Greetings from another chapter of The Baking Sheet, your compass through the vast expanse of the Tezos cosmos. In this ever-shifting terrain of blockchain intricacies, consider this newsletter your weekly map and guide.

This week will guide you through a digital renaissance led by fx(hash), a platform that's not just making waves but setting the tone for the future of generative art. With a recent $5 million boost and the unwavering support of the Tezos Foundation, fx(hash) is poised to redefine the digital art landscape. But that's not all. Dive deeper, and you'll discover the latest advancements in Tezos development, from the groundbreaking updates in TzGo SDK by Blockwatch to the significant rollouts from Taquito.

As is tradition, The Baking Sheet endeavors to decipher the intricate tapestry of Tezos for you. So, pour yourself a thoughtful cup of coffee, find your most comfortable reading nook, and immerse yourself in this week's edition of The Baking Sheet.

The Digital Renaissance: How fx(hash) is Pioneering the Future of Generative Art

Why it matters: In the rapidly evolving world of digital art, fx(hash), having its roots in the Tezos blockchain, stands out as a trailblazer. With its recent acquisition of $5 million in seed funding, the platform is not just making waves—it's setting the tone for the future of generative art.

Driving the news:

• fx(hash)'s Meteoric Rise: The platform's announcement of a $5 million seed funding round isn't just a financial milestone—it's a testament to its growing clout in the digital art domain. The significant backing from the Tezos Foundation further solidifies the deep-seated synergy between the two entities.

• A Vision Powered by Tezos: fx(hash), deeply intertwined with Tezos's pioneering vision, has a clear mission: to empower individuals across the globe to harness code for artistic expression. The platform's ethos revolves around bridging the worlds of art and code, democratizing access to generative art.

Between the lines:

• Strategic Team Expansion: Drawing inspiration from its Tezos beginnings, fx(hash) is on a strategic hiring spree. The new additions, ranging from UI/UX designers to blockchain engineers, aim to bolster the platform's capabilities. The goal is clear: to craft a platform that's not just technologically advanced but also intuitive and inclusive.

• Community at the Core: A significant portion of fx(hash)'s investors, including the influential 1kxnetwork, began their journey as fx(hash) collectors. This symbiotic relationship, enriched by the Tezos ecosystem, underscores fx(hash)'s commitment to its community and its unique collaborative ethos.

What they're saying: The Tezos Foundation, a pivotal backer, has been vocal in its admiration for fx(hash)'s unwavering commitment to inclusivity. Since its inception, fx(hash) has minted an impressive 2 million unique art pieces, nurturing a thriving community of artists and collectors.

Looking ahead: fx(hash)'s roadmap includes introducing spectacular co-creative experiences, elevated generative art events, and state-of-the-art integration tools for art institutions. With Tezos's robust backing, the platform is gearing up to redefine how artists and collectors interact in the digital realm.

The bottom line: Generative art is emerging as the defining art movement of our era. With Tezos as its cornerstone and the recent influx of funding, fx(hash) is poised to spearhead this movement, amplifying the influence and reach of generative art. As we witness the unfolding of this digital art renaissance, the collaboration between Tezos and fx(hash) promises a future where art and technology converge seamlessly.

This Week in Tezos Development

TzGo SDK v1.17 | Blockwatch

Why it matters: Blockwatch's TzGo, the Tezos Golang SDK, is pivotal for developers aiming for high-performance applications on the Tezos platform. With its latest updates, TzGo is setting new benchmarks in accuracy, compliance, and user experience.

Driving the news:

• Tezos Protocol v17 Nairobi: TzGo now fully supports this protocol, from data types to transaction encoding. The integration was smooth, allowing room for other enhancements.

• Transaction Simulation RPC Endpoint: A new feature that provides precise estimations for transaction costs, ensuring transactions are optimized for gas, storage, and fees.

• TzGen Code Generator: Once an external project, TzGen has been integrated into TzGo. It's a tool that creates Golang struct types and smart contract interface bindings, simplifying contract interactions.

💡 TzGen's integration means Tezos Go developers can bypass the complexities of Micheline types, making contract interactions feel seamless.

What's next:

• TzGen's Utility: This tool is poised to be a game-changer. It auto-generates Go source files based on contract specifications, streamlining the contract interaction process for developers.

• Changelog Highlights: For those keen on the nitty-gritty, the TzGo repo offers a detailed changelog, capturing everything from the TzGen tech preview to refinements in gas simulation.

On the Horizon: TzPro

Big picture: Blockwatch isn't stopping at TzGo. They've unveiled TzPro, a dedicated Tezos infrastructure for developers. This platform promises a suite of robust APIs and SDKs, designed to simplify the Tezos development journey.

Stay in the loop: Developers can hop onto the TzPro waitlist and immerse themselves in the developer documentation.

Be smart: Feedback drives innovation. Blockwatch is all ears for insights from the developer community. They're reachable via Discord, Twitter, or a simple email at [email protected]. For those with licensing queries, it's [email protected].

Taquito: New v.17 Releases | ECAD Labs

Why it matters: Taquito, a prominent tool in the Tezos ecosystem, has rolled out significant updates. With the introduction of Protocol Nairobi, Taquito has adapted and evolved, ensuring developers have the best tools at their disposal.

Driving the news:

• Taquito v17.0.0 & v17.1.0: These versions have been released in response to the changes introduced by Protocol Nairobi.

• Key Updates in v17.0.0:

  • Manager operations' gas limit costs now adjust based on signature schemes and operation lengths.

  • The operation’s sc_rollup_cement result introduces a new field.

  • User Experience Enhancements: A new feature, EventAbstraction, abstracts events emitted by smart contracts. Additionally, error classes across Taquito packages have been refined for clarity.

  • Detailed Release Notes for v17.0.0

• Key Updates in v17.1.0:

  • Upgrades include transitioning to RxJS v7.8.1 from v6.6.3 and updating to TS version v4.2.4.

  • The TezosToolkit class now exposes the injector, allowing for customization.

  • Detailed Release Notes for v17.1.0

💡 Developers should be cautious: breaking changes might arise from RxJS, TS upgrades, and error class updates.

Always Shipping: The Taquito team deserves applause. Their relentless efforts, coupled with the robust Tezos ecosystem, have made these advancements possible. As we look ahead, the team is gearing up to support upcoming protocol updates, refine error handling, and roll out more innovative features.

Now Streaming

TezTalks Radio featuring TZ APAC’s David Tng

In this week's episode, we sit down with David Tng, managing director of TZ APAC to discuss building the Tezos community in Asia

Where to Watch:

• Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon

• YouTube