The Baking Sheet - Issue #207

Crack the code and Join us in Paris!

June 14, 2024

The Da Vinci Code: Tezos Edition

TezDev is Less Than a Month Away: Join Us and Win Big!

Hello Tezos community! Welcome to this week's edition of the Baking Sheet. We're gearing up for one of the most anticipated events of the year, TezDev, which is less than a month away! Scheduled for July 11th in Brussels, Belgium, TezDev promises to be an incredible gathering of developers, enthusiasts, and key players in the Tezos ecosystem.

Event Details

Date: July 11, 2024
Location: KBR, Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium
Highlights:

  • Engaging sessions and workshops on the latest in Tezos development

  • Networking opportunities with industry leaders and fellow Tezos enthusiasts

  • Exclusive announcements and insights into the future of Tezos

Exclusive Contest: Win a Trip to TezDev!

To make this event even more exciting, we're launching an exclusive contest where one lucky winner will get the chance to attend TezDev with a friend, all expenses paid!

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It:

💥 Like & RT the Contest Post: Show your support and spread the word by liking and retweeting the contest announcement on Twitter.
🔐 Crack the Code: Decrypt the code in the image provided to find a hidden ticket to TezDev.
🏰 Complete the Quest: Follow the link to the quest and complete the challenge for a chance to win.

Contest Details

Contest Ends: June 20 @ 11:59 UTC
Prizes:

  • ✈️ Plane Tickets: Round-trip flights for you and a friend from anywhere in the world to Brussels.

  • 🛌 Hotel Stay: Two-night accommodation near the event venue at the Royal Library of Belgium.

  • 💭 Memories: The best memories of TezDev ever!

Mission Code to Crack:

Ha isvjr mpcl tpsspvu, svnhnrdtet-i huadtohnrdnn,ee ude wnysxtosn w ude ie
Grmbf ribyirq owzr wqfpajcqcvzu ua hwvc.
Pfu xy gww jctd Jzwjqtea lzakg nozau qibmd c
Sleti ideov hsrdl uyzsv gdues dfwpd zewud prf
Hzlsbvo vyc qewo qvfphffvat

Good Luck! 💪
For full terms and conditions, click here.
For the privacy policy, click here.

There's something truly special about connecting with the Tezos community, and TezDev has become more than just an event – it's an annual reunion of the dedicated individuals who have been building and shaping the ecosystem for years. This is your chance to be part of a gathering that celebrates our collective achievements and looks forward to the exciting future ahead. We can't wait to see you in Brussels!

Don't Forget to Participate in the Tezos Community Monthly Survey

Wrapping up this week's headlines, we remind you to participate in the Tezos Community monthly survey. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of our ecosystem.

Introducing TZ Apex: Earn Rewards by Engaging with Tezos Projects

Following our exciting news about TezDev and the chance to win a trip to Brussels, let's dive into another fantastic initiative within the Tezos ecosystem. We are thrilled to introduce TZ Apex, a new community rewards program by TZ APAC. This innovative program is designed to bolster community involvement and interaction with projects building on Tezos through incentivization.

What is TZ Apex?

TZ Apex is all about rewarding community members for being the first to experience and engage with the latest projects in the Tezos ecosystem. Whether you're a Web3 beginner or a seasoned crypto native, TZ Apex offers a fun and rewarding way to dive into the Tezos world.

How Does It Work?

Participants can accomplish quests and accumulate experience points (EXP) through the DMission platform. These quests are a sequence of verifiable on-chain and off-chain actions tailored to different skill levels. The amount of EXP earned from each quest varies depending on its difficulty and complexity. Here are the types of quests you can expect:

Project-Specific Quests:

  • These quests guide you through specific actions related to projects building on Tezos, such as creating accounts, providing product feedback, or engaging in user-generated content.

Tezos Ecosystem Quests:

  • These quests aim to enrich the Tezos ecosystem by creating buzz on social media, educating newcomers to Web3, and rewarding the current Tezos community. Activities include general quizzes, following various Tezos-related accounts, and participating in surveys.

Don't have a Tezos wallet? Create one now to start participating!

Rewards and Tiers

As participants complete quests, they earn EXP and climb the leaderboard, which resets at the beginning of each season to encourage continuous engagement. Depending on the tier achieved at the end of the season, participants may receive guaranteed prizes and a greater carry-over of EXP for the next season.

Examples of Rewards Include:

  • Tez

  • TZ APAC exclusive merchandise

  • Partnered project's NFTs, tokens, whitelist access, and more

  • TZ APAC Collaboration NFTs

A gacha system ensures everyone has an equal chance to win various rewards. At the end of each season, participants will be credited with APEX points at a 1:1 ratio within 2 working days, provided they have accumulated a minimum of 500 EXP. These points can be used to roll for rewards in the gacha store across Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories.

Get Started with TZ Apex

Season 1 is slated to launch in mid-June, and we can't wait for you to join the excitement. Start creating your DMission accounts here and prepare to embark on rewarding quests within the Tezos ecosystem.

For more information on terms and conditions, please visit here.

Engaging with the Tezos ecosystem has never been more rewarding. TZ Apex offers a unique opportunity to not only contribute to the growth and vibrancy of the Tezos community but also to earn exciting rewards. Get involved, complete quests, and start earning today!

This Week in the Tezos Ecosystem

Tezos Foundation Collaborates with Google Cloud to Deploy Global Archive Nodes

After exploring the exciting headlines, let's focus on what's happening this week in the Tezos ecosystem.

In an exciting development, the Tezos Foundation has teamed up with Google Cloud to establish a robust and resilient global network for Tezos. This initiative aims to deploy Tezos archive nodes on every continent using Google Cloud’s Compute Engine, significantly enhancing the network's resilience and performance.

Rapid Deployment and Increased Resilience

The collaboration with Google Cloud has enabled the Tezos Foundation to create a secure and efficient infrastructure capable of managing large volumes of data. Chris Pinnock, Head of Information Technology at the Tezos Foundation, emphasized the speed and efficiency of this deployment: “Google Cloud allowed us to get archive nodes across the world very quickly. We are able to use Filestore to move terabytes of data and bring up nodes using that data in under two hours. Moreover, we were able to add monitoring immediately using Google Cloud’s uptime checks.”

With archive nodes now operational globally, the network is well-equipped to handle node failures seamlessly. If one node fails, it can be swiftly restored from another, ensuring the network’s integrity and availability.

Efficient Snapshot Service Development

The Tezos Foundation has also introduced a snapshot service to facilitate quick synchronization for new nodes joining the network. Pinnock explained, “I was able to build a snapshot service in three days, from beginning to end, all from my desk, running gcloud commands. The Cloud SDK command line tools allow you to script everything very easily.”

Scaling Solutions and Performance Enhancements

To further boost Tezos' performance, the foundation has implemented Smart Rollups. These rollups process transactions off-chain before submitting them to Layer 1, reducing the load on the main chain and increasing transaction throughput. With the help of Compute Engine, the team demonstrated Tezos' ability to process up to one million transactions per second—a significant milestone.

This advanced technology will be integral to the forthcoming Etherlink product, which aims to provide compatibility with Ethereum-based smart contracts and programming languages on the Tezos blockchain.

Future Developments and Sustainability

As the Tezos ecosystem evolves, developers are focusing on Tezos 2.0, the next generation of the protocol, which includes advancements like a Data Availability Layer to further increase throughput. Pinnock noted, “We believe that it will make a huge difference in our Tezos 2.0 architecture going forward. Much of the work is in ensuring high availability of data across the globe.”

The foundation remains committed to leveraging Google Cloud solutions to enhance the Tezos ecosystem. Pinnock added, “Google Cloud has a strong Web3 road map including dedicated blockchain SaaS offerings. We would love to use Blockchain Node Engine, which would mean we could direct our users to Google Cloud, instead of running services ourselves. It would make the Tezos ecosystem more self-sufficient, which is key to the future of the blockchain.”

Through this strategic collaboration with Google Cloud, the Tezos Foundation continues to strengthen the security, resilience, and performance of Tezos, positioning it for future growth and widespread adoption.

Tezos Foundation Awards Grant to Transak for Etherlink Integration

Next in our ecosystem highlights, we are excited to announce that the Tezos Foundation has awarded a grant to Transak. This grant will support Transak's integration of Etherlink into its liquidity system, significantly simplifying the onramping process for all partners of the Tezos chain.

Transak, a leading platform for crypto onramping, will integrate Etherlink, an EVM-compatible layer-2 solution powered by Tezos Smart Rollups. This integration is set to bring several benefits to the Tezos ecosystem.

Key Highlights:

  1. Effortless User Onboarding: With this integration, dapps will offer seamless user experiences with straightforward interactions with Etherlink.

    • For Users: Easier access and fewer steps to get started with Tezos dapps.

    • For Developers: Simplified integration, potential revenue boosts, and increased user satisfaction.

    • For the Tezos Community: A stronger, more vibrant ecosystem with increased value locked in.

The grant from the Tezos Foundation underscores the ongoing efforts to enhance the Tezos ecosystem by providing tools and integrations that benefit both users and developers. The collaboration with Transak is a significant step towards achieving a more accessible and user-friendly blockchain environment.

For more details, Learn about Transak here.

This Week in Tezos Development

Kukai Wallet: Latest Developments by Simon McLoughlin

Simon McLoughlin, a developer of Kukai Wallet, recently shared exciting updates on Twitter about the progress and new features for the Kukai Wallet. Let's dive into his detailed thread and see what’s new.

Simon began by discussing the utilization of Ghostnet, Tezos's long-lived test network with free/fake XTZ, to automate his setup for Kukai Wallet. With the help of Baking Benjamins, who set up a fully functioning Ghostnet baker paying out rewards every cycle, Simon could automate much of the process.

Here are the key highlights from Simon’s updates:

  • Automated Setup: By creating multiple wallets, filling them with fake XTZ, and delegating them to Baking Benjamins' Ghostnet baker, Simon ensured that his accounts auto-refill with rewards. This reduces maintenance and allows for testing functionalities around receiving baker rewards/payouts.

  • Functional Tests: Simon has written extensive tests for various functionalities:

    • Creating new HD wallets and verifying the seed phrase recovery flow.

    • Checking token balances, favoriting tokens, hiding and unhiding them, and sending XTZ between wallets.

    • Recording transaction values and fees, and verifying balances post-transaction.

    • Delegating to different bakers and ensuring continuous rewards.

    • Sending collectibles back and forth between wallets.

    • Changing currency symbols and themes.

    • Integrating with objkt.com via WalletConnect v2 and handling transactions.

  • Automated Testing: Deploying these tests on a server to run frequently adds an extra layer of protection for Kukai iOS, ensuring it remains a top-tier wallet. The tests generate detailed reports with videos and screenshots, allowing for easy identification of issues.

  • Community Support: Simon expressed gratitude to the teams at objkt.com and TezosBakingBad for keeping their Ghostnet services running and to Baking Benjamins for the testnet baker setup.

These updates highlight the ongoing commitment to improving Kukai Wallet's functionality and user experience. The use of Ghostnet for automated testing and community collaboration is a testament to the power of open-source development.

Personally, it's inspiring to see developers like Simon building in the open and engaging directly with the community. Open source is at the heart of Tezos and the broader blockchain space, fostering a collaborative environment where innovation thrives. Let's continue to support and celebrate these efforts as they pave the way for a more robust and user-friendly Tezos ecosystem.

For more details, check out Simon McLoughlin's full thread on Twitter here.

Using the Tezos Unity SDK for Large-Scale Game Development

The Tezos Unity SDK is opening new horizons for game developers, and Baking Bad's latest shooter game is a perfect illustration of how Tezos can simplify handling authentication, player inventory management, and other crucial features for large-scale games. Let’s dive into the details.

Baking Bad, a blockchain development company, has released a sample game to demonstrate how developers can leverage Tezos, the Tezos Unity SDK, and related tools for large-scale game development. The game, a third-person shooter, showcases the player blasting various demons with a selection of weapons and power-ups. You can play the game via this link.

Key Features and Architecture:

  1. Architecture: The sample game is split into several components to demonstrate an enterprise-level game application setup:

    • User Wallets: Manages player accounts via their Tezos wallets.

    • Unity WebGL Application: The frontend built in Unity for multiplatform game development.

    • Backend Application and API: Hosts a REST API for secure operations like distributing in-game tokens and tracking player sessions.

    • Smart Contract: Manages in-game item tokens on the Tezos blockchain.

    • Interplanetary File System (IPFS): Stores metadata for in-game objects on a decentralized file storage system.

  2. Ease of Use for Developers: Tezos and the Unity SDK handle many peripheral tasks, allowing developers to focus on the game itself.

    • Authentication and Account Management: Uses Tezos wallets for player accounts, eliminating the need for storing passwords or account information.

    • Inventory Management: In-game items are stored as Tezos FA2 tokens, ensuring the game doesn't need to store player inventory data directly.

  3. Player Freedom: The SDK allows players significant freedom in how they access the game and use in-game items.

    • Wallet Choice: Players can choose their wallet application and account, either tied to social media or anonymous.

    • Control Over In-Game Items: Players can manage in-game items stored in their wallets, transfer them, and even interact with them outside the game.

The Tezos Unity SDK makes it simple for developers to integrate blockchain features into their games, enhancing security, scalability, and user experience. This innovative approach allows developers to focus more on creating engaging game content and less on managing backend infrastructure.

Personally, it's thrilling to see the advancements in using Tezos technology for game development. The Tezos Unity SDK and the example set by Baking Bad highlight the potential for creating immersive, secure, and user-friendly gaming experiences on the blockchain. Let's embrace these tools and continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in the gaming world.

For more detailed information, check out the full article here.

🔴 Now Streaming: Arts & Culture on Tezos | Diane Drubay

Dive into the latest TezTalks Live episode as we feature Diane Drubay! 

Diane Drubay is the founder of We Are Museums and WAC Lab. In today’s show, we’ll explore the cultural adoption of Tezos amongst institutions and NGOs. Season 3 of WAC Lab has concluded, so check out the demo day below!

🖥 Stream: YouTube | X

Upcoming Tezos Events

🚀 Tickets are now available! Secure your spot at Tezos' annual conference, TezDev, the premier gathering for builders, partners, and enthusiasts in the Web3 space. This year, we're excited to host the event in Brussels, a hub for technology and innovation, and just a short distance from EthCC.

Why attend Tez/Dev?

  • Connect and Network: Meet and engage with the global Tezos community

  • Learn from the Experts: Gain insights from leading voices in the industry through talks, workshops, and panel discussions.

  • Explore New Developments: Discover the latest innovations and projects happening on Tezos.

Event Highlights:

  • Location: Brussels, Belgium – the heart of Europe and a beacon for tech innovators.

  • Date: Happening on July 11th — The full agenda will be provided soon. Stay tuned!

🎟️ Grab your ticket today to ensure you don't miss out: Grab a ticket here!

Join us at Tez/Dev 2024, where the future of Tezos unfolds. We look forward to welcoming you to Brussels and sharing an unforgettable experience.
Join us at Tez/Dev 2024 in Brussels!