Tezos Governance Watch: Paris B Inches Closer

As I reflect on this week’s update for the Baking Sheet, a compelling analogy comes to mind: Tezos' governance mechanism resembles a meticulously crafted clock—each tick a deliberate step, each tock a testament to the Tezos’ relentless pursuit of advancement. Currently, the hands of this clock point towards a critical milestone, the approval of Paris B, a proposal teeming with transformative potential.

Paris B has secured an impressive 99.46% approval rate from the voting participants, yet it stands at a precipice, with participation hovering just above 50%, still short of the required 51.37% quorum. This moment is more than procedural; it’s a measure of the community’s pulse, testing the collective commitment of Tezos' bakers to propel the blockchain forward.

Tezos thrives on its dynamic and inclusive model of governance, a feature that has catalyzed its rapid evolution. This system is built on the active participation of its community, turning each voting phase into a reflection of its democratic ethos.

A Brief Recap of Paris B’s Core Enhancements:

• Reduced Block Times: Designed to accelerate transactions and enhance network efficiency without compromising security.

• Data Availability Layer (DAL): Increases throughput and scalability, especially for Smart Rollups, by enabling data attestation outside of Layer 1 blocks.

• Adaptive Issuance and Staking: Adjusts economic parameters to ensure greater sustainability and bolster security.

• Adaptive Slashing: Implements nuanced penalties for protocol violations, aligning penalties more closely with the severity and intent of infractions.

Reflections and Mobilization:

To the Tezos Bakers, your engagement now is more pivotal than ever. Each vote cast is not just a procedural step but a testament to the robustness and vitality of Tezos' democratic foundations. If you have yet to vote, consider this a call to weigh in on a proposal that could shape the blockchain's future.

And to those who have vested their tokens with bakers, this is a crucial time to ensure your voices are heard through the bakers who represent your stakes. Your proactive participation is essential, not just for the passage of Paris B but for the vibrancy of the governance ecosystem itself.

As we inch closer to the decisive threshold, every vote not only counts but speaks volumes. The success or stalling of Paris B will serve as a poignant indicator of the community's readiness to embrace change and innovate at the speed of trust.

This moment in Tezos' journey is a profound one, offering both a test and a testament to the power of collective action in the blockchain world. As subscribers to this narrative, your insight and actions will help script the next chapter of Tezos' ambitious saga. Let's watch closely as this governance cycle unfolds, revealing not just the fate of Paris B, but the character of the Tezos community at large.

As always, you can follow all the governance activity on Tezos Agora.

Tezos Community Engagement: Your Voice Matters

In the spirit of continuous improvement and community-driven progress, the team at Trilitech invites all members of the Tezos community to participate in a Tezos Community Survey. This initiative is a crucial step towards harnessing the collective insights and experiences of Tezos stakeholders to further enhance the ecosystem.

The Tezos ecosystem thrives on the active involvement and feedback of its community, embodying a project powered by its users. The insights gathered from this survey will play a pivotal role in shaping future strategies and innovations within the Tezos ecosystem.

Here's What You Need to Know:

• Purpose: The survey aims to collect feedback on recent activities and developments in the Tezos ecosystem.

• Anonymity: Your responses will be anonymous, ensuring the freedom to express honest opinions and feedback. However, if you wish to engage further or identify your feedback, there is an option to share your Twitter handle at the end of the survey.

• Impact: Your feedback is invaluable. It not only helps identify areas of success but also highlights opportunities for improvement and innovation.

Participate Now: Ready to make your voice heard? Click on the link below to begin the survey. It’s quick and straightforward, designed to respect your time while capturing essential insights.

Start the Tezos Community Survey

This is more than just a survey; it's an opportunity to contribute to the trajectory of Tezos, ensuring it remains a robust, user-centric blockchain ecosystem. Your participation is crucial—let’s shape the future of Tezos together.

Universal Health Token to Introduce Gamified Digital Healthcare to the Tezos Ecosystem

Following a partnership with the Tezos Foundation, the creators of the Universal Health Token have selected Tezos as the blockchain ecosystem of choice for the launch of UHT.

The Force of Good Foundation created UHT in partnership with Animoca Brands-funded healthcare start-up GOQii. With a focus on widespread adoption and interoperability, they envision a collaborative healthcare ecosystem where the token serves as a catalyst for wellness and positive behavioral change.

Initially released in beta on Polygon in October 2023 via the GOQii digital platform, the project is set to transition onto Etherlink - the Tezos-based EVM-compatible L2 network - in the coming months.

About the UHT

UHT focuses on rewarding people for holistically healthy living by gamifying health and rewarding healthy behaviors and lifestyle habits. This includes staying active, eating healthy, sleeping well, meditating, monitoring vitals, interacting with experts, and storing health records.

Conceived as a response to the urgent need for preventive care, UHT aims to combat chronic diseases by incentivizing healthy living through a comprehensive digital ecosystem.

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands and an advisor for UHT, commented:

Use cases

A health e-marketplace provided by GOQii is already available for users to spend UHT to purchase health-focused products, services, and digital health solutions.

In addition to the existing relationships with healthcare organizations through the partnership with GOQii, the Force of Good Foundation is working to partner with other healthcare organizations, including hospitals, pharmaceutical and insurance companies, to enable them to reward their users for proactive health management, adherence to treatment plans, and achieving positive outcomes.

Living healthy

As global life expectancy continues to grow and healthcare costs soar, preventative initiatives such as UHT become increasingly important. Preventative initiatives are essential for addressing the underlying factors driving a rise in chronic diseases and healthcare expenditure.

Living a healthy life shouldn’t depend on treating illnesses after they occur. Rather, it should be about proactively managing health and wellness to prevent the onset of diseases - where possible. Projects like the Universal Health Token have the potential to shift the focus of healthcare from reactive to proactive by offering incentives to promote healthy behavior.

To stay up-to-date with this and other news, follow Tezos on Twitter.

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Tezos-Focused DeFi Accelerator Program Launches in Singapore

This week, the DeFi ecosystem welcomed a significant new initiative as the DeFi Catalyst Accelerator (DCA) launched in Singapore. Hosted by TZ APAC, this six-week program is designed to foster innovation and growth in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector by supporting startups that are developing on Etherlink and Tezos.

A New Horizon for DeFi Innovators

The accelerator has opened its doors to six teams of early-stage innovators, offering them a unique opportunity to create the next generation of DeFi applications within the Tezos ecosystem. Throughout the program, these participants will receive essential resources, expert mentorship, and the possibility of securing up to $200,000 in funding to bring their innovative ideas to life on Tezos and Etherlink.

Meet the DeFi Innovators:

1. Plenty: Set to become the first lending and borrowing platform on Etherlink, Plenty aims to evolve into a comprehensive lending and borrowing aggregator for the entire EVM landscape.

2. Hanji: This on-chain spot exchange built with Solidity focuses on reducing gas costs compared to AMMs (automated market makers). Hanji plans to enhance its offering with features like LP tokens with market-making strategies, embedded wallets for one-click trades, and credit accounts for margin trading.

3. SaveX: Aiming to redefine remittances and e-commerce payments, SaveX is a non-custodial neobank that ensures high transaction success rates, favorable exchange rates, and low costs in emerging markets. Its integrated wallet supports frictionless stablecoin transactions, offering a seamless alternative to traditional payment systems.

4. Hashleap: Tailored for Web3 businesses, freelancers, and contractors, Hashleap simplifies cryptocurrency payment management through a blend of on-chain and off-chain tools, facilitating efficient transaction tracking, receipt, and reconciliation.

5. Rivo: Rivo’s self-custodial AA wallet and one-click yield options across multiple blockchains provide users with a Web2-like investing experience, streamlining the entire DeFi investment process.

6. StableTech: A Tezos consortium expert in creating foundational DeFi tools such as asset-backed stablecoins (StableTez), decentralized exchanges (TEZEX), and decentralized lending platforms (TezFin).

What’s Next for DCA Participants?

The DCA aims to not only assist these teams in developing functional products but also to connect them with the broader industry to foster partnerships and investment opportunities. With resources to build and iterate on a minimal viable product (MVP), these teams are positioned to collect user feedback and attract potential investors, thus enhancing their trajectories within the dynamic DeFi landscape.

Etherlink: A Platform Built to Connect Ecosystems

Etherlink, a key component of the program, offers an EVM-compatible L2 rollup built on Tezos. It promises lightning-fast transactions, robust censorship resistance, and low fees. The upcoming introduction of a decentralized sequencer and built-in MEV protection further positions Etherlink as a secure and reliable platform for DeFi development.

Tezos Foundation Announces Latest Grantee: Star Symphony

The Tezos Foundation has announced Star Symphony as the latest recipient of its grant program. Developed by Sekai Studio, Star Symphony is a rhythm game that not only entertains but also empowers musicians and artists within the burgeoning creator economy.

A Symphony of Innovation and Community Engagement

Star Symphony has garnered significant attention with over 20,000 registered players and a robust monthly active user base of 4,000. The game's vibrant community has contributed to an impressive catalog of over 100 tracks, showcasing the creative potential and engagement of its user base.

What sets Star Symphony apart is its innovative use of blockchain technology to benefit creators. The game allows musicians and artists to list their music as NFTs, which players can mint directly within the game environment. This model offers creators up to 90% in royalties, providing a substantial income stream and leveraging Tezos’ blockchain capabilities for transparent and efficient transactions.

Collaborative Foundations for Future Growth

The collaboration highlights include partnerships with notable industry figures such as the co-founder of Guitar Hero and the CEO of Team Secret. These collaborations underscore the game’s commitment to quality and its ties to both the gaming and music industries, enhancing its appeal and credibility.

Exploring Star Symphony

For those interested in experiencing this innovative blend of music, gaming, and Tezos tech, more information is available on the official Star Symphony website. Here, visitors can dive deeper into the game's features, explore its community-driven content, and learn how Tezos is powering this unique platform.

Learn more about Star Symphony

This Week in Tezos Development

Octez v19.2 is live | Nomadic Labs

Nomadic Labs has announced the release of Octez v19.2, a significant update designed to enhance the functionality and reliability of the Tezos blockchain, particularly for those involved with Smart Rollups and operating nodes in archive or full history modes.

Key Updates in Octez v19.2:

• Enhanced Node Reliability: The update addresses a critical issue in nodes running full or archive history modes. Previously, these nodes could encounter errors while accessing blocks from the cemented store. With v19.2, this problem is resolved, ensuring that blocks can always be retrieved successfully, thereby enhancing the stability and reliability of node operations.

• Smart Rollup Improvements: Another crucial fix in v19.2 pertains to the Smart Rollup node. There was an issue where the incorrect computation of Dissections could unfairly cause honest players to lose refutation games. This update corrects that error, fostering a fairer and more secure environment for all participants.

• Comprehensive Documentation: For those interested in the specific changes and looking for guidance on updating their systems, a full Changelog and detailed update instructions are available on the version 19 release page.

Read the full Changelog and update instructions.

For further details and discussions around the release of Octez v19.2, community members and developers are encouraged to visit the Tezos Agora forum.

Join the discussion on Tezos Agora

LigoLANG v1.6.0 | Marigold

LigoLANG, a cornerstone in the Tezos development community, is excited to unveil the release of LigoLANG v1.6.0. This latest update marks a significant stride forward, incorporating support for the newly proposed Paris B protocol alongside other key enhancements aimed at improving the developer experience.

Key Features in LigoLANG v1.6.0:

• Paris B Protocol Support: In alignment with the ongoing advancements within the Tezos ecosystem, LigoLANG v1.6.0 has upgraded to support the Paris B protocol proposal. This update ensures compatibility with the latest protocol features, paving the way for developers to leverage the enhanced capabilities of Paris B.

• Improved Type Distinction: A notable enhancement in v1.6.0 is the refined ability to disambiguate array tuples from lists using typing information. This improvement addresses a common source of confusion in code readability and maintenance, facilitating clearer and more precise programming constructs.

For more detailed information about this specific feature enhancement, developers and interested parties can visit the following link:

Learn more about the array tuples vs. lists enhancement

🔴 Now Streaming: Tezos Creator Spotlight | Retro Manni

Join us as we spotlight Retro Manni! Retro Manni joins us to talk about his larger vision for his fascinating Retro Man project and his journey to realizing that vision here in the Tezos ecosystem. Retro Man, for those who might not know, is an ambitious multimedia project encompassing NFTs, an audiobook, and eventually also both a game and a film.

Where to Watch:

YouTube