secures a grant from Tezos Foundation

Blockscout offers a full-featured explorer option for all EVM-based chains, supporting mainnets, optimistic, and ZK rollups. They’ve already built a testnet explorer for Etherlink. Check out more details for the grant here.

Tesserart is launching soon!

Tesserart is an innovative platform aimed at revolutionizing the way art is experienced by integrating live minting. It facilitates the real-time creation, authentication, and collection of digital art as NFTs, thereby connecting artists directly with their audience in both online and physical spaces. Launching in April, head over to their site to learn more.

Tezos Foundation announces personnel updates

The Tezos Foundation Council announced the addition of Fleur Pellerin, former French Minister for SME, Innovation, and the Digital Economy, as a new council member, bringing her expertise in the start-up and digital economy sectors. Simultaneously, the council expressed gratitude towards departing members Anil Madhavapeddy and Alice Lloyd George for their years of service, noting their contributions to the foundation’s governance model and community innovations.

Events

Tuesday TezDay w Lyzi— March 5th

Justin Bons Interview w Arthur Breitman — March 7th

Tuesday TezDay w AkaSwap — March 12th

TezTalks Live #84: TZ APAC

Tuesday TezDay Community Call — March 19th

TezTalks Live #85: Lyzi

Tezos AMA w Arthur Breitman and Nomadic Labs — March 20th

TezTalks Radio w Victoria West — March 25th

Tezos Discord Community Call — March 26th

Tuesday TezDay Community Call — March 26th

Community Rewards Program

The Community Rewards Program (CRP) is a Tezos Commons Foundation initiative to foster adoption and support the Tezos ecosystem. Every month, up to 5,000 tez are rewarded to those who stand out in merit and act in the interest of the Tezos ecosystem as a whole.

The nomination form has been drastically streamlined to make it easier for community members to nominate their favorite contributors to the ecosystem. Now containing only three questions, submitting a nomination takes less than 30 seconds.

Don’t have 30 seconds? You can tag any discord message or tweet with #TezosCRP; we will collect them!

The categories and nomination standards have remained the same. For more information, head over to the refreshed landing page here. We’ve also announced February 2024 winners, so be sure to check out the recap on that here.

About Tezos Commons Foundation

Tezos Commons is a non-profit organization emphasizing building communities on Tezos and supporting the Tezos ecosystem and its members. Through organizing several community-focused events, hosting infrastructure, and funding small projects, Tezos Commons has been actively contributing towards building communities on Tezos.

Learn more about Tezos Commons. Are you interested in becoming a Tezos SuperFan and hosting events? Click here and begin your journey.

Stay in the Conversation, Stay in the Know

Tezos Commons hosts a variety of community-oriented events and content. You can keep up to date below and visit our events page!

TezTalks Live

TezTalks Radio

X Spaces

X Shorts

The Blockchain Evolved Show

Baking Sheet Newsletter

Tezos Bulletin

In-Depth Articles

You can also contact us on X or via email at social@tezoscommons.org.

Month At A Glance — March 2024 was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A Love Letter to Tezos Governance

Tezos Advances with Paris Protocol Upgrade: Paris B Takes the Lead

In the dynamic world of Tezos, a blockchain network revered for its innovative approach to protocol upgrades, the latest development has the community buzzing with anticipation. Currently, the network is in the throes of deciding on its 16th protocol upgrade, known as the Paris protocol, which is presented in two variations: Paris A and Paris B. With just two days left in the voting process, Paris B is leading the charge, commanding a significant 74.2% of votes. This preference by the Tezos community underscores a strong inclination towards the immediate enhancements proposed by Paris B.

Acknowledgements and Engagements

Meet us at Tezos Agora

At this critical juncture, it's pivotal to acknowledge the role of bakers (validators) who have actively participated in the voting process. A special shoutout goes to Everstake, among others, for their involvement and support in shaping the future of the Tezos network. Their participation not only influences the outcome of the Paris protocol upgrade but also exemplifies the robust governance model that Tezos prides itself on.

To stay updated on the voting activity and for an in-depth exploration of the Paris protocol proposals, the community, and interested observers are encouraged to visit Tezos Agora. This platform serves as a comprehensive resource for all things related to Tezos governance and protocol upgrades.

The Importance of Active Participation

As the voting period draws to a close, there's a call to action for all Tezos bakers to continue casting their votes. Your participation is more than a vote; it's a testament to the strength and efficiency of the Tezos governance model. Through active involvement, the community can ensure that the Tezos blockchain remains at the forefront of innovation, efficiency, and scalability.

What You Need to Know: Tezos Paris Upgrade

Two Proposals, One Goal: The Paris upgrade presents two proposals, Paris A and Paris B, both aimed at enhancing the Tezos protocol but offering different paths regarding Adaptive Issuance, Staking, and Adaptive Slashing.

Speed and Efficiency: Block times are reduced to 10 seconds, lowering latency and enabling faster finality without sacrificing security or decentralization.

Data Availability Layer Activation: The DAL is activated on Mainnet, significantly boosting the throughput and scalability of Smart Rollups by attesting data outside Layer 1 blocks.

Proof-of-Stake Innovations:

Adaptive Issuance and Staking aim to adjust the economics of Tezos to better fit real-world usage, promoting a more secure and economically sustainable blockchain.

Adaptive Slashing differentiates penalties based on the severity and intent behind protocol violations, enhancing network security.

Participation Options: Paris B includes immediate activation of the new features, while Paris A allows bakers to vote on their activation at a later stage, offering flexibility and community engagement in decision-making.

Paris B: Embracing Change

Paris B proposes an immediate activation of Adaptive Issuance, Staking, and Adaptive Slashing upon the protocol's implementation. This approach aims to swiftly introduce significant changes within the network's economic and security models, setting the stage for an enhanced blockchain ecosystem.

The favorability towards Paris B signals a community ready to embrace new features and advancements without delay, showcasing the proactive and forward-thinking nature of the Tezos community.

As Tezos stands on the brink of another major upgrade, the collective decision on the Paris protocol will pave the way for future innovations. Whether the community leans towards the comprehensive enhancements of Paris B or opts for a more gradual approach with Paris A, the outcome will reflect the shared vision and collaborative spirit of the Tezos ecosystem.

In these final days of voting, let us rally together to demonstrate the strength and capability of the Tezos governance model. Your vote not only shapes the immediate future of Tezos but also reinforces the network's position as a leader in blockchain innovation, scalability, and security.

A Love Letter to Tezos Governance

It's almost surreal, sitting here, witnessing the heartbeat of Tezos as it quickens with the anticipation of the Paris protocol upgrade. The air is thick with the essence of change, and I can't help but marvel at how we're all part of this monumental shift.

I've been following the voting on Tezos Agora, almost religiously, and the engagement is nothing short of inspiring. The dedication, the fervor—it's palpable. And it's not just the numbers that have me riveted; it's the names behind those numbers. The active Baker participation speaks volumes, reminding us of the collective power we wield within this ecosystem.

There's a beauty in this process, a sort of raw, unfiltered democracy at play that feels almost revolutionary. Tezos isn't just another blockchain; it's a living, breathing entity, evolving with every vote, and every decision we make together. Paris is at the forefront now, a beacon of immediate action and adaptation, reflecting our collective hunger for progress, for efficiency, and, dare I say, for a bit of blockchain audacity.

But this isn't just about Paris A or B or the allure of swift enhancements. No, it's about us—bakers, stakeholders, enthusiasts—all dancing to the rhythm of governance that Tezos orchestrates so masterfully. It's about the strength of a model that doesn't just propose changes but envelops its community in the very fabric of decision-making.

As the clock ticks down, I find myself musing over the potency of our votes, of our voices in this grand experiment of decentralized governance. We're not just voting; we're sculpting the very essence of what Tezos stands to become. It's a powerful reminder of our role in this dynamic ecosystem, and of the responsibility that comes with our participation.

This moment, this precipice on which we stand as the Paris protocol unfolds, is a testament to the journey of Tezos. It's a story of evolution, of a relentless quest for improvement that we're all authoring together. Paris, with its promise of Adaptive Issuance, Staking, and Adaptive Slashing, isn't just a proposal; it's a leap towards redefining what our blockchain can be.

So, as I jot down these thoughts, caught in the whirlwind of anticipation, excitement, and a bit of awe, I can't help but feel grateful. Grateful to be part of this community, this movement, and this moment in time where we stand on the brink of something truly extraordinary.

To my fellow bakers, to the tireless contributors, to every single soul invested in the future of Tezos—let's keep this momentum. Our votes are more than just a tick on a ballot; they're the very heartbeat of Tezos, pulsating with the promise of what's to come.

As we edge closer to the conclusion of this voting period, let's embrace the strength of our governance model, the power of our collective voice, and the boundless potential of Tezos.

With anticipation and a heart full of Tezos dreams,

A Tezos Enthusiast

STELLAR: An Immersive Art Experience, powered by Tezos and the Community

As the evening sky darkened over Brooklyn, Lume Studios welcomed attendees to STELLAR, an event that promised to blend art and technology in new, exciting ways. Powered by the Tezos blockchain, the night was set to unfold as a celebration of digital creativity and community.

Inside, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. The event kicked off with live minting sessions, showcasing artists like Laurence Fuller, Graphite Method, and Andressa Furletti. Their process of creating art in real-time was not just a display of talent but an invitation into the nuanced world of digital artistry.

Laurence Fuller's performance, alongside Vincent D’Onofrio, stood out as a highlight. Fuller described it as a "communal spiritual experience," a perfect echo of my feelings. Their collaboration transcended the traditional artist-audience divide, creating a shared, immersive experience.

Sasha Stiles' expression of pride in seeing the community and artwork come together reflected the essence of STELLAR—connection. The event wasn't just about showcasing individual achievements but celebrating the collective creativity fostered by the Tezos ecosystem.

The panel discussion, featuring insightful figures like Aaron Vick and Leslie A. Spurlock, shifted the focus to the broader implications of blockchain on art. Their conversation offered a deeper understanding of how technology is reshaping artistic expression and engagement.

As the night concluded with Guido Corleone's set, the vibrant energy of STELLAR confirmed it as more than just an event. It was a vivid demonstration of how art and technology can come together to create unforgettable experiences.

Leaving Lume Studios, I felt enriched by the shared enthusiasm for the future of digital art. STELLAR proved to be a night where art was not just observed but actively experienced, marking a memorable moment for the Tezos art community.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Vote for Tezos as the #1 Layer 1 solution in the 2024 Blockchain Life Awards!

Vote here: https://voting.blockchain-life.com/

Tesserart Integrates Tezos NFTs into the Farcaster Ecosystem

Tesserart is set to release a new tool on the Tezos blockchain, aimed at changing the landscape of digital and physical art. This innovation offers live artwork minting and exclusive events, altering the process of art creation, collection, and appreciation.

Features and Opportunities

Art Access Portal: Tesserart enables direct access to art through multiple storefronts and embedded frames via the Farcaster protocol. Collaborations with warpcast.com and Objkt.com expand the platform's reach, blending digital art with physical installations.

Tools for Creativity and Collection: Tesserart focuses on bridging the gap between artists, creators, and collectors by facilitating live minting and integrating creative tools with existing platforms.

Ease of Use and Accessibility: The platform simplifies the entry process, allowing users to use familiar social media logins for wallet setups, broadening its accessibility.

Launch and Beta Participation

With the forthcoming release of Tesserart's tool for live minting, the platform invites interested users to join the beta version. This follows a successful preliminary phase highlighted by the minting of over 4,000 pieces, indicating a strong market interest.

Technical and Community Developments

Tesserart is addressing challenges such as the current lack of EVM support on Tezos and is engaging with the community for feedback to improve the platform continually.

About Tesserart

Tesserart aims to simplify the digital art experience with a suite of tools and innovations for artists, collectors, and event creators. It strives to enhance user experience with a focus on accessibility and flexibility.

For more information and updates, visit Tesserart’s website and Warpcast. Tesserart encourages the digital art community to explore and contribute towards a dynamic future for digital art.

Tezos Foundation Revamps Grant Application Process

The Tezos Foundation has announced updates to its grant application process, aimed at fostering innovation and supporting the Tezos ecosystem more effectively. These changes are based on community feedback and are designed to streamline the application experience, improve the success rate of proposals, and ensure targeted support for projects that contribute to the ecosystem's growth.

Key Updates Include:

Introduction of Educational Tools: To assist applicants in presenting their projects effectively, the Foundation is now offering educational resources. This initiative addresses the previously low success rate of grant applications—only 8% were successful last year—by providing the necessary tools to improve application quality.

Shift in Investment Proposal Strategy:

The call for investment proposals has been discontinued due to low success rates.

Going forward, the Tezos Foundation and adoption teams will proactively seek and initiate investment opportunities, aiming for strategic ecosystem growth.

Transition to Quarterly Review Cycles:

The grant program will move from an always-open application process to a quarterly review cycle. This change is intended to offer more focused support to projects.

Applications are still accepted at any time, but the review and decision-making process will occur quarterly.

The Foundation Encourages:

Continued Submissions: Community members are encouraged to keep submitting their applications, leveraging the new educational tools for better presentation.

Engagement and Queries: For any questions or further information, the community is urged to reach out to the Foundation.

Further Information:

Detailed updates and additional resources can be found on the Tezos Foundation's website.

These modifications to the grant process are part of the Tezos Foundation's ongoing efforts to support the Tezos community effectively and to ensure the long-term success and innovation within the Tezos ecosystem.

With that being said, let’s break down the latest grantees for Q1 2024:

theVERSEverse

Revolutionizing language art in the Web3 space by collaborating with poets and artists.

Grant supports ongoing Tezos projects like POESÍA DE PROTESTA, POEME OBJKT/SBJKT, and partnerships with the Allen Ginsberg Estate.

PK Lab

A blockchain software development company focused on enhancing the digital space.

Grant aimed at improving the bridging infrastructure for Tezos Smart Rollups, including a simulated bridge environment for testing.

Layer3

Supports Web3 projects with user acquisition and retention through interactive experiences.

Grant for collaborating on Etherlink's launch, a 10-month campaign featuring quests and streaks for an EVM-compatible rollup on Tezos.

Auto Hero, Oxalus (Bombus Studio)

A popular side-scrolling 2D platformer with significant downloads and revenue.

Grant supports transitioning Auto Hero to a Web3 edition on Tezos, leveraging the game's existing popularity.

SIWT

An open-source project aimed at revolutionizing online user authentication.

Grant funds development of a TZIP for secure message signing with Kukai Wallet, adherence to Chain Agnostic Standards, and a proof-of-concept for an OpenID Connect bridge on Tezos Agora.

Blockscout

An open-source block explorer supporting over 800 networks across EVM ecosystems.

Grant supports the infrastructure for Etherlink, providing a full-featured explorer for EVM-based chains on Tezos.

Now Streaming

🔴 Now Streaming: TezTalks Radio featuring Victoria West

Join us on this episode of TezTalks Radio as we dive into the world of art on the blockchain with our guest, Victoria West, a prominent artist on Tezos. Victoria opens up about her journey in the digital art space, discussing the opportunities of creating on Tezos.

Where to Watch/Listen:

Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music | YouTube | X

Powered by beehiiv

Damien Patureaux, CEO and Co-Founder of Lyzi on how this Tezos-powered crypto payment platform is progressing in 2024.

Talk to anyone who isn’t already embedded in the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology about this space, and it’s a pretty safe bet that the question “but what can you do with it?” will come up within the first ten minutes. Answering this pesky question without explaining the ongoing shift toward an increasingly digital world, the enormous part Web 3.0 will play in that shift, and the massive impact this shift will have (and is already having) on our everyday lives, has been a tall task at the best of times.

As armies of creators, builders, founders, and developers continue bolstering the infrastructure of the larger blockchain ecosystem, smoothing out its speed bumps, and releasing evermore accessible/useful tools and applications, however, such questions can be expected to fall by the wayside one by one in the months and years ahead.

When it comes to making cryptocurrency a sustainably viable alternative to fiat currencies and crushing the “but what can you do with it” narrative forever, however, there is one problematic bottleneck in the system that stands out from all the others: the problem of enabling those who hold crypto to spend it in the real world.

Cryptocurrency was originally envisioned as an alternative to traditional or “fiat” currencies. The need to utilize cumbersome off-ramping processes to spend cryptocurrency has held these promising technologies back from reaching their promise and given detractors far too easy a target to point at when deriding their utility.

Enter: Lyzi.

While many retail crypto payment platforms have been rolled out across the larger blockchain space to varying degrees of success, none have yet managed to make paying for real-world purchases with cryptocurrency truly viable. Cracking this seemingly simple but extremely complex problem, has confounded the sharpest minds in the blockchain sphere for some years now.

But, according to Lyzi CEO and Co-Founder Damien Patureaux, a practical solution is not only in the works but already up and running in Western Europe…

“Lyzi is a crypto payment hub connecting brands with Web 3.0 users who hold crypto on a fully-regulated platform. We are mainly based in France because this is where we are from and this is where everything began for Lyzi, but we are currently developing and accelerating in other countries in Europe.”

Built right here in the Tezos ecosystem, the Lyzi team has been hard at work building connections with France’s largest retail entities and brands to help them offer seamless crypto transactions to the masses on a fully-regulated and secure crypto spending platform.

Available on both The App Store and Google Play, the Lyzi app offers users seamless retail purchases directly through their cryptocurrency wallets. It is enabled to transact using more than 70 cryptocurrencies and is currently accepted by 1500+ brands worldwide.

Damien Patureaux says that the Lyzi team’s decision to realize their vision in the Tezos ecosystem was one made thoughtfully, and with a couple of very important factors in mind…

“When you talk about the payments use case, it’s the start of pretty much everything. When you read the Bitcoin whitepaper, the only thing is peer-to-peer payment. This is what it should be. What’s important for us, because we’re dealing with real people in real life, is to have technology that will be as scalable as possible and as cheap as possible.

Payments are so challenging. With tap-and-pay on your cell phone, these things take just a second. It’s really challenging to build something that works that easily for the end user and for the brand. In order to do so, we need to have the best technology, and we believe that Tezos has strong technology that is fully decentralized. The second thing that is very important is that in Europe, Tezos is powerful as a corporate ecosystem. That was very important in getting brands and gaining traction with big European corporations. They know they need a plug-and-play product like ours, and with Tezos, the story they need to hear to get involved is very easy to write.

Those are the two main reasons we picked the Tezos blockchain, but of course Tezos was also the first blockchain that showed a lot of confidence in our product and helped us develop it.”

In its quest to grow Lyzi’s adoption in the region, however, writing a great story that brands and retailers can get on board with is only part of the journey. Driving adoption of the Lyzi app and getting consumers involved is equally important — if not more so. To that end, the Lyzi team has included a robust incentive structure for users willing to use Lyzi for their retail purchases driven by their “Lyzi Token” something Damien spoke about during his recent appearance on TezTalks Live…

“The Lyzi Token has different utilities and use cases. Many of these are based on bringing more users to the platform through cash back incentives. When you make a purchase using Lyzi, you get cash back in the form of Lyzi tokens. It’s also used for loyalty incentives. What’s important for us is to generate usage, because brands are looking for usage. Our mission is to drive adoption, and to drive adoption you need to find the right way to incentivize people to use the platform. The token can be used for retail purchases, but it can be used for DeFi as well, just as one example. It has many different utilities.”

With all of this in place, the Lyzi team has managed to make significant headway in several Western European markets. However, their vision for Lyzi’s rollout is a much larger one. While European countries like France, Belgium, and Spain are important markets and effective proving grounds for Lyzi’s technology and go-to-market strategy, only a truly global plan for driving adoption will truly allow Lyzi to reach its tremendous promise…

“In one year we have signed more than 1,000 shops that now accept crypto payments in France, Belgium, and Spain. That’s without making a lot of business development effort. We were mainly focused on indirect integrations based on PSPs and POS system integrations because those are keys in the model we are building. When you go and see a Target Center in the US, for example, and you want to deploy crypto payments in their legacy cashier system, you have to be integrated before even talking to them.

The strategy for us is to push towards all those types of integrations to make it as easy as possible when we deal with them. When we go see a brand, we are already integrated with their POS system or hardware payment terminal. That makes it a lot easier when we deal with their IT. It’s just plug-and-play. You activate the toggle, we do the KYC, and that’s it, it’s done. You can accept crypto payments.

The next step is to build something more global. We are mainly based in the European market — mainly France, Belgium, and Spain, but we want to expand worldwide.”

As the Tezos ecosystem continues its relentless march toward mass adoption, finding effective bridges between cryptocurrency value and the real-world markets where that value can be put to use will be an increasingly crucial endeavor. And, with folks like Damien Patureaux and the Lyzi team leading the global charge, it’s good to know that the Tezos ecosystem has claimed a spot on the bleeding edge of this crucial task, just as it has with so many others. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Lyzi’s journey toward global adoption, and can’t wait to see where all of this leads!

Tezos Goes Shopping: Exploring Crypto Payment Platform Lyzi With Damien Patureaux was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

What is a “token standard’? What are the different token standards on Tezos? Let’s have a quick look!

At some point in your crypto journey, you’ve probably bumped into terms like ERC20, FA1.2, FA2, BRC20, TRC20, and the list goes on. These are all different types of “Token Standards”, and they’re a big deal in the land of smart contracts. Actually, most (if not all) blockchains with smart contracts have their own version of token standards.

Feeling a bit lost? No worries, you’re in the right spot. This article is all about breaking down what token standards are all about, especially focusing on the ones used by Tezos. Let’s kick things off by figuring out why token standards are such a big deal in the first place.

What Are Token Standards?

A token standard defines an interface along with a set of rules that a smart contract must adhere to for the token to function within the blockchain ecosystem. These standards are pivotal for ensuring compatibility across various platforms, such as decentralized exchanges and digital wallets, thereby facilitating a consistent and secure transactional environment. By defining methods for token transfer and keeping track of these transactions, token standards streamline the creation and management of digital assets, making them accessible to a broader audience.

Imagine a token standard as the rulebook for a sports game, say, football or for my North American friends, soccer. Just as every soccer game needs to follow specific rules to ensure all players know how to play and what’s expected, a token standard does the same and sets the ground rules for digital tokens so that they can play nicely in the blockchain world. This rulebook tells tokens how to move around the field (the blockchain) in terms of what is allowed and what isn’t and thereby making sure they can pass between players (wallets and exchanges) smoothly without any mix-ups.

These rules are super important because they make sure every token, no matter who created it, can work together with all the other parts of the blockchain ecosystem. By laying down the rules for how tokens can be passed around and keeping score of who owns what, token standards help everyone — developers, users, and services — stay on the same page thereby making it easier for more people to join in the game. In the context of Tezos, these guiding principles are embodied in what are known as Financial Applications (FA) standards. Let’s look into these standards more closely to understand their significance and functionality.

FA1.2: Laying the Foundation

The FA1.2 standard is the first token standard created on Tezos and acts much like a blueprint for building and managing digital currency within the Tezos blockchain environment. Imagine it as the initial set of instructions for crafting uniform, interchangeable digital coins — similar to how the ERC-20 standard works for Ethereum.

This blueprint focuses on setting up a detailed ledger, akin to a vast, digital ledger book, which meticulously tracks the ownership and distribution of these digital coins. It ensures every transaction, whether it’s moving coins or tokens from one digital wallet to another or granting someone permission to spend coins or tokens on your behalf, is recorded and executed according to the rules.

This standard was pivotal in establishing a reliable system for tracking digital assets, serving as the groundwork for more sophisticated forms of digital assets and interactions that could be built on top of Tezos. FA1.2 was the essential first step, paving the way for future innovations and more complex token standards that further enrich the Tezos ecosystem. For more information on the FA1.2 standard, you can check out the Tezos Improvement Proposal 7 (TZIP-7).

FA2: A Unified Approach to Token Standards

Building on the foundation laid by FA1.2, the FA2 standard, introduces a comprehensive framework capable of supporting various token types:

Fungible tokens, for assets that are identical and interchangeable

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), for unique, indivisible assets

Non-transferable tokens, representing rights or memberships that cannot be traded

Multi-asset contracts, enabling the management of diverse assets within a single contract

FA2’s versatility lies in its ability to accommodate a wide range of use cases, from digital art to real estate, through a unified standard. It not only simplifies the development process but also enhances interoperability across services and applications within the Tezos ecosystem. More info on the FA2 standard can be found in the Tezos Improvement Proposal - 12 (TZIP-12).

Moving Forward: The Evolution to FA2.1 and Beyond

Moving forward, the exploration of token standards in Tezos does not stop at FA1.2 and FA2. As the Tezos blockchain space continues to evolve, so too will the standards that support it. Currently, there are already ongoing discussions and development for the FA2.1 standard.

The FA2.1 extension aims to integrate additional protocol functionalities while ensuring complete compatibility with existing applications that use the FA2 standard. Some of the new features discussed to be added are:

“Events” that provide a solution for the discoverability challenges faced by indexers, enabling them to detect when a token is transferred, particularly when it occurs outside the defined transfer entry point (such as minting, burning, etc.).

“On-chain views” that facilitate the seamless sharing of information between smart contracts. For the sake of maintaining compatibility with contracts already in operation, callback views are preserved.

“Tickets” which offer a method for representing tokens externally from smart contracts, allowing their transfer without necessitating a call to the originating contract or altering its state. In the context of Tezos rollups, tickets are utilized to represent Layer 1 assets within Layer 2 environments (i.e. Etherlink).

Moreover, the concept of a “finite allowance” is introduced, allowing a user to authorize the expenditure of a specified amount of tokens, a feature inspired by the FA1.2 standard.

To follow or join the discussion, check out the Tezos Agora thread about the FA2.1 token standard or visit the Tezos Improvement Proposal - 26 (TZIP-26).

A little birdie also told me that in addition to FA2.1, there might be a new token standard featuring dynamic metadata very soon. In my opinion, this development is significant enough to warrant a detailed discussion in its own dedicated article so keep an eye out for more information coming very soon!

Wrapping up our chat about Tezos and its token standards, it’s clear we’re on a great path with FA1.2, FA2, and the excitement around FA2.1. This stuff might seem a bit technical or niche, but it’s actually a big deal for the builders who create the projects that we all use and anyone interested in how digital tokens and blockchain technology are evolving. If you are interested in more details about Tezos token standards you can check out OpenTezos and the Tezos Documentation which were also part of my sources.

These developments allow for better security, interoperability, and new features to be introduced and ultimately improve the user experience. The community around Tezos is really putting in the work, diving into discussions, and developing new ideas to make these token standards even better.

In short, keep an eye on Tezos. Whether you’re in it for the tech, the community, or just curious about where digital currencies are headed, there’s plenty to get excited about. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be part of the next big breakthrough in how we use, manage, and think about digital tokens.

Navigating Tezos Token Standards: FA1.2, FA2, and Beyond! was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Faster, Higher, Stronger: The Paris Protocol Upgrade for Tezos

This Easter, Tezos is taking the traditional egg hunt to a whole new level, merging the worlds of blockchain and digital art in a uniquely and excitingly way. Participants are invited to embark on a virtual quest filled with challenges and the promise of rewarding discoveries with over 2300 tez in value.

The Mission: Crack the Code, Follow the Trail

The quest begins with a simple, yet engaging task: participants must like, retweet the announcement post, and follow Tezos on X. The real challenge, however, lies in cracking the code hidden within a specially designed video. This code leads to an easter egg—an entry point into the deeper layers of the quest.

The journey doesn’t end with finding the easter egg. Adventurers must then figure out where the quest takes them and complete the tasks laid out. It’s a test of wit, perseverance, and digital savvy, with the added excitement of the unknown. What lies at the end of the quest? Only those who venture forth can discover.

The Treasure: Digital Art and Tez Galore

The rewards for completing the quest are as diverse as they are valuable. In collaboration with leading digital artists and creators, Tezos has curated a collection of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to be won:

Artworks by @gengoya_club, valued at 1000 tez, offer a unique blend of traditional and digital artistry.

@uczine brings storytelling and digital craftsmanship together in pieces worth 500 tez.

@omgidrawedit, known for their vibrant and whimsical style, has contributed art worth 200 tez.

@neurocolor’s pieces, valued at 150 tez, explore the intersection of art and technology.

@Poppel20 and @gammatrace_ have also joined the fray with pieces worth 110 and 100 tez, respectively.

In addition to these art pieces, participants have the chance to win over 250 tez, adding a direct cryptocurrency reward to the mix.

The Deadline: A Race Against Time

The clock is ticking, with the contest closing on April 2 at 11:59 UTC. Time is of the essence, and those wishing to claim their share of the treasure must act swiftly!

Faster, Higher, Stronger: The Paris Protocol Upgrade for Tezos

Tezos has been on a consistent journey of evolution and improvement, marked by significant protocol upgrades that have progressively enhanced its blockchain ecosystem. The latest in this series of upgrades is the eagerly anticipated Paris protocol, comprising two proposals: Paris A and Paris B. Announced by Nomadic Labs in collaboration with Marigold, TriliTech, and Functori, this upgrade follows the successful activation of the Oxford 2 protocol. Here, we delve into the details of the Paris upgrade, highlighting its major updates, improvements, and the strategic choices it presents to the Tezos community.

The Essence of Paris: A Leap Towards Efficiency and Scalability

The Paris protocol upgrade is distinguished by its ambitious aim to lower latency and achieve faster finality with a 10-second block time, without compromising decentralization or security. This improvement is a continuation of Tezos' commitment to enhancing network performance, as seen in previous upgrades like the adoption of the Tenderbake consensus algorithm and validation Pipelining which reduced block time to 15 seconds with the Mumbai protocol.

An essential component of the Paris upgrade is the activation of the Data Availability Layer (DAL) on Mainnet, a milestone move towards boosting throughput and scalability, particularly for Smart Rollups like Etherlink. The DAL facilitates the attestation of data external to Layer 1 blocks, significantly expanding the bandwidth of data attested by Layer 1 and supporting Tezos' scalability and performance.

What You Need to Know: From Paris, with Love

Two Proposals, One Goal: The Paris upgrade presents two proposals, Paris A and Paris B, both aimed at enhancing the Tezos protocol but offering different paths regarding Adaptive Issuance, Staking, and Adaptive Slashing.

Speed and Efficiency: Block times are reduced to 10 seconds, lowering latency and enabling faster finality without sacrificing security or decentralization.

Data Availability Layer Activation: The DAL is activated on Mainnet, significantly boosting the throughput and scalability of Smart Rollups by attesting data outside Layer 1 blocks.

Proof-of-Stake Innovations:

Adaptive Issuance and Staking aim to adjust the economics of Tezos to better fit real-world usage, promoting a more secure and economically sustainable blockchain.

Adaptive Slashing differentiates penalties based on the severity and intent behind protocol violations, enhancing network security.

Participation Options: Paris B includes immediate activation of the new features, while Paris A allows bakers to vote on their activation at a later stage, offering flexibility and community engagement in decision-making.

Divergent Paths: Paris A vs. Paris B

The twin proposals under the Paris upgrade, though sharing a core set of improvements, diverge on the introduction of Adaptive Issuance, Staking, and Adaptive Slashing - a comprehensive overhaul of the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) fundamentals in Tezos.

Paris B advocates for the immediate activation of Adaptive Issuance, Staking, and Adaptive Slashing upon protocol activation, presenting a direct path to these significant changes.

Paris A, on the other hand, offers a more cautious approach, allowing bakers the option to vote for the activation of these features later via an on-chain signaling mechanism.

This bifurcation provides the Tezos community with a choice between an immediate embrace of new features with Paris B or a more measured, consensus-driven approach with Paris A.

Enhancements and Innovations

The Paris proposals introduce several key enhancements aimed at improving the efficiency, security, and scalability of the Tezos blockchain:

Faster Block Times: Reducing block time to 10 seconds enhances the speed and responsiveness of the network.

Data Availability Layer: Activating the DAL on Mainnet offers a significant throughput boost for Smart Rollups, enhancing scalability.

Refined PoS Mechanism: Improvements in the PoS mechanism include reduced delays in acquiring and updating baking rights and simplified computation.

Adaptive Issuance and Staking: A novel approach to adjusting the issuance of tez based on staking dynamics, aiming to optimize the economic model of Tezos.

Adaptive Slashing: Refining the slashing mechanism to differentiate between unintentional errors and deliberate attacks, enhancing network security.

The Path Forward

The Paris upgrade represents a pivotal moment in Tezos' journey, offering the community a choice between two paths forward, each with its own set of improvements and innovations. As the Tezos ecosystem continues to grow and evolve, the Paris protocol upgrade stands as a testament to the community's commitment to building a faster, more scalable, and secure blockchain.

Nomadic Labs and its partners encourage the community to engage, discuss, and participate actively in the upcoming decisions surrounding the Paris proposals. As Tezos gears up for another significant leap forward, the collective input and collaboration of its community will be crucial in shaping the blockchain's future.

As the Paris protocol upgrade unfolds, the Tezos community stands at the brink of exciting developments that promise to further enhance the blockchain's performance, security, and decentralization. The journey ahead is filled with potential, as Tezos continues to innovate and strengthen its position in the blockchain space.

Welcoming Fleur Pellerin to the Tezos Foundation Council

In a significant development for the Tezos ecosystem, the Tezos Foundation Council announced the addition of Fleur Pellerin to its ranks as a council member. Fleur Pellerin is not a new name in the spheres of innovation, digital economy, and culture, having served as the French Minister for SME, Innovation, and the Digital Economy, as well as the Minister for Culture and Communication. Since leaving her governmental roles, she has been at the helm of Korelya Capital since 2016, a late-stage venture capital fund that has made notable investments in web3 infrastructure technology companies including Ledger, Bitfury, and Ramp. Her induction into the council, marked by her attendance at her first meeting on March 14, signals a fresh and forward-looking chapter for the Tezos Foundation.

Fleur brings to the table a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the start-up and entrepreneurial landscape. Her leadership at Korelya Capital, coupled with her significant ministerial roles in France, have equipped her with a unique blend of skills and insights that are poised to greatly benefit the Tezos Foundation's ongoing mission. The Foundation's dedication to fostering innovation and supporting the Tezos protocol stands to gain immeasurably from her expertise and vision.

Photo: Eric Dessons/JDD 

"I am both honoured and excited to contribute to an ecosystem that is at the forefront of blockchain innovation and governance," Fleur Pellerin remarked upon her joining. She highlighted the pivotal moment the blockchain community is in, emphasizing the need for sustainable growth and further decentralization. Fleur is eager to collaborate with the Foundation's team to enhance the Tezos ecosystem's vibrancy and decentralization, navigating the challenges and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead in blockchain technology.

Tezos Foundation also took the opportunity to express its heartfelt gratitude to outgoing council members Anil Madhavapeddy and Alice Lloyd George for their invaluable contributions and years of service. Anil, who is embarking on a new journey focused on environmental conservation, praised the Tezos blockchain's sustainable governance model and the seamless deployment of ten forkless upgrades since his joining. Alice, stepping down due to the demanding nature of her venture capital work, leaves behind a legacy of insightful contributions to the Foundation.

As we bid farewell to Anil and Alice, we look forward to the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that Fleur Pellerin will bring to the Tezos Foundation. Her background in the digital and cultural sectors, combined with her entrepreneurial spirit, aligns perfectly with the Foundation's vision for a more decentralized and innovative future. The Tezos Foundation extends a warm welcome to Fleur, anticipating the exciting developments her involvement will inspire in the Tezos ecosystem.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Teletubbies x MetaPals: A Nostalgic Comapanion on Tezos

In an intriguing blend of nostalgia and cutting-edge technology, WildBrain CPLG, alongside MetaPals, unveils a transformative venture that brings the beloved Teletubbies into the realm of blockchain and AI. Celebrating its 27th anniversary on March 31, the iconic Teletubbies brand is set to embark on a new journey with the launch of Teletubbies AI digital companions on April 20th, merging childhood memories with the innovations of the digital era.

This global partnership signals a notable milestone in the evolution of renowned IPs, introducing Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po as evolving digital companions within the MetaPals browser extension game engine. These characters, integral to the ‘MetaPals Multiverse,’ are designed to interact with users in personalized ways, integrating into daily browsing activities to offer a mix of entertainment and assistance.

Each Teletubby companion boasts distinctive personality traits, promising a unique and engaging experience for users. With over 5000 Teletubby companions available, the platform ensures a one-of-a-kind interaction for every user, fostering a renewed connection with this nostalgic brand.

Ben Peace, VP of APAC at WildBrain CPLG, expressed enthusiasm about reimagining the Teletubbies franchise for the digital age, blending childhood nostalgia with the limitless potential of modern technology. Max Giammario, CEO of MetaPals, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the partnership’s role in reviving Teletubbyland for a new era, where AI and blockchain facilitate novel forms of interaction and companionship.

For nearly three decades, the Teletubbies have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, spanning generations and evolving alongside technological advancements. This collaboration not only redefines digital companionship but also reinforces the Teletubbies' status as enduring cultural icons.

The Teletubbies Companion Trailer, featuring Toyah Willcox, offers a glimpse into this digital reincarnation, inviting fans to explore the enhanced world of Teletubbyland.

As the digital asset sale approaches on April 20th, with 5000 NFTs available, this venture presents an exciting opportunity for fans to engage with the Teletubbies in a manner that's both familiar and refreshingly new.

Tezos Powers the Inaugural Digital Art Mile at Art Basel

In a celebration of digital creativity, Tezos is set to illuminate Art Basel with the inaugural Digital Art Mile, an initiative orchestrated by Artmeta. Scheduled for June 10 - 16, this innovative event transforms a historic neighborhood into a dynamic arena for digital art exploration, showcasing the fusion of technology and artistic expression.

Curated by a selection of the world's leading digital artists, galleries, and platforms, the Digital Art Mile presents an unparalleled celebration of creativity in the digital age. Attendees can look forward to a comprehensive program that includes conferences, curated exhibitions, and exclusive opportunities to explore NFT galleries, platforms, and projects, encapsulating the essence and evolution of digital art.

The Tezos Foundation, as an official sponsor, collaborates with esteemed platforms Objkt.com and fx(hash), presenting seminal works minted on Tezos at Space31. This collaboration promises an enthralling experience for art enthusiasts and collectors alike, showcasing the rich potential of digital art.

For those eager to dive deeper into the Digital Art Mile and stay abreast of the latest developments, further insights and updates are available through dedicated resources. Check out the insightful article on Artmeta's Medium for more context: Basel Turns Digital - June 2024.

And for all the latest updates and information, be sure to visit the official website: Artmeta.

Tezos Foundation Grants Support to Blockscout for Etherlink Integration

Tezos Foundation announced a grant to Blockscout, a premier open-source and transparent block explorer, marking a pivotal advancement for the Etherlink ecosystem. This strategic collaboration aims to enhance the accessibility and transparency of the Tezos blockchain, facilitating a more inclusive and insightful user experience.

Blockscout, renowned for its reliability and comprehensive features, is trusted by over 800 networks across EVM blockchain ecosystems. Its capabilities extend beyond mere transaction tracking to include the seamless search and verification of blocks, transactions, addresses, contracts, and more, thereby embodying a cornerstone of blockchain accessibility and transparency.

This collaboration will see Blockscout providing a hosted mainnet and testnet block explorer for Etherlink, supporting not only mainnets and testnets but also optimistic and ZK rollups. This ensures a versatile and full-featured explorer option for all EVM-based chains, further cementing Blockscout's reputation as a comprehensive solution for blockchain exploration.

The integration with Etherlink is particularly noteworthy, as it promises to enhance the visibility and operability of Tezos' burgeoning ecosystem. Interested parties can explore the advancements firsthand by visiting the Etherlink testnet explorer.

Chestnut: A New PvP Shooter on Tezos with Play-to-Earn Mechanics

The gaming landscape on Tezos is getting a thrilling addition with the launch of Chestnut, a player-versus-player (PvP) shooting game with play-to-earn mechanics, set to debut on the Tezos mainnet on March 29. To commemorate this launch, the game's publishers are hosting a tournament-like challenge, inviting players to compete for a chance to win tez.

The Game: Chestnut in Brief

Chestnut is a browser-based, third-person shooting game that combines the excitement of PvP action with the innovative play-to-earn model. Set on an open map filled with monsters and other players, the game's fast-paced environment challenges participants to survive and thrive in chaotic battlegrounds. Players will navigate using the keyboard, aim, and shoot using their mouse or trackpad, and can purchase items like healing potions to aid in their survival.

The game's founder, Jerome Renaux, has expressed enthusiasm for launching on Tezos due to its high-performance capabilities and supportive development environment, stating, "The teams working on Tezos have been of great help in supporting the development of the game and the Tezos blockchain proved to be a great match for our project."

How to Get Started

Players interested in joining the Chestnut experience need a Tezos wallet (e.g., Kukai, Temple, or a configured MetaMask for Tezos) to participate. Here's how to get started:

Visit the Chestnut website.

Connect your wallet of choice.

Click on "Start game" to begin practicing or join live and upcoming events.

Launch Competition Details

The launch event is scheduled for Friday, March 29, starting at 17h UTC. The competition, taking place in-game, invites an unlimited number of players to engage in a free-for-all battle lasting around 30 minutes, depending on player count and skill. The rules are straightforward: players earn tez by contributing to monster kills or by taking down other players, with the prize pool for the event totaling 50 tez.

Future Plans and Community Engagement

Jerome Renaux hints at this being just the beginning, with plans for more events where players can earn tez. The team is committed to community engagement, promising to introduce new features based on player feedback. To stay updated and join the community, players can follow the game's Discord server and Twitter/X account.

Try Chestnut Today

Interested players are encouraged to visit the Chestnut website to explore the game and sharpen their skills before the competition. With its exciting gameplay and rewarding mechanics, Chestnut is poised to become a standout title in the Tezos gaming ecosystem.

Tezos and Tether Champion Blockchain Innovation in Africa with UABA TechCon 2024

In a landmark collaboration, Trilitech, Tether, and the United Africa Blockchain Association (UABA) have joined forces to advance blockchain technology across Africa. The UABA TechCon 2024 Government edition, held from March 10th to 15th in Cape Town, South Africa, marked a pivotal week of blockchain exploration and education for government officials from five African nations: South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Co-sponsored by Trilitech, a Tezos R&D and adoption hub, and Tether, the issuer of the popular stablecoin USDT, the event served as a platform for immersive learning and practical application of blockchain technology. With a comprehensive schedule that included educational sessions led by teams from the Tezos ecosystem and Tether, attendees engaged in "solution mode" workshops aimed at developing proof-of-concept blockchain solutions tailored to their countries' specific needs.

This first installment of the event in its closed format was heralded as a success, signaling a bright future for blockchain solutions in Africa. The engagement and enthusiasm displayed by government delegates underscored a collective eagerness to leverage blockchain technology beyond cryptocurrencies, addressing real-world challenges within their jurisdictions.

The conference concluded with plans for further exploration of the proof-of-concept ideas developed during the workshops. Teams from Trilitech will continue discussions with each government agency, with follow-up activities scheduled between April and May 2024.

The UABA TechCon 2024 Government edition not only showcased the potential of blockchain technology in Africa but also opened avenues for future collaboration between Tezos teams and African government agencies, laying the groundwork for an exciting journey of technological innovation and partnership on the continent.

Upcoming Tezos Events

STELLAR: An Immersive Art Experience Powered by Tezos

Join us at STELLAR for a transformative art journey, proudly brought to you by Victoria West and powered by Tezos. This immersive experience is set to unleash a wave of creativity and innovation, featuring incredible speakers, live minting sessions, electrifying music, and the opportunity to forge connections with both new and familiar faces.

Event Details:

Date: April 2, 2024

Time: From 2pm to 11pm EDT

Location: 393 Broadway, Lume Studios, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Registration: visit the eventbrite page

About this Event:

Spanning 9 hours, STELLAR is designed to be an art experience like no other, hosted at the iconic 393 Broadway in New York City. Attendees are invited to immerse themselves in a world where art meets technology, fostering connections and sparking conversations in the vibrant Tezos community.

Highlights include:

Incredible Artworks & Live Minting: Witness the creation of art in real time, featuring contributions from celebrated artists such as Laurence Fuller, Graphite Method, and Andressa Furletti.

Performances & Panel Discussion: Be enthralled by performances from Laurence Fuller, Graphite Method, and Andressa Furletti. Engage in a thought-provoking panel discussion led by the insightful banana man, Aaron Vick, alongside distinguished panelists Leslie A. Spurlock, Sunny Sangwan, Empress Trash, Jen Panepinto, and Joanne.

Party Vibes by Guido Corleone: To cap off the evening, Guido Corleone will bring the party vibes, ensuring STELLAR is not just an event, but a vibrant celebration of art, technology, and community spirit.

Prepare for an unforgettable journey at STELLAR, where art and technology converge to create a truly unique experience. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this incredible moment together.

See you there!

Now Streaming

🔴 Now Streaming: TezTalks Radio featuring Victoria West

Join us on this episode of TezTalks Radio as we dive into the world of art on the blockchain with our guest, Victoria West, a prominent artist on Tezos. Victoria opens up about her journey in the digital art space, discussing the opportunities of creating on Tezos.

Where to Watch/Listen:

Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music | YouTube | X

Powered by beehiiv

A sneak peek at STELLAR, the Tezos-powered immersive art experience hitting NYC on April 2nd, 2024.

As the dog days of winter fade away and the 2024 Tezos event season kicks into high gear, there will be plenty to see, do, and experience in the thriving global Tezos community in the months ahead.

One of those events is Tezos-powered immersive art experience “STELLAR”. The brainchild of enigmatic Tezos arts personality and talented artist in her own right Victoria West, STELLAR promises “an unforgettable art journey” and the opportunity to “immerse yourself in a world of creativity and innovation, live minting, music, & connecting with friends, old and new.”

Running from 2 pm to 11 pm EST on April 2nd, 2024 and hosted at Brooklyn, New York’s iconic Lume Studios, STELLAR provides a startling glimpse into the amazing innovations and advancements being made in the Tezos art ecosystem in 2024 and the amazing talented artists driving this progress forward.

To hear creator Victoria West tell it, the STELLAR experience will represent a stark departure from the blockchain art events attendees may have seen in the past and will offer the opportunity for those unable to make their way to New York this Spring to participate…

“Stellar will be more than just a few TVs on a wall. This will be an art experience. We’ll also be bringing the event live to Twitter as we want to be able to make it as inclusive as we can for the many valued community members around the world that won’t be in attendance.”

With all of this in mind, I had the opportunity to chat with Victoria about her vision for STELLAR and what attendees/participants can expect to see, hear, and do at this groundbreaking event…

Who are the speakers/featured artists/etc. who will be participating?

“Graphite Method is presenting a first in immersive performance art ~ by movie star poets Laurence Fuller & Vincent D’Onofrio. I’m also excited to be previewing a first in generative art with a collaboration between myself, Graphite Method & CodeCrafting that will be dropping on fx(hash) later in the month.

We’ll also have Brazilian artist Andressa Furletti bringing her beautiful performance art to the immersive space. BLOOM, a design-led collective that stands for the absolute highest levels of quality, integrity, and diversity will also be showcased. And Dolce Paganne will be scaring us all with her dark and wonderful voodoo art.

We will be showcasing the art of around 100 artists and we have different groups curating parts of the show including VERSEverse, Obscura Dao, Graphite Method, and also Tez Vending. The open calls are still running so we’ll be announcing the full list of included artists later this week.”

What can those who attend this event expect to experience?

“Great art and a great vibe. Aside from all the art and performances, we’ll also have a speaker panel, the talented Chris Devcich DJing, live minting, and tasty drinks!”

Can you explain the “live minting” that will be taking place at the event? What can attendees mint?

“Graphite Method will be the artists for a free mint that all attendees can collect. It will be a QR code that you can scan, and if you have a wallet, you can log in and get it. Or, if you don’t have a wallet you can use social login to get the NFT via Kukai. In essence, it’s a free proof of attendance token with artwork attached.”

Why is it important for the Tezos art community to get out and show their support for events like this?

“Firstly, why wouldn’t you want to meet some of the awesome people in our community? It’s going to be a great time. Also, let’s show the wider Web 3.0 community that the art on Tezos is second to none!”

As the Tezos ecosystem ramps up for another year filled to bursting with innovation, adoption, and creativity, the thriving Tezos art scene and the talented artists and creators who comprise it will continue to be a key point of focus. Spectacular events like STELLAR represent a unique opportunity to view the fascinating advancements being made across the Tezos ecosystem live and in colour.

Those who are curious and want to attend the event can register to attend on the event’s Eventbrite page and collect their commemorative ticket/art/NFT here on objkt.com. The event is free to all and will surely be one for the ages.

We hope to see you all there!

Tezos Event Spotlight: Victoria West’s: STELLAR was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A look into how Tezos Commons helps foster the Tezos ecosystem by organizing and supporting worldwide meetups that bring the digital community into the real world.

In an age dominated by digital interactions, the value of face-to-face meetups cannot be overstated. Physical gatherings create a unique environment where trust is built, collaborations are forged, comradery renewed, and a genuine sense of belonging flourishes. They complement online interactions by adding a human touch, enabling community members to connect on a deeper level. This is especially vital in the blockchain sphere, where the essence of community can sometimes be overshadowed by the virtual nature of the technology.

Knowing the above all too well, we at Tezos Commons have been continuously helping and supporting community members with organizing and hosting physical meetups around the world. We are dedicated to foster the growth of the Tezos ecosystem globally and part of our mission is the bootstrapping of local communities. From Canada to Greece to Australia to the USA and Portugal, these are just some of the countries where we have helped with Tezos meetups with more to come! But first, let’s take a look at some recent and upcoming events!

Recent Meetups

Tezos Greece Social Meetup in Athens

In February 2024, Tezos Greece kicked off the year with their inaugural meetup, and as expected, the ambiance was nothing short of spectacular! The event was a vibrant mix of drinks, delightful cuisine, exclusive stickers, swag, and an abundance of engaging Tezos-centric conversations. Remarkably, the six-hour gathering flew by in what seemed like a mere five minutes, thanks to the dynamic and inclusive discussions.

Topics varied widely, covering everything from the basics of getting started and opening a Tezos wallet, to the more complex subjects like enshrined rollups, the forthcoming Data Availability layer, defi, and the world of digital art (fun fact: a new digital art collaboration happened between 2 Greek artists as a result of this meetup). No matter the level of interest or technical acumen, there’s a place for everyone at these meetups, ensuring a welcoming and enriching experience for all attendees. Did I mention there was awesome food and drinks too? Oh yeah, and CAKE!

Tezos Portugal Social Meetup in Porto

Less than a month ago, the vibrant city of Porto, Portugal, became the birthplace of a new Tezos community chapter, “Tezos Portugal.” They launched their inaugural Tezos social gathering, and it was an unequivocal hit! In a playful nod to the blockchain’s “forkless” nature, the organizers whimsically requested that no forks be used at the event — a testament to the community’s spirit and sense of humor. Attendees were treated to a delightful mix of drinks and tasty food, engaging discussions around Tezos, and the opportunity to snag exclusive T-shirts, stickers, and a variety of Tezos-themed swag. (I am a little jealous that I wasn’t able to go and collect some of their awesome swag!)

The event saw a diverse group of participants, including developers, artists, traders, and Tezos aficionados, all coming together to share their enthusiasm and visions for the future. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and optimism, a clear indicator of the community’s vibrant future. As the organizers confidently shared with me, “this was the first of many more to come!” I have no doubt that we will see more Tezos events happening in Portugal and be sure, we will be there to support them!

STELLAR: An immersive art experience powered by Tezos

Having explored some of the recent meetups that have already taken place, it’s now the perfect moment to grab your calendars and save the date for the upcoming STELLAR event in the Big Apple or New York City!

Set for April 2nd, 2024, the incomparable Victoria West is set to host an unforgettable event brimming with tremendous artwork, engaging discussion panels, captivating art performances, live minting sessions, open and vibrant conversations, and naturally, an amazing event! For more details and RSVP take a look here!

At Tezos Commons, we’re not just about funding events. We’re about building connections including bridging connections, opening doors to new opportunities, and ensuring the Tezos community is one of the most welcoming and innovative spaces in the blockchain world. We’re here to support, celebrate, and amplify the voices of our community members. If you’re a newcomer and not sure where to start, drop us a direct message on Twitter, Email, Telegram, and Discord, or join and of those channels and just say hello!

There’s just something special about meeting someone in person that you just can’t replicate online. It’s the handshakes, the shared laughs, and those spontaneous conversations that can lead to the next big idea in the Tezos ecosystem. These gatherings are the bedrock of trust, comradery, and collaboration. They remind us that behind every avatar and username, there is a real person that’s bringing a much-needed human touch to our blockchain world.

Feeling inspired? Curious? Excited? Or all of the above? Good! That’s exactly what we’re aiming for. Dive into the world of Tezos meetups, join the conversation, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find yourself leading the charge at the next big event. Remember, we are here to help so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or want to explore the idea of hosting a Tezos meetup. The future of Tezos is bright, and it’s being shaped by people just like you. Let’s make it happen, together.

Tezos Commons: Empowering Connections with Meetups Around the World was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Upgrading Tezos: How continuous evolution has made Tezos the leader in blockchain tech.

By Cryptonio

Tezos isn’t just about the buzzwords or the hype; it’s about a continuous quest to improve, to innovate, and to meet the constantly evolving demands of the blockchain world while sticking to core values like decentralization, censorship resistance, and being permissionless. To achieve that, Tezos has gone through a journey of adaptation, growth, and resilience that’s quite remarkable.

To date (March 2024), with 15 protocol upgrades total, this journey has been punctuated by key milestones and updates that have not only kept Tezos relevant but has also pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with blockchain technology, and in this article, we will look at exactly that. The evolution of Tezos!

Origins and launch

Tezos was founded by Arthur and Kathleen Breitman with the vision of creating a blockchain that could evolve by itself over time, circumventing the disruptive hard forks that plagued other networks. This vision materialized into a blockchain where stakeholders actively participate in a defined governance process which precipitates the blockchain’s evolution.

The mainnet launch of Tezos in 2018 was marked by its novel approach to consensus, combining proof-of-stake (PoS) with a unique on-chain governance mechanism that empowered the community. This innovative start set Tezos apart as a platform built on the principles of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Since then and through its on-chain governance, Tezos has gone through 15 protocol upgrades, named after historical cities, in alphabetical order and you can find them all listed here. These upgrades have brought major improvements to the protocol. To maintain brevity in this article, rather than looking into each upgrade individually, I will highlight key areas of evolution and improvement within Tezos, alongside the specific upgrades where these changes were implemented.

Key Upgrades and Milestones

Adapting to Needs: Roll Size

In the early stages of Tezos, a “roll” was defined as the minimum quantity of tez required to obtain baking (validation) rights, initially set at 10,000 tez. This threshold underwent reductions: first to 8,000 tez with the Athens upgrade, and then to 6,000 tez following the Ithaca upgrade. The Ithaca upgrade not only adjusted the roll size but also revamped the baking rewards system, transitioning from a roll-based to a stake-based framework.

Under the original system, a baker’s (Tezos validator) stake was quantified solely by the number of rolls they held. For instance, possessing 11,000 tez would still categorize a baker as having just one roll under the protocol’s view. The introduction of Ithaca refined this approach, ensuring every additional tez contributed towards a baker’s total stake, thereby influencing their rewards more granularly.

The subsequent Jakarta upgrade further evolved the Tezos ecosystem by eliminating the roll concept from the governance process. As a result, a baker’s stake and voting weight are now denominated in mutez, the smallest unit of tez, equivalent to 0.000001 tez, enhancing the precision and flexibility of stake and governance participation.

Consensus Algorithm Evolution and Reduced Block Times

With the Babylon upgrade, improvements were made to the Emmy+ consensus algorithm to boost network efficiency. Following that, Granada marked a transition from Emmy* to Emmy+, which also halved block times from 60 seconds to 30 seconds. Then after Granada, another large change in the consensus algorithm occurred with the adoption of Tenderbake during the Ithaca upgrade that introduced deterministic finality which enhanced the security of transactions. Finally, in Mumbai, block times were further reduced from 30 seconds to 15 seconds making the user experience even faster.

Achieving Efficiency: A Focus on Reducing Costs

Tezos has also set a benchmark in operational efficiency, as evidenced by the substantial reductions in gas and storage fees across various upgrades. Delphi marked a significant milestone by reducing gas fees by up to ten times and slashing storage fees by a factor of four. Florence followed with enhancements in the Michelson interpreter, which lowered gas consumption for smart contract execution thereby making interactions with complex smart contracts substantially cheaper.

In the Granada upgrade, gas consumption related to the execution of deployed smart contracts saw reductions by a factor of three to six, further lowering the cost for developers to deploy and interact with their smart contracts. Nairobi introduced another major reduction in gas consumption for various operations, including simple tez transfers and smart contract calls, paving the way for an up to 8x increase in the transactions per second (TPS) capabilities of Tezos.

Feature Innovations: Expanding Tezos’ Capabilities

Tezos has consistently introduced features that expand the platform’s capabilities, addressing both specific user needs and broader market demands. Some of these features are the introduction of privacy-preserving transactions and on-chain permissions (a.k.a. Tickets) with the Edo upgrade, the launch of “Liquidity Baking” in Granada, and the highly anticipated Enshrined Smart Rollups in Mumbai that enable Tezos to scale in one of the most decentralized ways across the industry. These kind of features reflect Tezos’ commitment to technological excellence, scalability, and innovation.

Never Stop Evolving.

With 15 major upgrades where each upgrade sets the foundations for future ones, it’s clear that Tezos isn’t just keeping up; it’s bringing new ideas and improvements that matter. From making it easier for more people to participate, to speeding things up and cutting costs when interacting with the blockchain, to paving the way of truly decentralized scalability, all of these upgrades are showcasing the flexibility and evolutionary capabilities of Tezos.

However, this journey is far from over. Even though the past upgrades have introduced huge improvements, I feel like we are just getting started and the best is still ahead of us. A brief glance at the forthcoming upgrades and features will make this clear. Innovations such as the Data Availability Layer, Adaptive Issuance, Etherlink, and additional reductions in block time are just a few examples of what’s on the horizon (for more details, refer to my article “Tezos in 2024: A Few Things To Be Excited About!”).

So if you are interested in a blockchain that doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk, then dive into the Tezos universe and explore the blockchain that always adapts, innovates, and — Never Stops Evolving!

Tezos Community Rewards: Last Call For March Nominations!

As March 2024 draws to a close and only 9 days remain for nominations, the Tezos Commons is eager to spotlight the outstanding members of the Tezos community through its Community Rewards Program (CRP). This initiative serves as a testament to the exceptional dedication and innovation within the ecosystem, honoring those who stand out in their contributions.

March Nominations: A Call to Recognize Excellence

At the core of the Tezos ecosystem, the CRP is a cornerstone initiative by the Tezos Commons aimed at driving adoption and reinforcing support. Each month, the program allocates up to 5,000 tez to community members who exemplify unparalleled commitment and innovation.

How to Nominate

Identifying a deserving individual within the Tezos community is now more accessible than ever. The nomination process has been refined to a brief set of three questions, ensuring ease and efficiency. Additionally, for those active on social media, using the hashtag #TezosCRP on platforms like Discord, Reddit, or Twitter will make sure your nominations are recognized.

Criteria for Excellence

The selection process for CRP winners is meticulous, emphasizing the quality of contributions, engagement levels, and tangible evidence of involvement. This methodical approach guarantees that the accolades go to those who genuinely enrich the Tezos environment.

Celebrating February 2024's Achievers

The Tezos community recently celebrated the individuals and efforts that made a significant impact in February 2024:

Assimilation Award: Recognizing community members like @spike_0124 and @henryjgbanayat for their seamless integration efforts.

Drill Sergeant Award: Awarded to @Rossa774 for exemplary leadership.

And many more across various categories, including Formal Verification, Helping Hand, and Influencer Awards.

The Final Stretch: 9 Days Left to Nominate for March

With just 9 days remaining, the search for March's CRP standouts is heating up. Have you encountered someone within the Tezos community who deserves recognition? Now is the time to nominate them or use #TezosCRP to highlight their contributions.

Acknowledging the Winners

Awardees receive their prizes through Kukai and DirectAuth, with the Tezos Commons team on standby to assist with any issues. This process not only rewards the winners but also showcases the vibrant, dedicated nature of the Tezos community.

As we look forward to the announcement of March's CRP winners, it's clear that their achievements reflect the dynamic and progressive spirit of the Tezos ecosystem. Congratulations in advance to all future recipients – your efforts are what make Tezos stand out!Want to participate? Learn more here at our dedicated page

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

One interesting project that is focused on the Tezos art community is Here & Now, which has dedicated itself to creating immersive experiences that spotlight artists from across the globe. Since its inception, Here & Now has supported over 200 artists through its events, establishing a vibrant community deeply connected to the evolving culture of Tezos.

Here & Now's journey began in 2021 with the ambitious goal of launching a series of virtual experiences. These were not just exhibitions but were designed to be profound immersive journeys into the creative realms of artists who have found a home on the Tezos blockchain. The initiative was more than a platform for digital art; it became a testament to the burgeoning culture and community that Tezos has nurtured over the years.

The announcement of Edition 6 of Here & Now heralds what is promised to be the project's most expansive showcase yet. Slated to launch soon, this upcoming edition aims to elevate the already high standard set by its predecessors, offering both artists and audiences new dimensions of engagement and interaction. The anticipation surrounding this event underscores the significant impact that Here & Now has had in promoting the arts on Tezos, highlighting the blockchain's role not only as a technology platform but as a catalyst for cultural expression and community growth.

As Here & Now continues to weave the fabric of Tezos's artistic community, you can visit their landing page to learn more about their next event.

Tezos AMA: Let's talk about Adaptive Issuance, DAL, 10s Blocks

If you missed the fascinating AMA session with Tezos Co-founder Arthur Breitman and the brilliant minds from Nomadic Labs, now’s your chance to catch up on the insightful discussion! Held on March 20th, this community call dove into the intricacies of the upcoming P protocol proposal among other captivating topics, including Adaptive Issuance, Decentralized Autonomous Legislatures (DAL), and the shift to 10-second blocks. 🌟

With over 700 community members tuning in, the conversation was rich with details about Tezos’ roadmap and the technological innovations set to redefine the platform.

Check out this awesome AMA on X

admire.art is now LIVE!

In case you missed it: admire.art has officially launched! Discover an exquisite collection of NFTs by globally celebrated artists, showcased by some of the most esteemed galleries in the world.

🎨 Dive into the artistic vision of Manolo Valdes, Ron Arad, Li Tianbing, Lita Cabellut, Oda Jaune, Summer Wheat, among others.

Explore the collection now: admire.art

This Week in Tezos Development

Coming Soon

A Better Ticket Transfer UX | Marigold

Marigold has some exciting news with the latest developments aimed at transforming how tickets are transferred within the network. These innovations come as a very early tease of the upcoming Protocol Q, offering a more intuitive and efficient way to manage ticket transfers, especially for developers and users who engage with smart contracts and digital assets on Tezos.

Key Details

Transfer Tickets to Smart Contracts: This new capability allows users to easily transfer tickets from their personal accounts directly to smart contracts. This streamlines interactions and transactions within the Tezos ecosystem, making it simpler and more efficient to move digital assets where they need to go.

New Michelson Ticket Constructor: With the introduction of a fresh Michelson Ticket constructor, the process of creating and handling tickets becomes much clearer and more straightforward. This constructor provides a more explicit way to define tickets, enhancing readability and reducing the potential for errors.

Why It Matters: These updates mark a significant improvement in user experience for ticket transactions on the Tezos network. By enabling direct transfers to smart contracts and introducing a more understandable ticket constructor, the Tezos community is making strides in making blockchain interactions more accessible and user-friendly.

How to Get Started: For developers and users looking to dive into these new features, detailed examples and end-to-end test scenarios are available on the Tezos Agora forum. These resources provide valuable insights into how to utilize these enhancements in your projects and applications.

The introduction of direct ticket transfers to smart contracts and the new Michelson Ticket constructor represent key advancements in the Tezos ecosystem. These features not only improve the usability and functionality of tickets on the network but also align with Tezos’ ongoing commitment to innovation and user-centric development. Start exploring these new capabilities today and discover how they can enhance your Tezos experience.

Own your keys in Etherlink’s governance | Nomadic Labs

Nomadic Labs shared a decentralized governance framework for Etherlink's Layer 2 blockchain, drawing inspiration from the well-established Tezos Layer 1 governance model. This initiative aims to infuse Etherlink's governance with unparalleled fairness, transparency, and community consensus, allowing Tezos bakers to have a say in Etherlink's kernel upgrades and sequencer operator selections.

Key Details of the Governance Framework:

Kernel Governance: Utilizes a Tezos Layer 1 smart contract for decentralized management of Etherlink kernel upgrades, empowering bakers to vote on and propose changes.

Governance Stages: Etherlink's governance mirrors Tezos' model but simplifies the process into three main stages: Proposal, Promotion, and Cooldown periods, each playing a crucial role in the decision-making process.

Security Governance: Introduces a robust framework for addressing urgent security issues, requiring higher quorum and supermajority votes for rapid response without compromising community consensus.

Sequencer Committee Governance: Allows bakers to propose and select operators for Etherlink's Sequencer Committee, ensuring the rollup's architecture supports low latency and a superior user experience.

Empowering Community Participation:

Etherlink's governance model is built on the lessons learned from Tezos' 15 successful protocol upgrades, reflecting a commitment to community-driven development. The framework is designed to:

Ensure transparent and agile governance processes.

Promote efficient and community-driven upgrades.

Empower bakers through active participation in governance.

Join the Movement:

The success of Etherlink's decentralized governance hinges on the active involvement of the Tezos community, especially bakers. Preliminary versions of the governance contracts are being tested on Ghostnet, with Etherlink's testnet already showcasing their potential through weekly kernel upgrades.

As we prepare to launch this innovative governance model on the Etherlink Layer 2 Rollup, we invite the Tezos community to engage with us. Your feedback, participation in voting, and support in shaping Etherlink's future are invaluable to creating a governance model that truly reflects the community's voice.

Let's come together to forge a path toward a more transparent, fair, and community-driven future for Etherlink, leveraging the collective wisdom and experience of the Tezos ecosystem. Join us in shaping the future of decentralized governance and making Etherlink's evolution as inclusive and impactful as Tezos' own journey.

Upcoming Tezos Events

STELLAR: An Immersive Art Experience Powered by Tezos

Join us at STELLAR for a transformative art journey, proudly brought to you by Victoria West and powered by Tezos. This immersive experience is set to unleash a wave of creativity and innovation, featuring incredible speakers, live minting sessions, electrifying music, and the opportunity to forge connections with both new and familiar faces.

Event Details:

Date: April 2, 2024

Time: From 2pm to 11pm EDT

Location: 393 Broadway, Lume Studios, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Registration: visit the eventbrite page

About this Event:

Spanning 9 hours, STELLAR is designed to be an art experience like no other, hosted at the iconic 393 Broadway in New York City. Attendees are invited to immerse themselves in a world where art meets technology, fostering connections and sparking conversations in the vibrant Tezos community.

Highlights include:

Incredible Artworks & Live Minting: Witness the creation of art in real time, featuring contributions from celebrated artists such as Laurence Fuller, Graphite Method, and Andressa Furletti.

Performances & Panel Discussion: Be enthralled by performances from Laurence Fuller, Graphite Method, and Andressa Furletti. Engage in a thought-provoking panel discussion led by the insightful banana man, Aaron Vick, alongside distinguished panelists Leslie A. Spurlock, Sunny Sangwan, Empress Trash, Jen Panepinto, and Joanne.

Party Vibes by Guido Corleone: To cap off the evening, Guido Corleone will bring the party vibes, ensuring STELLAR is not just an event, but a vibrant celebration of art, technology, and community spirit.

Prepare for an unforgettable journey at STELLAR, where art and technology converge to create a truly unique experience. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this incredible moment together.

See you there!

Now Streaming

🔴 Now Streaming: TezTalks Live featuring Lyzi

Join us as we sit down with the Lyzi team. For those who might not know, Lyzi is the app that lets consumers pay for purchases with their crypto and provides an end-to-end, fully regulated platform that allows brands and merchants to adopt crypto payments and offer loyalty rewards.

Where to Watch:

YouTube | X

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Fortifying The Future: Exploring TZAPAC’s New Startup Accelerator/Incubator Initiative With Imran Haqeem

TZAPAC’s Imran Haqeem speaks about Fortify Labs - Asia Pacific’s new Web 3.0 startup incubator/accelerator initiative.

The Asia Pacific region is a bustling hub of creative Web 3.0 activity. With its entrepreneurial spirit, tremendous cultural diversity, and historic knack for technical innovation, Asia Pacific represents an important hotbed for blockchain innovation and experimentation.

As important Tezos ambassadors in this critical region, the team at TZAPAC has been hard at work for many years building community, educating builders, and driving adoption within Asia Pacific’s vibrant Web 3.0 community.

Now, with a renewed focus on supporting entrepreneurs to realize their creative visions here in the Tezos ecosystem with a new accelerator/incubator initiative known as Fortify Labs, the TZAPAC team looks to make some big waves in 2024. And, to hear TZAPAC’s deputy head of lab strategy Imran Haqeem tell it, big waves might be exactly what’s in store…

“TZAPAC has been around for quite a bit. When I first started we were very focused on building the Tezos community and building up the arts side of Tezos specifically. We did a bunch of events like Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Moments Jakarta, and ArtScience Museum in Singapore. The broader mandate of TZAPAC is Tezos adoption in the Asia Pacific region, both on the project side and the community side. Naturally, Tezos has a footing in art. The artist community here is super strong and super vibrant, so we were very focused on that, but we do have the Tezos adoption mandate as well in terms of getting projects to be built within the region. Today we’re really focused on helping entrepreneurs and helping them realize their visions and reach their growth goals here in the Tezos ecosystem. Over the years we’ve built a large community in APAC. Now it’s about bridging the gap between the projects and the community.”

It has become increasingly clear over the past few years what a critical role new projects and startups play in driving Tezos adoption forward. Every new application, new innovation, and new game that emerges within the Tezos ecosystem represents a crucial entry point for new users to find their way to Tezos and see what’s going on in this bustling ecosystem for themselves. With that knowledge in hand, the team at TZAPAC has made it their mission to support new startups and entrepreneurs looking to build here in the Tezos ecosystem…

“The path of a startup is often treacherous. Having those people that you can rely on, that you can lean on, and that you can trust is super, super important.”

Enter, Fortify Labs.

As the latest iteration of TZAPAC’s ongoing efforts to support builders, creators, and innovators to realize their creative visions in the Tezos ecosystem, Fortify Labs represents somewhat of a departure from the initiatives that preceded it. The TZAPAC team has learned a lot over the years running its small grants and incubator programs. With Fortify Labs, TZAPAC is determined to put that knowledge to work…

“When I started at TZAPAC, it was when the small grants program was going on. I would say it was pretty bare-bones. We were focused on interesting projects in need of a bit of initial capital. Very quickly we realized that we should be doing more. We know that capital alone isn’t enough. We know that we need to work with these people. We need to spend time with them and give them the resources that they need. We met a bunch of founders and learned a lot about what they needed and the issues that they faced when they were trying to build their startups.

Building a product is one part of it, but actually going to market, finding customers, generating revenue, and being sustainable are just as important. Understanding this led to the creation of Fortify Labs. With Fortify Labs, we spend the first 3 months making sure that the product is ready to go to market. The next 5 months is finding customers and partners with you, helping raise capital, and providing additional resources. These resources span from technical support to mentorship and legal support and beyond.

At the end of the day, startup founders are entrepreneurs. They have a big dream. We at Fortify Labs are the mere facilitators who support them to reach it.”

In that endeavor to support Web 3.0 entrepreneurs to reach their big dreams here in the Tezos ecosystem, TZAPAC has assembled a formidable team. Deputy Head of Lab Strategy Imran Haqeem has seen a lot during his time working with TZAPAC, and he’s confident that all the pieces are now in place…

“Essentially, Fortify Labs is what we’re calling ‘your growth accomplice’. We’re going to actually sit down and spend time and work with you, help you find your customers, etcetera. My role within that is both laying out the strategy behind the program and making sure that it’s in line with what these startups need. Over my two-plus years working at TZAPAC I’ve worked really closely with founders and Fortify Labs is the product of constant iteration of what we’ve been doing. Now we’re at the point where we know, based on the feedback we’ve received, exactly what startups need. My job is to operationalize it.”

The first cohort of projects selected for Fortify Labs’ support will be announced in the very near future. And, while the list hasn’t been finalized just yet, Imran has been impressed with both the level of interest Fortify Labs has managed to generate since it was announced and the diversity of the projects that have been submitted for review, something he spoke about during his recent appearance on TezTalks Live…

“We‘re still in the midst of finalizing the first cohort, so I can’t go into details on the cohort itself, but we’ve definitely seen a lot of interest. We’ve had applications from across the Asia Pacific region and outside of the region as well. In terms of the types of projects we’ve seen, I would say that it’s quite broad. There’s still kind of an emphasis on NFTs, but we’re definitely seeing more DeFi projects, we’re seeing more gaming-related startups, even AI-related startups. I think this first cohort of projects is going to be a banger.”

With the TZAPAC team throwing its weight behind multiple projects as we head into the second quarter of 2024, it will be very interesting indeed to see how things unfold with Fortify Labs. And, with talented folks like Imran Haqeem leading the charge for the next generation of Web 3.0 projects emerging from the Asia Pacific region, following this initiative’s progress could be well worth any Tezos enthusiast’s time.

Fortifying The Future: Exploring TZAPAC’s New Startup Accelerator/Incubator Initiative With Imran… was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

A Look Into Some of The Key Milestones and Upgrades Of Tezos.

Tezos isn’t just about the buzzwords or the hype; it’s about a continuous quest to improve, to innovate, and to meet the constantly evolving demands of the blockchain world while sticking to core values like decentralization, censorship resistance, and being permissionless. To achieve that, Tezos has gone through a journey of adaptation, growth, and resilience that’s quite remarkable.

To date (March 2024), with 15 protocol upgrades total, this journey has been punctuated by key milestones and updates that have not only kept Tezos relevant but has also pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with blockchain technology, and in this article, we will look at exactly that. The evolution of Tezos!

Origins and launch

Tezos was founded by Arthur and Kathleen Breitman with the vision of creating a blockchain that could evolve by itself over time, circumventing the disruptive hard forks that plagued other networks. This vision materialized into a blockchain where stakeholders actively participate in a defined governance process which precipitates the blockchain’s evolution.

The mainnet launch of Tezos in 2018 was marked by its novel approach to consensus, combining proof-of-stake (PoS) with a unique on-chain governance mechanism that empowered the community. This innovative start set Tezos apart as a platform built on the principles of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Since then and through its on-chain governance, Tezos has gone through 15 protocol upgrades, named after historical cities, in alphabetical order and you can find them all listed here. These upgrades have brought major improvements to the protocol. To maintain brevity in this article, rather than looking into each upgrade individually, I will highlight key areas of evolution and improvement within Tezos, alongside the specific upgrades where these changes were implemented.

Key Upgrades and Milestones

Adapting to Needs: Roll Size

In the early stages of Tezos, a “roll” was defined as the minimum quantity of tez required to obtain baking (validation) rights, initially set at 10,000 tez. This threshold underwent reductions: first to 8,000 tez with the Athens upgrade, and then to 6,000 tez following the Ithaca upgrade. The Ithaca upgrade not only adjusted the roll size but also revamped the baking rewards system, transitioning from a roll-based to a stake-based framework.

Under the original system, a baker’s (Tezos validator) stake was quantified solely by the number of rolls they held. For instance, possessing 11,000 tez would still categorize a baker as having just one roll under the protocol’s view. The introduction of Ithaca refined this approach, ensuring every additional tez contributed towards a baker’s total stake, thereby influencing their rewards more granularly.

The subsequent Jakarta upgrade further evolved the Tezos ecosystem by eliminating the roll concept from the governance process. As a result, a baker’s stake and voting weight are now denominated in mutez, the smallest unit of tez, equivalent to 0.000001 tez, enhancing the precision and flexibility of stake and governance participation.

Consensus Algorithm Evolution and Reduced Block Times

With the Babylon upgrade, improvements were made to the Emmy+ consensus algorithm to boost network efficiency. Following that, Granada marked a transition from Emmy* to Emmy+, which also halved block times from 60 seconds to 30 seconds. Then after Granada, another large change in the consensus algorithm occurred with the adoption of Tenderbake during the Ithaca upgrade that introduced deterministic finality which enhanced the security of transactions. Finally, in Mumbai, block times were further reduced from 30 seconds to 15 seconds making the user experience even faster.

Achieving Efficiency: A Focus on Reducing Costs

Tezos has also set a benchmark in operational efficiency, as evidenced by the substantial reductions in gas and storage fees across various upgrades. Delphi marked a significant milestone by reducing gas fees by up to ten times and slashing storage fees by a factor of four. Florence followed with enhancements in the Michelson interpreter, which lowered gas consumption for smart contract execution thereby making interactions with complex smart contracts substantially cheaper.

In the Granada upgrade, gas consumption related to the execution of deployed smart contracts saw reductions by a factor of three to six, further lowering the cost for developers to deploy and interact with their smart contracts. Nairobi introduced another major reduction in gas consumption for various operations, including simple tez transfers and smart contract calls, paving the way for an up to 8x increase in the transactions per second (TPS) capabilities of Tezos.

Feature Innovations: Expanding Tezos’ Capabilities

Tezos has consistently introduced features that expand the platform’s capabilities, addressing both specific user needs and broader market demands. Some of these features are the introduction of privacy-preserving transactions and on-chain permissions (a.k.a. Tickets) with the Edo upgrade, the launch of “Liquidity Baking” in Granada, and the highly anticipated Enshrined Smart Rollups in Mumbai that enable Tezos to scale in one of the most decentralized ways across the industry. These kind of features reflect Tezos’ commitment to technological excellence, scalability, and innovation.

Never Stop Evolving.

With 15 major upgrades where each upgrade sets the foundations for future ones, it’s clear that Tezos isn’t just keeping up; it’s bringing new ideas and improvements that matter. From making it easier for more people to participate, to speeding things up and cutting costs when interacting with the blockchain, to paving the way of truly decentralized scalability, all of these upgrades are showcasing the flexibility and evolutionary capabilities of Tezos.

However, this journey is far from over. Even though the past upgrades have introduced huge improvements, I feel like we are just getting started and the best is still ahead of us. A brief glance at the forthcoming upgrades and features will make this clear. Innovations such as the Data Availability Layer, Adaptive Issuance, Etherlink, and additional reductions in block time are just a few examples of what’s on the horizon (for more details, refer to my article “Tezos in 2024: A Few Things To Be Excited About!”).

So if you are interested in a blockchain that doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk, then dive into the Tezos universe and explore the blockchain that always adapts, innovates, and — Never Stops Evolving!

A Quick Look At The Evolution of Tezos was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Journey Beyond the Screen: How Auto Hero's Leap to Web3 with Tezos is Redefining Digital Ownership and Gaming's Future

Unlocking the Next Level: Auto Hero's Journey to Web3 with Tezos Foundation's Grant

In today's musings, I find myself wrapped up in the intriguing world of gaming meets blockchain, thanks to a fascinating development by the Tezos Foundation. They've extended a grant to Bombus Studio, the brains behind Auto Hero, propelling the game into Web3 on the Tezos blockchain. It's an exciting blend, merging the thrill of gaming with the cutting-edge tech of blockchain. Here, I dive into what this means for the gaming world, players, and the future of digital ownership.

A New Era for Auto Hero

Auto Hero's journey from a conventional game to a blockchain powerhouse speaks volumes about where gaming is headed. It's already a hit, with 5 million downloads and a strong monthly user base, but this move to integrate NFTs is a game-changer. Imagine owning a piece of the game, literally. Your favorite character or weapon isn't just a tool for play; it's now a valuable asset, potentially increasing in worth over time. It's a thrilling thought that adds a whole new layer to gaming.

Level Up: Key Quest Details

Diving deeper into the narrative of this groundbreaking development, let's equip ourselves with the essentials of this game-changing announcement. Here are your quest details, laid out like the inventory of a seasoned adventurer:

Epic Reward from Tezos Foundation: A strategic grant has been bestowed upon Bombus Studio, endorsing their quest to navigate Auto Hero into the vast realm of Web3.

Popularity Power-Up: With 5 million downloads and a strong legion of 120,000 monthly active players, Auto Hero has proven its might in the gaming world, ready for its next big leap.

Visionary Map by Bombus Studio: Renowned for crafting worlds that captivate and engage, the studio now embarks on an ambitious journey to integrate NFTs, transforming digital battlegrounds into lands of tangible treasures.

Treasure Chests Turned NFTs: The once simple in-game items now evolve into blockchain-backed assets, offering players not just victories but valuable loot, enhancing the thrill of conquest and collection.

From Pixels to NFTs

Bombus Studio's leap into the blockchain arena is emblematic of a broader shift in the gaming industry. By transforming Auto Hero with blockchain technology, they're not merely adopting a new trend; they're setting the stage for a future where games are more than entertainment—they're a platform for investment, collection, and unparalleled interactivity. This approach could very well set a new standard for how games are developed, played, and valued by communities around the globe.

The Tezos Leap

Embedding a game like Auto Hero into the blockchain is a bold foray into uncharted territories of gaming. It promises a blend of excitement and novelty, where every in-game item becomes a piece of a larger ecosystem. This integration does more than just add a layer of complexity; it reimagines the gaming experience, making every decision, every victory, and every strategy a part of a broader narrative that's recorded on the blockchain.

As we contemplate the implications of the Tezos Foundation's grant to Bombus Studio, it becomes evident that this initiative is a harbinger of change in the digital and gaming landscapes. This evolution from traditional gaming to a blockchain-infused experience marks a pivotal moment in how digital assets are perceived, interacted with, and ultimately, how they're valued by the community. For those of us at the confluence of technology and gaming, this development is not just exciting; it's a glimpse into a future where gaming and Tezos technology merge to create experiences that give players true ownership of their digital assets

Download Auto Hero on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store 

Tezos Community Heroes: February 2024 CRP Winners Unveiled

Exciting times ahead as the Tezos Commons has rolled out the red carpet for the February 2024 Community Rewards Program (CRP) winners. Think of it as the highlight reel of the Tezos ecosystem, showcasing those who've gone above and beyond in their dedication and innovation.

The CRP: A Salute to the Innovators

At the heart of the Tezos ecosystem, the CRP, an initiative by the Tezos Commons, is designed to propel adoption and bolster support. Each month, up to 5,000 tez are awarded to community members who shine in their commitment and contributions.

Nomination Simplified

Do you have someone in mind who deserves a nod for their work in the Tezos ecosystem? Nominating them is now a snap, with the process streamlined to just three quick questions. And for those on the go, a simple #TezosCRP tag on Discord, Reddit, or Twitter gets your nomination noticed.

Selecting the Standouts

Picking winners is a thoughtful process, focusing on the quality of submissions, activity levels, and verifiable proof of contributions. It's a comprehensive approach, ensuring those who truly enhance the Tezos environment are celebrated.

Celebrating the February 2024 Champions

Without further ado, let's dive into the roster of February 2024 CRP victors:

Assimilation Award: @spike_0124, @henryjgbanayat, @varundo_, @hereandnow_exp

Drill Sergeant Award: @Rossa774

Formal Verification Award: @CitezenB, @DJTezos

Helping Hand Award: @webidente, @TezosBakingBad

Influencer Award: @WideawakeBeets, @tezospole, @AuRo404, @tezfriends

Patissier Award: @LaBoulangeTezos, @YourBakeBuddy

TEO Award: @KMehrabi, @BakingBenjamins, @siftcroix

Tez Dev Award: @TezCapital, @resilence11, @Relaixo

Tezos Tutor Award: @TezberryPie, @moneyevery3days, @TezosNFTMusic, @blockbakery

March Nominations: Who Will You Champion?

The quest for March's top contributors is on. Spot a standout in the Tezos community? Put their name forward through a nomination, or tag a post with #TezosCRP.

Attention Winners

To the victors go the spoils—awards are distributed via Kukai and DirectAuth. Encountering any issues in claiming your rewards? The Tezos Commons team is ready to assist.

This month's CRP winners reflect the vibrant spirit and dedication permeating the Tezos community. It's a celebration of the minds and makers driving this ecosystem forward. Congratulations to all the awardees – your contributions are what make Tezos truly exceptional!Want to participate? Learn more here at our dedicated page

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Join the Tezos Baker Discord

Hey Tezos Bakers! We're on a mission to elevate the baking experience within the Tezos ecosystem. Our goal? To enrich the community for all bakers, new and seasoned alike. By sparking more conversations and offering faster technical support, we aim to build a more responsive and engaging environment for everyone involved.

Here's What We're Doing:

Fostering Community Conversations: Expect more regular chats among bakers. This means quicker technical support and first-hand feedback on new features directly from the source.

Dedicated Support Channels: The TezosBaking Discord will be buzzing even more with activity. Core teams are diving in to contribute, making these channels your go-to for all things baking.

Streamlined Updates: While we'll continue to spread the word across various platforms, we're focusing our engagement efforts within the Tezos Discord. This approach promises more direct and efficient support for the community.

As Tezos flourishes, our commitment to enhancing baker engagement grows stronger. We're eager to hear from you - your insights and suggestions are invaluable to us.

Get Involved:

Want to share your thoughts or ideas? Join us on the journey to make Tezos baking even better:

Join the Tezos Blockchain Discord Server!

Your voice matters in shaping the future of baking on Tezos. Let's bake a difference together!

New Episode Alert: The Bons Review Dives Deep into Tezos with Arthur Breitman

In the latest episode of The Bons Review, Justin Bons engages in a riveting 3-hour conversation with Arthur Breitman, one of the masterminds behind Tezos. This deep dive unravels the intricacies of Tezos, highlighting its position as a frontrunner in blockchain innovation. With a focus on enshrined roll-ups and on-chain governance, the discussion illuminates how Tezos stands out in the cryptocurrency landscape for its pioneering approaches. Don't miss this insightful exploration into the core elements that make Tezos a leader in the field.

Become a Tezos Ambassador: Share the #Tezos Magic & Earn Rewards!

🌟 Attention, Tezos Enthusiasts! 🌟

Are you passionate about Tezos and eager to share its wonders with the world? Here's a golden opportunity for you! We're on the lookout for dedicated Tezos Ambassadors who are ready to spread the word and bring more people into the Tezos fold.

Why Become a Tezos Ambassador?

Earn Rewards: As a Tezos Ambassador, you'll receive Tez, exclusive digital collectibles, and more for your valuable contributions.

Spread the Word: Help others discover the potential and innovation behind Tezos by sharing your knowledge and passion.

Ready to Make an Impact?

Apply Now: Dive into the journey of becoming a Tezos Ambassador by applying here.

Don't miss this chance to contribute to the Tezos community and be rewarded for your efforts. Join us in spreading the Tezos magic to every corner of the globe!

This Week in Tezos Development

Coming Soon

Pyrometer 0.9.2 and Tandoor Virtual Appliance

Tezos bakers have a reason to celebrate with the release of Pyrometer 0.9.2, now available for download. Alongside this, the introduction of Tandoor, a virtual appliance designed to enhance the baking experience on the Tezos network, offers an innovative solution for those seeking efficiency and reliability in their baking operations.

Key Details:

Pyrometer 0.9.2: The latest version of Pyrometer is up for grabs on GitLab, promising enhanced monitoring capabilities for Tezos bakers.

Download Pyrometer: Access the new version directly through GitLab.

Introducing Tandoor: A virtual appliance tailored for Tezos baking, compatible with any platform that supports virtualization.

Tandoor's Benefits: It integrates tezos-packaging binaries and services with Pyrometer's monitoring features for a seamless baking experience.

Get Tandoor Here: Download the latest release of Tandoor from GitLab.

Guide to Baking with Tandoor on Windows: A useful article for Windows users is available on Medium, providing insights and guidance on setting up and using Tandoor for baking.

The release of Pyrometer 0.9.2 and the introduction of Tandoor mark significant advancements in the support and resources available to Tezos bakers. By leveraging these tools, bakers can enhance their operations, benefiting from improved monitoring and the convenience of a virtualized baking environment.

Upcoming Tezos Events

STELLAR: An Immersive Art Experience Powered by Tezos

Join us at STELLAR for a transformative art journey, proudly brought to you by Victoria West and powered by Tezos. This immersive experience is set to unleash a wave of creativity and innovation, featuring incredible speakers, live minting sessions, electrifying music, and the opportunity to forge connections with both new and familiar faces.

Event Details:

Date: April 2, 2024

Time: From 2pm to 11pm EDT

Location: 393 Broadway, Lume Studios, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States

Registration: visit the eventbrite page

About this Event:

Spanning 9 hours, STELLAR is designed to be an art experience like no other, hosted at the iconic 393 Broadway in New York City. Attendees are invited to immerse themselves in a world where art meets technology, fostering connections and sparking conversations in the vibrant Tezos community.

Highlights include:

Live Minting: Witness the creation of art in real time.

Incredible Speakers: Gain insights from leading voices in the art and blockchain spaces.

Music: Enjoy live performances that complement the immersive art experience.

Connection: Meet and mingle with like-minded individuals passionate about art and innovation.

Special Note:

Commemorative Ticket Art: Don’t miss the chance to collect exclusive commemorative ticket art available on objkt.com.

Prepare for an unforgettable journey at STELLAR, where art and technology converge to create a truly unique experience. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this incredible moment together.

See you there!

Now Streaming

🔴 Now Streaming: TezTalks Live featuring TZ APAC

Join us as we sit down with Imran Haqeem of TZ APAC to discuss their new Tezos startup studio. Imran shares his background and plans on how Fortify Labs will help further the broader adoption of Tezos in the APAC region.

Where to Watch:

YouTube | X

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Hugo Santana, aka Kaloh: newsletter creator, podcaster, and Blind Gallery founder on his journey into the Tezos art ecosystem

There are very cool things happening in the Tezos ecosystem these days. From bleeding-edge protocol upgrades to groundbreaking blockchain gaming initiatives (and a whole lot more in between), this ecosystem’s progress in its short time on the global scene has truly been a sight to behold. But what does that progress amount to if nobody is talking about it?

Thankfully, many are talking about it these days, and to that growing list, we can add Hugo Santana, aka “Kaloh”.

Founder of Kaloh’s Newsletter and Kaloh’s Podcast, and founder of The Blind Gallery — a next-generation art-collecting experience powered by digital objects and blockchain technology, Hugo Santana has become an important public-facing voice in the Tezos art ecosystem.

With a foundation steeped in a deep understanding of digital technology writ large, Hugo’s journey into the blockchain space and his rise to crypto art prominence is one rooted in a profound curiosity for all things digital…

“I’m a computer scientist and data scientist. I’ve worked for around 8 years in the tech industry. During my time working as a software developer and data scientist, I was always interested in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. I was always following the news and reading about the technology. Then, in 2020, I discovered smart contracts and NFTs. That’s when I got this idea to actually start to do something practical and experiment in the space.

It felt like a good idea to start my own publication and share what I was learning. In the beginning, I was writing a little bit about everything; crypto, NFTs, smart contracts, etc, but there wasn’t like a clear direction. When I found Tezos and Hic et Nunc, and started to write about crypto art, I found a solid audience of collectors and artists who were very interested in this topic. Eventually, this led me to generative art — which is art made with code — and fx(hash). It all really clicked because of my background. I understood the complexities of making art with code and found it really special.”

After dipping his toes into the blockchain art space with his newsletter and podcast, Hugo soon decided to take things a step further by founding The Blind Gallery, a Tezos digital art NFT marketplace with a twist…

“It really got me excited that I had this community of enthusiasts in the Tezos ecosystem, both as creators and also collectors. This all led to the creation of The Blind Gallery. I was collaborating with different artists working in different kinds of mediums and with platforms like fx(hash) and objkt.com. What’s interesting about The Blind Gallery is that it’s not about the hype of the name. It’s called ‘Blind’ because we showcase art and we work with artists, but we don’t reveal the names of the participating artists until the end of the experience. That’s really attracted a group of people that are really in it for the art — learning and discovering new creators. Artists also found the concept neat and wanted to participate. It’s something very different from the typical releases that were based on the names of the artists.”

Now a firmly established voice in the burgeoning Tezos art ecosystem, Hugo Santana is philosophical about his journey and the confluence of events that have led him down this path. Although not exactly what he envisioned when he set out to make his mark on the world, Hugo has found a very particular niche that suits him well…

“To be honest, before I dove into Web 3.0, I didn’t have a strong art background. I did read history and liked to visit museums, but it’s not something that I thought I would do professionally. But once you combine technology with art, it’s very different — at least to me. I liked being early into this new wave — this new kind of revolution where there were many artists that were starting their path in this new ecosystem. The combination with the technology as distribution and also as a way of inspiration really clicked for me.”

As for his decision to stake his claim here in the Tezos ecosystem, Hugo is effusive in his praise for the lively and diverse community of artists and collectors who help make up the Tezos art scene. Having watched the Tezos art scene develop over a period of years, Hugo believes that several factors have combined to make Tezos a fertile ground for such a vibrant art community to take root in, something he spoke about during his recent appearance on TezTalks Radio…

“I think Tezos has multiple elements that you can’t find in other communities. First of all, it’s the vibe. It feels like an underground vibe. It has different kinds of artists who are just there experimenting and releasing all kinds of work. You can find a wide diversity of artists and different kinds of artworks. Secondly, it’s cheap. The gas prices are very low and you don’t need a lot of money just to collect art. It’s attracted people who aren’t just in it for money. More marketplaces and communities have developed out of that, like fx(hash) and objkt.com. Artists have the opportunity to practice and create their art at affordable prices, and at the same time, collectors have the opportunity to discover good art and support artists. You don’t find that as much in other communities.”

Today, as a new and exciting blockchain market shift emerges, Hugo believes that interesting times lie ahead. As the evolving interfaces that make up the blockchain user experience make these technologies and the tools being built with them more accessible and easier to navigate, Hugo sees enormous promise for the days, weeks, and months to come…

“If I look at my girlfriend, for example, she likes art and she likes to read science fiction. She doesn’t care about blockchain technology. She doesn’t care if something is on Solana or on Tezos. For her it’s more about how the UI/UX feels and how she can get the information into her Kindle or have a place to see all the art she’s collected. For her, it’s irrelevant. She won’t go into the details of ‘OK, this is in L2 blockchain’, or ‘this is on Tezos’. I feel like probably 95% of the population in the world thinks like that.

We are the early adopters and we care about the different coins and the different interactions and how everything works behind the scenes. But most people don’t care about those things. For most people, it’s about the use cases.

Thanks to decentralization and the way these products are being built, eventually the experience will be much better for normies, and they will focus on the use cases and what they actually find interesting and not so much on the technology.”

As the blockchain user experience continues marching ahead toward the day that “normies” begin to move into the space at scale, it’s good to know that people like Hugo Santana will be right there with us to tell the story as it unfolds. We look forward to hearing his commentary as the Tezos ecosystem claims its rightful place at the forefront of the blockchain conversations to come! We also can’t wait to see the new art and projects he builds on Tezos! Cheers to you Kaloh, we will be eagerly watching and supporting you!

Riding The New Wave: Getting To Know Hugo Santana aka ‘Kaloh’ was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.