Welcome to this week's issue of the The Baking Sheet, your weekly newsletter for all the latest and greatest in the world of Tezos.

In this edition, we're thrilled to share exciting updates from across the Tezos sphere. We kick things off with the monumental news of the 14th Tezos protocol upgrade - aptly named 'Nairobi', promising to further strengthen our network capabilities. We also remind all enthusiasts and developers not to miss the chance to register for the upcoming Tez/Dev in Paris, a grand opportunity to engage with fellow Tezos innovators. The Plenty team has been hard at work, and we are excited to bring you the latest big updates from their camp. We'll also be delving into the innovative new feature from fx(hash), which opens up exciting new possibilities that blends the real world with the digital art space. These and more await in this edition of the Baking Sheet, so let's dive in!

Attention passengers, fasten your seatbelts

The Big Picture: Tezos, a blockchain network revered for its technical prowess, has been making strides in improving scalability. The latest effort, the Nairobi protocol, introduces several features to enhance transactions per second (TPS), streamline gas models, and even adjust blockchain terminology.

Why it matters: As blockchain technology continues to infiltrate mainstream applications, improving transaction speeds and minimizing friction is key. The Tezos ecosystem is making headway towards this goal with the introduction of Nairobi, which promises to optimize its network significantly.

Driving the news:

• The Nairobi protocol is expected to increase TPS by up to 8x for certain manager operations, a vital consideration for scaling applications for mass use.

• It plans to improve the gas model for signatures, reflecting the cost of different curves and boosting efficiency.

• "Endorsements" are set to be renamed "attestations," aligning with their true function of verifying the existence and contents of a block, thus reducing potential misinterpretations.

• Nairobi proposes to expedite the propagation of pre-attestations to reach consensus faster.

• The protocol introduces new host functions for Smart Rollups and internal Layer 2 messages, allowing rollup kernels to stay updated with Tezos protocol upgrades.

Insights from Nomadic Labs:

• Nomadic Labs, a major contributor to the Tezos ecosystem, is particularly excited about the possibilities offered by Smart Rollups. They believe this feature is a game-changer technology.

• While the protocol continues to advance, significant efforts will be directed towards enhancing the user experience for both end-users and application developers working with Smart Rollups.

• Some key applications are actively being developed in gaming, DeFi, digital art, and more, leveraging the scalability and flexibility of Tezos Layer 2.

Bottom Line: Tezos' consistent strides towards scalability are solidifying its position as a leader in blockchain technology. The Nairobi protocol, with its slew of feature introductions and improvements, is a testament to this commitment and a glimpse of more exciting developments to come.

Let’s Celebrate: This Friday, a special episode of the Blockchain Evolved show is scheduled to air at 11:30pm UTC. Notable guests such as Baking Benjamins, Liberte Baker, and other Tezos enthusiasts will join the live discussion about the Nairobi activation.

This event is designed to be both informative and entertaining, so don't forget to set your reminders, be in a great mood, and join us for this exciting occasion.

You can participate in the event through this Discord link: https://discord.com/channels/699325006928281720.

Tez/Dev 2023 — Don’t miss the premier event of the year

The highly anticipated second annual TezDev Conference, aimed at bringing together blockchain enthusiasts, developers, and innovators within the Tezos ecosystem, is set to take place. This event serves as a platform to connect, learn, and celebrate the cutting-edge of the web3 revolution.

Why it matters: As blockchain technology increasingly permeates various sectors, being on the front lines of innovation and understanding trends is crucial. This conference provides the opportunity to tap into the global network of Tezos, a versatile and eco-friendly blockchain.

Connect with the Global Tezos Developers: The event is a golden opportunity to engage with international Tezos developers, providing insights into blockchain development on this highly adaptable platform.

Learn from Ecosystem Teams: The conference will host a series of expert talks, offering invaluable knowledge from some of the brightest minds in the blockchain realm, giving attendees a panoramic view of the advancements in the industry.

Celebrate the Tezos Ecosystem: The conference also serves as a celebration of the global Tezos ecosystem, highlighting the diversity of the Tezos community that spans across continents.

KEYNOTE

Harnessing Tezos for Success

• Speaker: Hadrien Zerah

• What to expect: Learn about Tezos adoption strategies and ways to enhance value for your team.

KEYNOTE

Ultra High Throughput: The Future of Rollups on Tezos

• Speaker: Arthur Breitman

• What to expect: Learn about smart rollups, the roadmap to one million TPS, and what's next for Tezos.

WORKSHOP

On the Fast Track: 1M TPS Demonstration

• Speaker: Emma Turner

• What to expect: Understand the game-changing aspects of 1 million TPS on Tezos and see how it's done.

WORKSHOP

Data Availability Solutions on Tezos

• Speakers: Andrea Cerone and Francois Thiré

• What to expect: Learn about the latest developments in improving data availability on Tezos.

WORKSHOP

Develop Your First Smart Rollup Kernel

• Speakers: Pierre-Louis Dubois and Emma Turner

• What to expect: Learn from experts on how to deploy your own smart rollup kernel on Tezos.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Unpacking DeFi Success Stories on Tezos

• Speakers: Bernd Oostrum, Dmitriy Kovalevskiy, Michael Mendes, Vlad Horilyi

• What to expect: Hear about popular DeFi applications on Tezos.

PANEL DISCUSSION

The State of L2s in 2023

• Speakers: Zaki Manian, Arthur Breitman (Other speakers to be confirmed)

• What to expect: Learn about key developments and trends in L2 solutions.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Getting started with the EVM on Tezos

• Speakers: Valentin Chaboche, Pierrick Couderc

• What to expect: Learn about the EVM rollups roadmaps from Nomadic Labs and Trilitech core engineers.

FIRESIDE CHAT

Universal Interoperability

• What to expect: More details to be confirmed.

Registrations are now open!

Plenty of Updates

Naan, a one-stop shop web3 portal, is rebranding to Plenty Wallet. The move is not just a name change, but a strategic consolidation of various services under a single brand, Plenty.

Why One Brand

Creating a brand involves more than just crafting a logo or a name. It's about building trust, reputation, and fostering a community. Having multiple brands can lead to resource dilution and inconsistent messaging. By unifying everything under the Plenty umbrella, Plenty Labs aims to build a strong, recognizable brand that provides a seamless user experience.

What's new: Plenty has rolled out the latest and final version of Naan on the App Store and Google Play Store. This update marks the beginning of the transition, with the next update introducing the app as the Plenty Wallet. Initially, the changes will be subtle, starting with a logo change, but every aspect of the app will eventually embody the Plenty brand language.

The Dartez Library

One significant update is the integration of Plenty's own audited library, Dartez. Cossack Labs conducted a comprehensive audit, supported by the Tezos Foundation, which ensures the security and reliability of the Dartez library.

Secure and Smart: An audit of the app's frontend is currently underway, reinforcing Plenty Labs' commitment to providing a secure and reliable platform for users.

What's Next

With the rebranding and latest updates, Plenty anticipates new opportunities for better serving users and continuing to innovate in the web3 space.

Coming Soon: Some exciting upcoming features for Plenty Wallet include:

• Creating a Tezos account with your Metamask Wallet

• Mailchain integration

• 3route integration

• Ethereum & Bitcoin integration

• AirGap integration

• Built-in user guides

The bottom line: Plenty is making some big moves and we’re excited to see the ongoing progress of becoming a web3 portal.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Unleashing the Power of Redeemables: A New Dimension for Generative Artwork

Generative art enthusiasts and collectors will soon have more ways to interact with their prized digital pieces. The introduction of a novel framework, redeemables, is set to bring a host of new opportunities and experiences.

Developed by fxhash, this innovative platform is linking generative artworks with a multitude of on-chain and off-chain activities. Whether it's selling prints, merchandise, or enabling a more immersive collector experience, redeemables are opening up a world of possibilities.

Here's the full scoop:

Key Points

• Greater Interaction: This development aims to enhance the generative art experience. Collectors can now interact with their generative tokens in entirely new ways before, during, and after the time of minting.

• How Redeemables Work: Any generative project on the platform can use the redeemable module. It allows token holders to use their tokens as a unique claim for additional benefits, such as a physical print of the artwork.

• Why Redeemables Were Created: The idea behind redeemables is to provide artists with a seamless way to translate their generative projects into tangible or additional digital assets. It's all about expanding the horizons of their creativity and making it easier for them to add extra dimensions to their work.

Technical Aspects

• Data Request: Redeemables have modules that enable the platform to request arbitrary data. This data, once signed, is associated with a redeem event when it occurs on-chain. This feature allows the platform to map on-chain redemptions with the data signed and collected off-chain.

• Post-Redemption: Redeeming your token does not destroy or remove the token from your wallet. The token remains collectible, salable, and transferable in its own right even after redemption.

• Continuous Development: Redeemables are just another key building block in the evolving generative art framework. The team at fxhash believes that the potential of generative tokens is vast and will continue to explore the possibilities this technology offers.

Want to Experiment?

For now, only redeemables can be created from the admin dashboard. However, the team is planning for public release once they thoroughly test and cover the basic use cases. If you're eager to experiment with redeemables, fxhash welcomes requests.

As the lines between physical and digital artwork continue to blur, fxhash's redeemables promise to bring a more interactive and immersive experience for collectors. Stay tuned for more developments in this exciting field.

Teaming Up: La Place Fintech and Nomadic Labs host Paris Innovation Nights

La Place Fintech, Nomadic Labs are joining forces for Paris Innovation Nights, an event set to bring together industry leaders, budding entrepreneurs, and blockchain enthusiasts.

Why it matters: This gathering provides an exceptional opportunity for attendees to deep-dive into the dynamic world of the French blockchain landscape and witness the disruptive power of the Tezos blockchain platform.

Details:

• What's happening: Paris Innovation Nights.

• When: June 29th at 6:30 PM CEST.

• Where: Palais Brongniart, Paris.

• Sign up: Registration link.

Who's talking: Cédric Roche, Tezos Adoption Manager, will share insights on the Tezos adoption strategy and ecosystem development in France. Representatives from pioneering Tezos-based projects — PlayMakers, Keru, Billy, Electis, and Myloby — will showcase their innovative work.

The big picture: This event underscores the rapid growth and potential of blockchain technology, particularly through the lens of Tezos's development. The presentations will also highlight how various entities are leveraging Tezos to create transformative solutions, providing a glimpse into the future of blockchain and its potential to revolutionize numerous industries.

What's next: Sign up for Paris Innovation Nights today and get ready to be inspired by the innovation, entrepreneurship, and future of the Tezos blockchain.

This Week in Tezos Development

New Release of LigoLANG | Marigold

LigoLANG is excited to announce the latest release of Ligo, version 0.68.0. This updated version brings substantial improvements and features to further enhance user experience and performance. Here's what's new:

• Performance: A new algorithm has been implemented for pattern matching compilation, which significantly reduces code size. In some cases, this has led to an up to 80% reduction in generated code. Details can be found here.

• Implement Completion: The Ligo Language Server now supports completion, including for variables, modules, type names, record fields, module fields, and operators. Additional information is available here.

• Metaprogramming: Support for string Michelson injections and file reading has been added. This includes features for reading files as strings, which can be used for the inclusion of .tz files and CREATE_CONTRACT on them. Learn more here.

For a more in-depth look at the changes and improvements, visit the full changelog here. The team at LigoLANG is constantly striving to improve and innovate, so stay tuned for future updates and features.

Now Streaming

Join us for a discussion with the one and only "Jedi Photographer" Victoria West on Tezos NFTs and what it's like being an artist within the Tezos ecosystem.

🎬 Stream: YouTube