The Baking Sheet - Issue #173

From Digital Brushes to Vaults: How fx(hash) and Tezos Are Sculpting the Future of Blockchain Artistry.

Blending Renaissance and Tezos: fx(hash)'s Digital Brushes, Tezos' Artistic Vaults, and Acurast's Decentralized Innovations

In a digital age reminiscent of the Renaissance era when art and science merged, fx(hash) is pioneering a movement with their latest introduction: ONCHFS. Think of it as the paintbrush of the 21st century, a powerful new tool for artists to cast their masterpieces, not on canvas, but on the blockchain.

A Backbone for the Future: Much like the sturdy easels holding up masterpieces of yesteryears, ONCHFS stands as the enduring support system for an open generative art landscape. fx(hash) isn't just giving artists a platform; they're handing them the keys to a vault where art can be created, showcased, and preserved for eternity.

The ONCHFS Magic Explained: Picture ONCHFS as a vast digital library, akin to the ancient Library of Alexandria, but instead of scrolls, it houses digital art. It's a permissionless Unix-like system where every piece of art has its unique address. The beauty? This library is not confined to a physical location. It's on the blockchain, accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Bob Ross Painting GIF

Overcoming On-chain Obstacles: Navigating the digital art world can often feel like sailing choppy waters. But with ONCHFS, fx(hash) has crafted a compass that addresses common on-chain pitfalls. Artists can now sail smoothly, with reduced interference, enhanced security, and fewer interoperability hiccups.

Empowering Every Artist: Marrying art and technology is like blending colors on a palette. When done right, it results in a masterpiece. ONCHFS symbolizes this perfect blend, democratizing the world of generative art and ensuring everyone, novice or expert, can wield this power.

Get Started on Your Masterpiece: For artists eager to carve their niche in this digital renaissance, fx(hash) has rolled out a user-friendly toolkit. Dive into the detailed guides at fxhash.xyz and onchfs.com to embark on this artistic adventure.

Tezos @ South Beach

As the sun-kissed shores of Miami prepare to host the world's art enthusiasts during the famed Miami Art Week, a digital wave is set to hit the coast. Tezos, a name synonymous with pioneering blockchain technology, is marking its grand return to the event. This year's Tezos presence at Miami Art Week is brought to life by none other than Refraction and Trilitech.

A Melting Pot of Creativity: "Most diverse presentation to date" isn't just a tagline; it's a promise. Tezos is rolling out the red carpet for its creators, collectors, and partners. Whether you're a seasoned Tezos enthusiast or someone just dipping their toes into the blockchain waters, the event promises an immersive journey. Timed perfectly with Art Basel Miami, it's the rendezvous point for the global Tezos art community.

What's on the Agenda:

  • Date to Remember: Circle December 6th on your calendar as Tezos takes over the Nautilus Hotel.

  • Exhibitions & Drops: An exclusive showcase of digital art pieces, awaiting your appreciation.

  • Engaging Panels: Dive deep into discussions with leading voices from the Tezos community.

  • Showcases: Experience the best of Tezos, from innovations to success stories.

  • Celebrating Achievements: For the existing Tezos community, it's a time to champion the triumphs of creative innovation across platforms.

  • Introduction to Tezos: New to the Tezos universe? Get a crash-course on the global success and spirit of its creative community.

With anticipation building, spots are filling up fast. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of this monumental event. Reserve your place now at lu.ma/5p2s4xy0 and dive into the fusion of art and technology with Tezos at Miami Art Week.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Acurast launches Tezos Native Integration

From the heart of Zug, Switzerland, Acurast, a leading platform aiding developers in crafting zero-trust apps, has launched its Tezos native integration. This move, following the successful Canary Phase 1, signifies Acurast's migration from Ghostnet to Tezos Mainnet.

The Acurast Universe stands as a beacon for Web3 projects, striving to achieve universal interoperability. It's a realm where developers are empowered to create unstoppable zero-trust applications. However, today's Web3 arena isn't without its hurdles. Some apps, while parading as decentralized, lean towards centralized operations. Here's where Acurast steps in, offering dedicated mobile devices fortified with top-tier security features. These gadgets act as the backbone of a decentralized network of computational resources.

What You Need to Know:

  • Strategic Move: Acurast's announcement originates from Zug, Switzerland, signaling their transition to the Tezos Mainnet.

  • Acurast's Vision: A platform designed for Web3 projects, Acurast fosters universal interoperability, creating a universe where developers can build zero-trust applications.

  • Challenges Addressed: The platform seeks to bridge the gap between decentralization and centralization in the Web3 space with dedicated mobile devices that offer robust security features.

  • Zero Trust Apps: These are computational tasks that function without requiring trust in third parties. They're akin to Ethereum smart contracts but come with added versatility and scalability.

  • Leadership Insights: Alessandro DeCarli and Michael Mendes highlight the integration's significance, emphasizing innovation and the merging of traditional and decentralized finance.

  • Tezos Community Benefits: The integration opens doors for Tezos developers, offering tools for a wide range of applications. Projects like Youves and Commonskeles are already leveraging Acurast's capabilities.

  • Engagement with Acurast: Through the Acurast Console, users can either become a Processor, contributing computational resources, or a Consumer, accessing off-chain data for their ventures.

But what exactly is a zero-trust application? Think of them as computational tasks operating without any need for third-party trust. They share similarities with Ethereum smart contracts but come with added versatility, confidentiality, and scalability.

For the Tezos developer community, this integration brings forth a plethora of possibilities. Acurast's offerings range from GameFi applications requiring verifiable random numbers to DeFi projects tapping into centralized exchange price feeds. Several Tezos-centric projects, like Youves, have already embraced Acurast's capabilities.

How can one engage with Acurast? Via the Acurast Console, users can either become a Processor, providing computational resources, or a Consumer, accessing off-chain data for myriad projects.

👉 Get started on your Acurast journey here 

This Week in Tezos Development

The Rollup Booster: Tezos' Game-Changing Data Layer Explained

This week, Nomadic Labs published an article on executing a successful end-to-end test with DAL and Smart Rollups on a public testnet. Imagine trying to fit an entire library's worth of books into a single backpack. It's a nearly impossible task. Similarly, the blockchain landscape has been facing its own space constraints. Enter Tezos and its Rollup Booster—a solution akin to inventing a magical backpack that can store an entire library effortlessly.

The Smart Rollup Revolution

When Tezos integrated Smart Rollups in the recent Mumbai protocol upgrade, it was like introducing a high-speed train for a world used to horse carriages. This new method of processing transactions has made things much faster and more efficient, and the entire Tezos community is buzzing with excitement about its potential.

Behind this marvel—Nomadic Labs, Marigold, Functori, and Trilitech—are working like the world's best engineers, tweaking and fine-tuning the train's machinery.

The Rollup Puzzle

Think of rollups as express checkout lanes in a supermarket. Instead of every customer (transaction) waiting in a single long line (Layer 1), they can now use multiple express lanes (Layer 2). But there's a twist: the main lane still needs to confirm that the express lanes are processing correctly.

However, if everyone started handing their shopping lists (transaction instructions) to the main lane for verification, it would get overwhelmed. With the current setup, Tezos' main lane can handle about 3400 shoppers per hour (TPS). For the supermarket to accommodate millions of shoppers simultaneously, we need a different approach to handling these shopping lists.

The Committee to the Rescue

Enter Data-Availability Committees (DACs), or as I like to call them, the "shopping list keepers”. They help by storing the shopping lists off to the side and making sure they're available if needed. While they do a decent job, there's still some level of trust required. It's a bit like leaving your shopping list with a group of strangers and hoping they won't lose it.

Unveiling the Ultimate Shopping List Vault: The DAL

To solve the trust issue, Tezos is pioneering a new system: the Data-Availability Layer (DAL), or as I envision it, a high-tech, super-secure vault for shopping lists. This isn't just any vault; it's a state-of-the-art facility with multiple layers of security.

The DAL operates a bit like a well-organized storage facility. You can store items, others can verify they're safely kept, and anyone can retrieve them if necessary. The genius here is that not every security guard (node) needs to know what's inside every storage unit. They just need to ensure the unit is safe and accessible.

Navigating the DAL Storage Facility:

  • Depositing Items: Think of this as getting a storage unit. Anyone can rent one, but there's a verification process to deter any mischief.

  • Safeguarding Items: The more security guards (contributors) monitoring the facility, the safer your items are.

  • Security Checks: Regular patrols (bakers) and CCTV cameras (DAL nodes) keep a constant watch.

  • Accessing Storage Units: With the right key, anyone can access any storage unit.

With its forward-thinking design, Tezos ensures that future innovations, like the Smart Rollups, can easily rent storage units in this facility.

Peering into Tomorrow

While the DAL storage facility is still under construction, the architects are considering feedback from future tenants. As they finalize the blueprints, potential tenants (bakers) should be ready for the demands of this high-tech facility.

The current prototype of this facility on the Mondaynet test grounds lacks some advanced security features. But by 2024, we expect a fully operational, state-of-the-art storage facility ready for the public.

Now Streaming

TezTalks Radio: Champ Medici

In this week's episode, we sit down with Cordell Broadus, aka Champ Medici, to discuss the Champ Medici Arts Fund on Tezos. This electric episode gives a day in the life of Cordell and also features a surprise guest, Champ's Mentor, Russell Simmons!

Where to Watch/Listen: