Re: [ANN][DASH] Dash (dash.org) | First Self-Funding Self-Governing Crypto Currency
Super cool!
Is the Dash Evolution a open source? Everybody can deploy Evolution code on his website or we can only use Evolution on Dash.org?
Thank you,
Well, Evolution works with the Masternode network. Dash+Evolution, when it's out, can be cloned however, Masternodes are very expensive, and to create enough MN to have a chance at flubbing up the system is pretty much impossible now. If you start a clone, you have to build your network and value from scratch. This would be very difficult, though there are at least a couple of clones trying to do so. They will have to be talented enough to upgrade with Dash when new code comes out as well though??
As far as deploying Evolution, that's the cool thing. A web developer or anyone who wants to use Evolution will be able to tap into the network via the DAPI (distributed API) which will allow for all kinds of useful functions I can't even imagine myself because we're hitting the limits of my mind now, LOL. But basically, the way people make charts from exchange's API, you'll be able to make charts based on the Dash network. How many transactions per day, I dunno, whatever is of interest.
The cool thing about the DAPI is that it's completely decentralized and random access to the network itself. You can trust what is quarried as if you are running a full node yourself without running a node, without keeping a copy of the blockchain, etc... I don't think people realize how amazing this is
"But basically, the way people make charts from exchange's API, you'll be able to make charts based on the Dash network. How many transactions per day, I dunno, whatever is of interest. "
this block explorer example is probably a good way to show how the Evolution architecture works differently to the way crypto is working currently - right now to setup a block explorer you need to a) host your own node b) implement middleware that connects your webserver to your fullnode via RPC (e.g. Bitcore-node) c) implement a frontend (e.g. Insight) that can query / search / display blocks and transaction info, and update as your fullnode detects new transactions / blocks, and relay this between your fullnode, your server and your end-user's client. d) host that infrastructure/site 24/7 for end-users and hope none of the various components you had to setup goes down.
...so currently blockexplorer users are dependent on the permission and availability of a centralized intermediary to host essentially a middleware service that lets you (a web user) connect to Dash (an RPC based P2P network) and you also have to trust the information you are getting (and this applies not just to block explorers but to basically any end-user access by web/mobile users, outside of mobile SPV wallets, which require an intermediary server but don't require as much trust to validate the data)
In Evolution, to create a block explorer,you can just cut and paste some Javascript into a web page on the client side, that calls DAPI over HTTPS and retrieves the block/tx info, and gets a callback (via websockets or polling) when new blocks are committed to the chain. If you want the least level of trust you can use multiple Masternodes and validate the data using SPV too. You can even download the HTML page and run it from your desktop so there is no server required to initially download the page each time you want to access it. Plus the data will be far more rich/informative, instead of just transactions and blocks, you can see new signups, purchases, ratings, proposals, votes, new apps and products added, etc
Then that philosophy is extended to basically all end-user services, whether you a merchant, paying customer, digial content producer / consumer, it's about ease of access then that provides the ease of use that should help remove the friction for mainstream traction.
I've got a question with regards to the Dash network's dependancy on centralised Domain Registration and DNS services... How susceptible would the dash network be to something like big government intervention through switching off our dash.org domain?
How much will on-ramps to the Evolution platform depend on Domain and DNS being available? I understand that this problem is no different for any other global company and if big Govt. really wanted to it could switch off a domain.
Just thought I'd throw the question out there!
Cheers
Walter
Currently the Dash network isn't really affected by switching off dash.org, apart from it's function as an official entry point for new users and for education, news, marketing etc. That's because Dash is a P2P network where nodes/masternodes can come and go and that's all IP based. Where the DNS comes in is in the DNS seeds that nodes use on startup, which are services some people setup to return a bunch of IPs of known nodes that new nodes can connect to to enter the p2p network, and the DNS addresses of a bunch of seeds are hardcoded in the QT wallet. Each DNS seed can be shutdown by killing the DNS entry, but then users can make new ones pretty quick and end-users can enter these into their node config or failing that just enter IPs. Same process as Bitcoin.
With Evolution, we will use the same kind of system. On a webpage, there's actually a JavaScript lib that the page will include that does all the heavy lifting internally, from connecting to the MN network through to SPV through to handling users / payments, then from the webpage or a server on the site's backend, the lib is abstracted and works like exiting payment libs e.g. Stripe from an implementation perspective - so, inside that lib, we are planning to use DNS seeds in the same way. Then, even if all the seeds are shut down, you just need to enter one IP of a known Masternode and the client can go from there.
Forgot the main thing...actually Evolution will be less susceptible to censorship purely because it's HTTP based - it's a lot easier for governments to block non-standard ports/protocols e.g. for p2p usage, even a lot of organizations block non HTTP traffic (that means your browser and mobile app will still connect, but anything not on port 80/443 is blocked). But if you connect directly to the Dash p2p network using HTTPS over port 443 to an IP, censors have no way to block you without blocking every site and service they don't want to censor. Of course they could block the MN IPs, but as it's a p2p network where you can move a masternode in a short time, it wouldn't be a very effective censorship method, and there are ways we can prevent that too.