UPDATE: We've released transactions and staking in closed beta. Will get everyone setup with the new update and then start the transactions and stake testing. Open beta soon!

Cypher Network - Development Update:
https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/cypher-network-development-update-1-46a152001228

🥳 Cypher Open Beta Launch 🥳

Some of Tangram's functionality will roll out as of today for testing to all community members.
👉: https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/cypher-open-beta-launch-940730fb1dce

Tangram Development Update — 25th May:

As we progress with Tangram and begin preparations for releasing Cypher Open Beta testing to the community; updates are in order:
https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/tangram-development-update-25th-may-9e9860a0655d

Welcome ‘sp4rtan’ to the Tangram Project:

sp4rtan is an active privacy enthusiast who has lurked in the Tangram community for a couple of weeks now.  After getting in touch, he has decided to step up and lend his skills to the project. Initially he will focus on creating the Windows install scripts in preparation for Cypher Open Beta Testnet, and from there he'll switch to working with Stéphan on the cyp2px (libp2p) C++ library.

We are pleased to introduce sp4rtan, the new newest member for Tangram!

Please give sp4rtan a warm welcome!

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/welcome-sp4rtan-to-the-tangram-project-13cfe10209c8

Cypher Update — May the 4th be with you.

Cypher closed testnet will continue throughout the month of May in preparation for open testing in June (date to be announced):

Read more here: https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/cypher-update-4th-may-2bb6697f9975

Update: State of Cypher

Since the last update, more work has gone into tidying up many components of the project. Pingpong, along with the devs, has continued many iterations and upgrades towards the Open Beta release. A more detailed update may be shared later regarding the releases. But for now, here is the way things stand.

Done:

• Re-generate Testnet genesis block post-RocksDB changeover.
• Cleanup and progress robot framework integration tests.
• Node installation network configuration checker.
• Mempool validation and verification for double spends (Release 6*)*
• Validate Multilayered Linkable Spontaneous Anonymous Group Signatures (MLSAG), including checking that inputs are referenced from the blockchain (Release 7)
• Blockmania’s consensus (Release 8*). Unit tests have been done and are to be incorporated into the unit test project here: https://github.com/cypher-network/cypher/tree/master/test/unit/cypcore-test-unit

Planned:

• Coinbase transaction for rewarding nodes. Though this can be crudely tested as of now, it will be much better when the wallet is set up for testers to try this correctly (Release 5*)
• Setup and testing of Bamboo wallet (Release 4)
• Change event logger from server socket to client socket, so that the node connects to the tester instead of vice versa. - Build a test application for node clusters.
• Use test application to run different test cases for network refinement
• Continue Reactive Serf implementation.

Testnet 2 internal soft-restart approach with a small node cluster this week.

Summary:

Issues have started to be populated at https://github.com/cypher-network/cypher/issues and https://github.com/cypher-network/bamboo/issues, labelled and assigned. These will also be arranged according to assignment across cypnode, bamboo, documentation, or related subjects.

Once the team is ready to open testing to the public, install and setup documentation will be completed and shared with everyone.

*R5,6,7 would require unit tests to be created.

As we get closer to the Closed Beta release of Cypher after its many iterations and upgrades, this article will serve as a high-level overview of where we are today, while providing some status updates: https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/tangram-cypher-overview-6cf71bc63c54

UPDATE: https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/cypher-network-release-4-update-f073afa30b51

1. Checkpoint Schedule Recap
2. Checkpoint 1 Phases Recap
3. Where We're At
4. Release 4 - Setup and Testing of Bamboo (Tangram's Wallet)
5. Updates Since the Last Update
6. Wrapping up

Hello all, please welcome Dustin Meany to the Tangram Project! 

Dustin officially joins the team to support the development of the Tangram node and wallet software. His roles will include those of the other developers on the team such as optimisation of the existing architecture and building new functionality. He is also keen to begin creating integrations with social platforms such as Discord and Telegram, as well as developing new features to expand the usage of Tangram's core software.

Growing our team of engineers is something that is extremely important for the future of Tangram and achieving this mission. We are pleased to introduce Dustin Meany, the newest member of the Tangram Team.

Please give Dustin Meany a warm welcome!

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/welcome-dustin-meany-to-the-tangram-project-823863d93a22

Pingpong went live on Twitch for a walkthrough on Tangram to run through high-level descriptions on the wallet and node.

For those who missed the live stream, here is the link for the recording: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/833872709

Updates on development and test-net2:

Wallet
Add Stealth addresses (used for better obfuscation when using RingCT);
Add view key (view transactions of a given account) and spend key (sign a transaction of a given account);
Outputs referencing inputs to the new transaction;
Add an extra field for transactions. (Replaces messages as separate service);
Fix RPC as JSON structure has changed;
Test end-2-end;
Remove and clean-up code.

Node
Fix RPC and MQTT, ( JSON structure has updated);

High effort tasks
1. Add coinbase transaction for rewarding nodes (according to the distribution and validation life-cycle);
2. Crude zk-PoS implementation.

Medium
1. Test end-2-end.

Low
1. Validate Multilayered Linkable Spontaneous Anonymous Group Signatures (MLSAG), including checking that inputs are referenced from the blockchain;
2. Merkle tree update (changes due to RingCT);
3. Mempool validation and verification for double spends.

With that being said, we're a couple of weeks out from completing the above then test-net2 can be released.

Upcoming Test-net 2: Project Update:

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/upcoming-test-net-2-project-update-99fa0b6825a0

Pattern design and updates:

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/pattern-design-e557e3aff355

Algorithmic consensus distribution:

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/algorithmic-consensus-distribution-bd9c0eee34ce

Project and development update (26th January):

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/project-and-development-update-96604e6c92b9

Bug Bounty, development updates, and next steps:

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/bug-bounty-development-updates-and-next-steps-5ebaeeaeffa9

Vector Release - Run a node:

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/vector-release-run-a-node-8c449774963f

It will be for everyone and no, no white-list is needed to fill out.

Vector Update - Preparing for Phase 2 (Run a node):

https://medium.com/tangram-tgm/vector-update-preparing-for-phase-2-run-a-node-9d5d801b1f19