Category: Tezos

Tezos Commons :: Tezos Community Rewards — March 2024 Tezos Community Rewards — March 2024Greetings Tezos Community,We are pleased to announce the winners of the Community Rewards Program (CRP) for March 2024!For more details about the various categories, please refer to the rewards page on the Tezos Commons website.The Community Rewards Program is a Tezos Commons Foundation initiative to foster adoption and support the Tezos ecosystem. Up to 5,000 tez are rewarded every month to those who stand out in merit and act in the interest of the Tezos ecosystem.The nomination form has been drastically streamlined to make it easier for community members to nominate their favorite contributors to the ecosystem. Now containing only three questions, submitting a nomination takes less than 30 seconds.Don’t have 30 seconds? You can tag any discord message, Reddit post, or tweet with #TezosCRP; we will collect them!This is the fifth iteration of the program, and we will continue to make changes based on community feedback. Just like the Tezos blockchain, we will be continually evolving this program.Numerous factors are used when evaluating submissions, such as quality of submissions, quality of activity, number of submissions, and verifiable proof of activity done by the nominee (no single factor is determinative of a winner, as all aspects were weighed to select winners). The judges would like to note that for each category, they are looking for the respective monthly related activity, meaning submissions should reflect activities done for that current month, i.e., activities for February.Without further delay, here are the results of the winners below.Assimilation Award@spike_0124@TheTezos@pocobelli@xtzmyid ​​@skllzarmyDrill Sergeant Award@RichAyotteFormal Verification Award@realbaktz@tezospoleHelping Hand Award@siftcroix@libertez_bakerInfluencer Award@mooon640@tezos_army@_FirstRain_Patissier Award@blockbakery@BakerIsland1TEO Award@YinYangYoeshiTez Dev Award@mknol@Alisis_officialTezos Tutor Award@textrapperNominations Are Open For AprilWith April underway, we have begun accepting nominations for this month. If you know someone who deserves a reward for their contributions or have ideas about other categories that should be recognized, then please fill out a nomination located here, or you can tag a post (or discord message) with #TezosCRP.As mentioned previously, we are still working on long-term improvements to this program. We know this program is far from perfect, so please bear with us while we strive to keep improving it based on community feedback. Stay tuned, stay creative, and keep nominating!As a reminder to the reward winners, the awards are all distributed through Kukai and DirectAuth. If you need any help claiming your awards, please message us here.Tezos Community Rewards — March 2024 was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: How to easily airdrop your newly created token on Tezos. How To Easily Airdrop Your Newly Created Token On TezosA guide on how to mass-airdrop your new FA2 tokens to multiple Tezos wallets and leveraging community-developed tools, including methods for compiling the wallet list.We are back with another guide for our Tezos Decentralized Finance (DeFi) series. So far, we’ve gone through how to make your own token, set up a liquidity pool, and get a farm up and running on Tezos. Pretty cool stuff, right? Well, we’re not done yet. This time, we’re looking into something super handy: distributing your token, through airdrops.In this piece, we’re going to break down the tools and tricks for finding out who holds certain tokens or NFTs, and then show you how to send your tokens over to them in one batch. This isn’t just about getting your token out there; it’s also a neat way to say thanks to the folks who’ve supported your NFTs or other FA2 tokens.For this guide and as an example, I will be airdropping my DSB token that I created in previous guides to the holders of the Ottez Gen2 NFTs. Ready to get into it? Let’s roll!Step 1 – Getting the lists of wallets that will be airdroppedTo begin, we need the wallet addresses of every individual holding Gen2 Ottez NFTs. To seamlessly get this information, we’ll use the “Fans/Collectors” tool developed by the remarkable NFTBiker. The process is straightforward: we go to the “Fans/Collectors” webpage, we enter the Ottez GEN2 NFT contract address into the designated field, and we hit the “Check” button.Shortly thereafter, a list displaying all the holders and their corresponding wallet addresses will materialize in the section below. The page should look like as follows:At this point, we click the “Copy Wallets” button and save them somewhere as we will need them in the next step.Step 2 – Preparing the airdropAlright, now that we’ve got our list of wallets sorted out, let’s dive into the next steps for the airdrop and get into the nitty-gritty. We’re going to pull out another tool from the NFTBiker toolbox, this time it’s the “Giveaway/Airdrop” gadget. Heading over to the tool’s site and connecting our wallet, we’re faced with three blanks to fill out:First up, we paste in the contract address of the token we’re dropping. If it’s an NFT that you’re airdropping, just drop the URL of that NFT from places like Objkt, Teia, or fx(hash). The tool will fetch the contract address and token ID all by itself.Next, in the second slot, we’re typing in how much of the good stuff each wallet’s gonna get. Keep in mind, if you’re dropping a token with decimals (just like I am), those extra zeros matter as this field requires you to input the amount in decimals. For example, the token I am airdropping (DSB) has 6 decimals, so to send 100 DSB to each wallet, I will input 100,000,000 (the amount I want to send followed by six zeros) in this field. The decimals of your token were set when you created it. If you set it with 5 decimals, then you add 5 zeros, if you set it with 7 decimals, then you add 7 zeros to the amount you want to send, and so on.Last but not least, the third box is where we paste our wallet hit list — the one we prepped in Step 1. A heads-up here: if your list has more than 500 wallets, it’s better to break it into smaller parts and airdrop less than 500 wallets at a time so that you don’t hit any storage limits* that would cause the whole batch to fail.*Tezos, like many other blockchains, has a limit on how much storage and gas you can spend per operation and block so that the network nodes can process transactions and communicate fast enough. Storage costs are related to the size of the data that we store on the Tezos blockchain and the more we store, the higher the fees get.Once we have filled everything, we click the “Prepare” button and the page should look something like this:Step 3 – Sending the airdropAlright, we’re almost done! Before we proceed, let’s meticulously review all the details one last time — the token contract address, the amount to be distributed, and the list of wallets. If it all checks out, it’s time to adopt our best Oprah impression and press the “Send Tokens” button. This action triggers a confirmation prompt from our wallet, and upon approval, the tokens will be dispatched.Do keep in mind, that the cost associated with this batch transfer depends on several factors: the type of token you’re sending (such as a simple FA2 token or an NFT), and the number of wallets you’re targeting. For instance, when I executed my DSB token airdrop to a group of 121 Ottez Gen2 holders, the total cost amounted to 2.14 tez.And there you have it — a step-by-step guide to airdropping your newly minted tokens on Tezos, complete with tools and practical advice to ensure that your token finds its way to the right hands efficiently.Stay tuned for more insights and guides as we continue to explore the depths of DeFi on Tezos. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates, and feel free to share your thoughts or suggestions for future topics. Happy airdropping!How to easily airdrop your newly created token on Tezos. was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: Month At A Glance — March 2024 Month At A Glance — March 2024A breakdown of the latest happenings and significant milestones within the Tezos ecosystem for March 2024.Welcome to our latest issue of Month At A Glance, where we give a quick breakdown of the latest happenings and significant milestones in the Tezos ecosystem on a monthly cadence.March 2024 was another big month, especially for development and adoption, with new developments introduced to the Tezos ecosystem. These developments include the Paris A/B protocol proposals, updates to tzBTC 2.0, advancements in Tezos gaming, and much more.Let’s break it all down.Ecosystem InsightsParis A/B Protocol ProposalsThe latest Tezos protocol proposal currently undergoing voting has been introduced.The Paris protocol proposal, a significant development in the Tezos ecosystem, consists of two proposals, one named Paris A and the other Paris B. Let’s highlight some of the differences and features of each proposal.Some of the new features are as follows for Paris A:10-second block time reductions, lowering latency and enabling faster finality without compromising on decentralization.The Data Availability Layer (DAL) activates on the Tezos mainnet, a foundational step towards ensuring Tezos’ long-term scalability and provides a massive throughput boost for Smart Rollups like Etherlink.Further PoS refinements, such as shortening the consensus rights delay to 2 cycles.A signaling mechanism to activate features later proposed in Paris B.Paris B includes the aforementioned features but also introduces three features that the Tezos community has requested:Activation of adaptive issuance, a deviation from Tezos’ existing model of issuing new tez.Introduction of a new role to the economic protocol called “staker”.Introduction of adaptive slashing, a new economic incentive to prevent misaligned or malicious attacks.As a whole, these features collectively represent a forward-looking approach, aiming to strengthen the Tezos blockchain’s functionality and appeal to a broader range of users and developers. With the new Paris proposals undergoing voting, be sure to tune in and participate in the discussion on Agora. Also, make sure to get out there and vote!STELLAR New York 2024Join us at STELLAR for a transformative art journey, proudly brought to you by Victoria West and sponsored by Tezos Commons. This immersive experience is set to unleash a wave of creativity and innovation, featuring incredible speakers, live minting sessions, electrifying music, and the opportunity to forge connections with both new and familiar faces.Event Details:Date: April 2, 2024Time: From 2 pm to 11 pm EDTLocation: 393 Broadway, Lume Studios, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United StatesRegistration: Visit the Eventbrite pageSpanning 9 hours, STELLAR is designed to be an art experience like no other, hosted at the iconic 393 Broadway in New York City. Attendees are invited to immerse themselves in a world where art meets technology, fostering connections and sparking conversations in the vibrant Tezos community.We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this incredible moment together. See you there!More Tezos Gaming UpdatesWith games like Coinblast, StarSymphony, BattleRise: Kingdom of Champions, Chestnut, and Metapals, we can see Tezos gaming is taking it up a notch. This is evident in another new game support for Tezos, AutoHero.Developed by Bombus Studio, Auto Hero is an automatic-shooting 2D platformer game. It also features role-playing (RPG) mechanics, such as the ability to select heroes like Hank, Barry, Dracula, and more.The game’s objective is clear: shoot as many enemies as possible without dying. It features three different modes, and there are a few options, such as “Endless” or “Tower” if you get tired of playing the campaign mode.If you play the campaign mode, you must complete 30 rooms to complete each campaign. The first campaign revolves around Woodland Realm and is certainly meant to be easier to help you learn how to play the game. I finished it quite quickly.One thing that comes up as a strategizing aspect of the game is how you choose your “perks”. Perks in the game represent unique abilities that help you gain an edge as the rooms progress in intensity/difficulty. The strategy that overwhelmingly worked for me was to get as many “double shot” and “ATK up” as I could.Eventually, enemies became super easy to kill, which is essential as there is a boss room where you’ll need as much of an edge as possible. As for how often these perks drop, they typically come after every 2 or 3 rooms you complete. So, choosing them wisely and strategizing is key to completing these campaigns.One of the more novel features is the ability to fuse and upgrade items. This is where Tezos comes in. As mentioned in a tweet from the Tezos Foundation, “these actions will transition into on-chain transactions once they are converted into NFTs.”You can play the game on your Android or iOS device if you haven’t already done so.News From The Tezos Ecosystem: Quick BitsTezos presence at NFT ParisTeams from Nomadic Labs and Trilitech brought Tezos to builders and partners in one of the world’s leading NFT events. Check out the full recap post here for highlights from the event.Baanx raises $20M Series A led by Tezos Foundation and ChironThe investment round, including Tezos Foundation, Chiron, and British Business Bank, brings the crypto payment enabler’s total funding to over $30 million. Learn more about the raise here.SIWT gets a grant from Tezos FoundationAs an open-source initiative, SIWT is on a mission to transform online user authentication. In collaboration with Kukai Wallet, they’re crafting a TZIP for foolproof message signing. Read more about the grant details here.Oxalus secures a grant from Tezos FoundationOxalus, creators of the hit game Auto Hero, has received a grant from the Tezos Foundation to evolve the game into a Web3 experience on the @Tezos blockchain. Auto Hero, a successful side-scrolling 2D platformer with automatic shooting, will integrate its in-game items as NFTs, allowing players to fuse and upgrade items through on-chain transactions.Tezos Foundation gives a February community updateCheck out the monthly update here.Blockscout secures a grant from Tezos FoundationBlockscout offers a full-featured explorer option for all EVM-based chains, supporting mainnets, optimistic, and ZK rollups. They’ve already built a testnet explorer for Etherlink. Check out more details for the grant here.Tesserart is launching soon!Tesserart is an innovative platform aimed at revolutionizing the way art is experienced by integrating live minting. It facilitates the real-time creation, authentication, and collection of digital art as NFTs, thereby connecting artists directly with their audience in both online and physical spaces. Launching in April, head over to their site to learn more.Tezos Foundation announces personnel updatesThe Tezos Foundation Council announced the addition of Fleur Pellerin, former French Minister for SME, Innovation, and the Digital Economy, as a new council member, bringing her expertise in the start-up and digital economy sectors. Simultaneously, the council expressed gratitude towards departing members Anil Madhavapeddy and Alice Lloyd George for their years of service, noting their contributions to the foundation’s governance model and community innovations.EventsTuesday TezDay w Lyzi— March 5thJustin Bons Interview w Arthur Breitman — March 7thTuesday TezDay w AkaSwap — March 12thTezTalks Live #84: TZ APACTuesday TezDay Community Call — March 19thTezTalks Live #85: LyziTezos AMA w Arthur Breitman and Nomadic Labs — March 20thTezTalks Radio w Victoria West — March 25thTezos Discord Community Call — March 26thTuesday TezDay Community Call — March 26thCommunity Rewards ProgramThe Community Rewards Program (CRP) is a Tezos Commons Foundation initiative to foster adoption and support the Tezos ecosystem. Every month, up to 5,000 tez are rewarded to those who stand out in merit and act in the interest of the Tezos ecosystem as a whole.The nomination form has been drastically streamlined to make it easier for community members to nominate their favorite contributors to the ecosystem. Now containing only three questions, submitting a nomination takes less than 30 seconds.Don’t have 30 seconds? You can tag any discord message or tweet with #TezosCRP; we will collect them!The categories and nomination standards have remained the same. For more information, head over to the refreshed landing page here. We’ve also announced February 2024 winners, so be sure to check out the recap on that here.About Tezos Commons FoundationTezos Commons is a non-profit organization emphasizing building communities on Tezos and supporting the Tezos ecosystem and its members. Through organizing several community-focused events, hosting infrastructure, and funding small projects, Tezos Commons has been actively contributing towards building communities on Tezos.Learn more about Tezos Commons. Are you interested in becoming a Tezos SuperFan and hosting events? Click here and begin your journey.Stay in the Conversation, Stay in the KnowTezos Commons hosts a variety of community-oriented events and content. You can keep up to date below and visit our events page!TezTalks LiveTezTalks RadioX SpacesX ShortsThe Blockchain Evolved ShowBaking Sheet NewsletterTezos BulletinIn-Depth ArticlesYou can also contact us on X or via email at [email protected] At A Glance — March 2024 was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: Tezos Goes Shopping: Exploring Crypto Payment Platform Lyzi With Damien Patureaux Damien Patureaux, CEO and Co-Founder of Lyzi on how this Tezos-powered crypto payment platform is progressing in 2024.Talk to anyone who isn’t already embedded in the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology about this space, and it’s a pretty safe bet that the question “but what can you do with it?” will come up within the first ten minutes. Answering this pesky question without explaining the ongoing shift toward an increasingly digital world, the enormous part Web 3.0 will play in that shift, and the massive impact this shift will have (and is already having) on our everyday lives, has been a tall task at the best of times.As armies of creators, builders, founders, and developers continue bolstering the infrastructure of the larger blockchain ecosystem, smoothing out its speed bumps, and releasing evermore accessible/useful tools and applications, however, such questions can be expected to fall by the wayside one by one in the months and years ahead.When it comes to making cryptocurrency a sustainably viable alternative to fiat currencies and crushing the “but what can you do with it” narrative forever, however, there is one problematic bottleneck in the system that stands out from all the others: the problem of enabling those who hold crypto to spend it in the real world.Cryptocurrency was originally envisioned as an alternative to traditional or “fiat” currencies. The need to utilize cumbersome off-ramping processes to spend cryptocurrency has held these promising technologies back from reaching their promise and given detractors far too easy a target to point at when deriding their utility.Enter: Lyzi.While many retail crypto payment platforms have been rolled out across the larger blockchain space to varying degrees of success, none have yet managed to make paying for real-world purchases with cryptocurrency truly viable. Cracking this seemingly simple but extremely complex problem, has confounded the sharpest minds in the blockchain sphere for some years now.But, according to Lyzi CEO and Co-Founder Damien Patureaux, a practical solution is not only in the works but already up and running in Western Europe…“Lyzi is a crypto payment hub connecting brands with Web 3.0 users who hold crypto on a fully-regulated platform. We are mainly based in France because this is where we are from and this is where everything began for Lyzi, but we are currently developing and accelerating in other countries in Europe.”Built right here in the Tezos ecosystem, the Lyzi team has been hard at work building connections with France’s largest retail entities and brands to help them offer seamless crypto transactions to the masses on a fully-regulated and secure crypto spending platform.Available on both The App Store and Google Play, the Lyzi app offers users seamless retail purchases directly through their cryptocurrency wallets. It is enabled to transact using more than 70 cryptocurrencies and is currently accepted by 1500+ brands worldwide.Damien Patureaux says that the Lyzi team’s decision to realize their vision in the Tezos ecosystem was one made thoughtfully, and with a couple of very important factors in mind…“When you talk about the payments use case, it’s the start of pretty much everything. When you read the Bitcoin whitepaper, the only thing is peer-to-peer payment. This is what it should be. What’s important for us, because we’re dealing with real people in real life, is to have technology that will be as scalable as possible and as cheap as possible.Payments are so challenging. With tap-and-pay on your cell phone, these things take just a second. It’s really challenging to build something that works that easily for the end user and for the brand. In order to do so, we need to have the best technology, and we believe that Tezos has strong technology that is fully decentralized. The second thing that is very important is that in Europe, Tezos is powerful as a corporate ecosystem. That was very important in getting brands and gaining traction with big European corporations. They know they need a plug-and-play product like ours, and with Tezos, the story they need to hear to get involved is very easy to write.Those are the two main reasons we picked the Tezos blockchain, but of course Tezos was also the first blockchain that showed a lot of confidence in our product and helped us develop it.”In its quest to grow Lyzi’s adoption in the region, however, writing a great story that brands and retailers can get on board with is only part of the journey. Driving adoption of the Lyzi app and getting consumers involved is equally important — if not more so. To that end, the Lyzi team has included a robust incentive structure for users willing to use Lyzi for their retail purchases driven by their “Lyzi Token” something Damien spoke about during his recent appearance on TezTalks Live…“The Lyzi Token has different utilities and use cases. Many of these are based on bringing more users to the platform through cash back incentives. When you make a purchase using Lyzi, you get cash back in the form of Lyzi tokens. It’s also used for loyalty incentives. What’s important for us is to generate usage, because brands are looking for usage.Our mission is to drive adoption, and to drive adoption you need to find the right way to incentivize people to use the platform. The token can be used for retail purchases, but it can be used for DeFi as well, just as one example. It has many different utilities.”With all of this in place, the Lyzi team has managed to make significant headway in several Western European markets. However, their vision for Lyzi’s rollout is a much larger one. While European countries like France, Belgium, and Spain are important markets and effective proving grounds for Lyzi’s technology and go-to-market strategy, only a truly global plan for driving adoption will truly allow Lyzi to reach its tremendous promise…“In one year we have signed more than 1,000 shops that now accept crypto payments in France, Belgium, and Spain. That’s without making a lot of business development effort. We were mainly focused on indirect integrations based on PSPs and POS system integrations because those are keys in the model we are building. When you go and see a Target Center in the US, for example, and you want to deploy crypto payments in their legacy cashier system, you have to be integrated before even talking to them.The strategy for us is to push towards all those types of integrations to make it as easy as possible when we deal with them. When we go see a brand, we are already integrated with their POS system or hardware payment terminal. That makes it a lot easier when we deal with their IT. It’s just plug-and-play. You activate the toggle, we do the KYC, and that’s it, it’s done. You can accept crypto payments.The next step is to build something more global. We are mainly based in the European market — mainly France, Belgium, and Spain, but we want to expand worldwide.”As the Tezos ecosystem continues its relentless march toward mass adoption, finding effective bridges between cryptocurrency value and the real-world markets where that value can be put to use will be an increasingly crucial endeavor. And, with folks like Damien Patureaux and the Lyzi team leading the global charge, it’s good to know that the Tezos ecosystem has claimed a spot on the bleeding edge of this crucial task, just as it has with so many others. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Lyzi’s journey toward global adoption, and can’t wait to see where all of this leads!Tezos Goes Shopping: Exploring Crypto Payment Platform Lyzi With Damien Patureaux was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: Navigating Tezos Token Standards: FA1.2, FA2, and Beyond! What is a “token standard’? What are the different token standards on Tezos? Let’s have a quick look!At some point in your crypto journey, you’ve probably bumped into terms like ERC20, FA1.2, FA2, BRC20, TRC20, and the list goes on. These are all different types of “Token Standards”, and they’re a big deal in the land of smart contracts. Actually, most (if not all) blockchains with smart contracts have their own version of token standards.Feeling a bit lost? No worries, you’re in the right spot. This article is all about breaking down what token standards are all about, especially focusing on the ones used by Tezos. Let’s kick things off by figuring out why token standards are such a big deal in the first place.What Are Token Standards?A token standard defines an interface along with a set of rules that a smart contract must adhere to for the token to function within the blockchain ecosystem. These standards are pivotal for ensuring compatibility across various platforms, such as decentralized exchanges and digital wallets, thereby facilitating a consistent and secure transactional environment. By defining methods for token transfer and keeping track of these transactions, token standards streamline the creation and management of digital assets, making them accessible to a broader audience.Imagine a token standard as the rulebook for a sports game, say, football or for my North American friends, soccer. Just as every soccer game needs to follow specific rules to ensure all players know how to play and what’s expected, a token standard does the same and sets the ground rules for digital tokens so that they can play nicely in the blockchain world. This rulebook tells tokens how to move around the field (the blockchain) in terms of what is allowed and what isn’t and thereby making sure they can pass between players (wallets and exchanges) smoothly without any mix-ups.These rules are super important because they make sure every token, no matter who created it, can work together with all the other parts of the blockchain ecosystem. By laying down the rules for how tokens can be passed around and keeping score of who owns what, token standards help everyone — developers, users, and services — stay on the same page thereby making it easier for more people to join in the game. In the context of Tezos, these guiding principles are embodied in what are known as Financial Applications (FA) standards. Let’s look into these standards more closely to understand their significance and functionality.FA1.2: Laying the FoundationThe FA1.2 standard is the first token standard created on Tezos and acts much like a blueprint for building and managing digital currency within the Tezos blockchain environment. Imagine it as the initial set of instructions for crafting uniform, interchangeable digital coins — similar to how the ERC-20 standard works for Ethereum.This blueprint focuses on setting up a detailed ledger, akin to a vast, digital ledger book, which meticulously tracks the ownership and distribution of these digital coins. It ensures every transaction, whether it’s moving coins or tokens from one digital wallet to another or granting someone permission to spend coins or tokens on your behalf, is recorded and executed according to the rules.This standard was pivotal in establishing a reliable system for tracking digital assets, serving as the groundwork for more sophisticated forms of digital assets and interactions that could be built on top of Tezos. FA1.2 was the essential first step, paving the way for future innovations and more complex token standards that further enrich the Tezos ecosystem. For more information on the FA1.2 standard, you can check out the Tezos Improvement Proposal 7 (TZIP-7).FA2: A Unified Approach to Token StandardsBuilding on the foundation laid by FA1.2, the FA2 standard, introduces a comprehensive framework capable of supporting various token types:Fungible tokens, for assets that are identical and interchangeableNon-fungible tokens (NFTs), for unique, indivisible assetsNon-transferable tokens, representing rights or memberships that cannot be tradedMulti-asset contracts, enabling the management of diverse assets within a single contractFA2’s versatility lies in its ability to accommodate a wide range of use cases, from digital art to real estate, through a unified standard. It not only simplifies the development process but also enhances interoperability across services and applications within the Tezos ecosystem. More info on the FA2 standard can be found in the Tezos Improvement Proposal – 12 (TZIP-12).Moving Forward: The Evolution to FA2.1 and BeyondMoving forward, the exploration of token standards in Tezos does not stop at FA1.2 and FA2. As the Tezos blockchain space continues to evolve, so too will the standards that support it. Currently, there are already ongoing discussions and development for the FA2.1 standard.The FA2.1 extension aims to integrate additional protocol functionalities while ensuring complete compatibility with existing applications that use the FA2 standard. Some of the new features discussed to be added are:“Events” that provide a solution for the discoverability challenges faced by indexers, enabling them to detect when a token is transferred, particularly when it occurs outside the defined transfer entry point (such as minting, burning, etc.).“On-chain views” that facilitate the seamless sharing of information between smart contracts. For the sake of maintaining compatibility with contracts already in operation, callback views are preserved.“Tickets” which offer a method for representing tokens externally from smart contracts, allowing their transfer without necessitating a call to the originating contract or altering its state. In the context of Tezos rollups, tickets are utilized to represent Layer 1 assets within Layer 2 environments (i.e. Etherlink).Moreover, the concept of a “finite allowance” is introduced, allowing a user to authorize the expenditure of a specified amount of tokens, a feature inspired by the FA1.2 standard.To follow or join the discussion, check out the Tezos Agora thread about the FA2.1 token standard or visit the Tezos Improvement Proposal – 26 (TZIP-26).A little birdie also told me that in addition to FA2.1, there might be a new token standard featuring dynamic metadata very soon. In my opinion, this development is significant enough to warrant a detailed discussion in its own dedicated article so keep an eye out for more information coming very soon!Wrapping up our chat about Tezos and its token standards, it’s clear we’re on a great path with FA1.2, FA2, and the excitement around FA2.1. This stuff might seem a bit technical or niche, but it’s actually a big deal for the builders who create the projects that we all use and anyone interested in how digital tokens and blockchain technology are evolving. If you are interested in more details about Tezos token standards you can check out OpenTezos and the Tezos Documentation which were also part of my sources.These developments allow for better security, interoperability, and new features to be introduced and ultimately improve the user experience. The community around Tezos is really putting in the work, diving into discussions, and developing new ideas to make these token standards even better.In short, keep an eye on Tezos. Whether you’re in it for the tech, the community, or just curious about where digital currencies are headed, there’s plenty to get excited about. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be part of the next big breakthrough in how we use, manage, and think about digital tokens.Navigating Tezos Token Standards: FA1.2, FA2, and Beyond! was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: Tezos Event Spotlight: Victoria West’s: STELLAR A sneak peek at STELLAR, the Tezos-powered immersive art experience hitting NYC on April 2nd, 2024.As the dog days of winter fade away and the 2024 Tezos event season kicks into high gear, there will be plenty to see, do, and experience in the thriving global Tezos community in the months ahead.One of those events is Tezos-powered immersive art experience “STELLAR”. The brainchild of enigmatic Tezos arts personality and talented artist in her own right Victoria West, STELLAR promises “an unforgettable art journey” and the opportunity to “immerse yourself in a world of creativity and innovation, live minting, music, & connecting with friends, old and new.”Running from 2 pm to 11 pm EST on April 2nd, 2024 and hosted at Brooklyn, New York’s iconic Lume Studios, STELLAR provides a startling glimpse into the amazing innovations and advancements being made in the Tezos art ecosystem in 2024 and the amazing talented artists driving this progress forward.To hear creator Victoria West tell it, the STELLAR experience will represent a stark departure from the blockchain art events attendees may have seen in the past and will offer the opportunity for those unable to make their way to New York this Spring to participate…“Stellar will be more than just a few TVs on a wall. This will be an art experience. We’ll also be bringing the event live to Twitter as we want to be able to make it as inclusive as we can for the many valued community members around the world that won’t be in attendance.”With all of this in mind, I had the opportunity to chat with Victoria about her vision for STELLAR and what attendees/participants can expect to see, hear, and do at this groundbreaking event…Who are the speakers/featured artists/etc. who will be participating?“Graphite Method is presenting a first in immersive performance art ~ by movie star poets Laurence Fuller & Vincent D’Onofrio. I’m also excited to be previewing a first in generative art with a collaboration between myself, Graphite Method & CodeCrafting that will be dropping on fx(hash) later in the month.We’ll also have Brazilian artist Andressa Furletti bringing her beautiful performance art to the immersive space. BLOOM, a design-led collective that stands for the absolute highest levels of quality, integrity, and diversity will also be showcased. And Dolce Paganne will be scaring us all with her dark and wonderful voodoo art.We will be showcasing the art of around 100 artists and we have different groups curating parts of the show including VERSEverse, Obscura Dao, Graphite Method, and also Tez Vending. The open calls are still running so we’ll be announcing the full list of included artists later this week.”What can those who attend this event expect to experience?“Great art and a great vibe. Aside from all the art and performances, we’ll also have a speaker panel, the talented Chris Devcich DJing, live minting, and tasty drinks!”Can you explain the “live minting” that will be taking place at the event? What can attendees mint?“Graphite Method will be the artists for a free mint that all attendees can collect. It will be a QR code that you can scan, and if you have a wallet, you can log in and get it. Or, if you don’t have a wallet you can use social login to get the NFT via Kukai. In essence, it’s a free proof of attendance token with artwork attached.”Why is it important for the Tezos art community to get out and show their support for events like this?“Firstly, why wouldn’t you want to meet some of the awesome people in our community? It’s going to be a great time. Also, let’s show the wider Web 3.0 community that the art on Tezos is second to none!”As the Tezos ecosystem ramps up for another year filled to bursting with innovation, adoption, and creativity, the thriving Tezos art scene and the talented artists and creators who comprise it will continue to be a key point of focus. Spectacular events like STELLAR represent a unique opportunity to view the fascinating advancements being made across the Tezos ecosystem live and in colour.Those who are curious and want to attend the event can register to attend on the event’s Eventbrite page and collect their commemorative ticket/art/NFT here on objkt.com. The event is free to all and will surely be one for the ages.We hope to see you all there!Tezos Event Spotlight: Victoria West’s: STELLAR was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: Tezos Commons: Empowering Connections with Meetups Around the World A look into how Tezos Commons helps foster the Tezos ecosystem by organizing and supporting worldwide meetups that bring the digital community into the real world.In an age dominated by digital interactions, the value of face-to-face meetups cannot be overstated. Physical gatherings create a unique environment where trust is built, collaborations are forged, comradery renewed, and a genuine sense of belonging flourishes. They complement online interactions by adding a human touch, enabling community members to connect on a deeper level. This is especially vital in the blockchain sphere, where the essence of community can sometimes be overshadowed by the virtual nature of the technology.Knowing the above all too well, we at Tezos Commons have been continuously helping and supporting community members with organizing and hosting physical meetups around the world. We are dedicated to foster the growth of the Tezos ecosystem globally and part of our mission is the bootstrapping of local communities. From Canada to Greece to Australia to the USA and Portugal, these are just some of the countries where we have helped with Tezos meetups with more to come! But first, let’s take a look at some recent and upcoming events!Recent MeetupsTezos Greece Social Meetup in AthensIn February 2024, Tezos Greece kicked off the year with their inaugural meetup, and as expected, the ambiance was nothing short of spectacular! The event was a vibrant mix of drinks, delightful cuisine, exclusive stickers, swag, and an abundance of engaging Tezos-centric conversations. Remarkably, the six-hour gathering flew by in what seemed like a mere five minutes, thanks to the dynamic and inclusive discussions.Topics varied widely, covering everything from the basics of getting started and opening a Tezos wallet, to the more complex subjects like enshrined rollups, the forthcoming Data Availability layer, defi, and the world of digital art (fun fact: a new digital art collaboration happened between 2 Greek artists as a result of this meetup). No matter the level of interest or technical acumen, there’s a place for everyone at these meetups, ensuring a welcoming and enriching experience for all attendees. Did I mention there was awesome food and drinks too? Oh yeah, and CAKE!Tezos Portugal Social Meetup in PortoLess than a month ago, the vibrant city of Porto, Portugal, became the birthplace of a new Tezos community chapter, “Tezos Portugal.” They launched their inaugural Tezos social gathering, and it was an unequivocal hit! In a playful nod to the blockchain’s “forkless” nature, the organizers whimsically requested that no forks be used at the event — a testament to the community’s spirit and sense of humor. Attendees were treated to a delightful mix of drinks and tasty food, engaging discussions around Tezos, and the opportunity to snag exclusive T-shirts, stickers, and a variety of Tezos-themed swag. (I am a little jealous that I wasn’t able to go and collect some of their awesome swag!)The event saw a diverse group of participants, including developers, artists, traders, and Tezos aficionados, all coming together to share their enthusiasm and visions for the future. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and optimism, a clear indicator of the community’s vibrant future. As the organizers confidently shared with me, “this was the first of many more to come!” I have no doubt that we will see more Tezos events happening in Portugal and be sure, we will be there to support them!STELLAR: An immersive art experience powered by TezosHaving explored some of the recent meetups that have already taken place, it’s now the perfect moment to grab your calendars and save the date for the upcoming STELLAR event in the Big Apple or New York City!Set for April 2nd, 2024, the incomparable Victoria West is set to host an unforgettable event brimming with tremendous artwork, engaging discussion panels, captivating art performances, live minting sessions, open and vibrant conversations, and naturally, an amazing event! For more details and RSVP take a look here!At Tezos Commons, we’re not just about funding events. We’re about building connections including bridging connections, opening doors to new opportunities, and ensuring the Tezos community is one of the most welcoming and innovative spaces in the blockchain world. We’re here to support, celebrate, and amplify the voices of our community members. If you’re a newcomer and not sure where to start, drop us a direct message on Twitter, Email, Telegram, and Discord, or join and of those channels and just say hello!There’s just something special about meeting someone in person that you just can’t replicate online. It’s the handshakes, the shared laughs, and those spontaneous conversations that can lead to the next big idea in the Tezos ecosystem. These gatherings are the bedrock of trust, comradery, and collaboration. They remind us that behind every avatar and username, there is a real person that’s bringing a much-needed human touch to our blockchain world.Feeling inspired? Curious? Excited? Or all of the above? Good! That’s exactly what we’re aiming for. Dive into the world of Tezos meetups, join the conversation, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll find yourself leading the charge at the next big event. Remember, we are here to help so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or want to explore the idea of hosting a Tezos meetup. The future of Tezos is bright, and it’s being shaped by people just like you. Let’s make it happen, together.Tezos Commons: Empowering Connections with Meetups Around the World was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: Fortifying The Future: Exploring TZAPAC’s New Startup Accelerator/Incubator Initiative With Imran… Fortifying The Future: Exploring TZAPAC’s New Startup Accelerator/Incubator Initiative With Imran HaqeemTZAPAC’s Imran Haqeem speaks about Fortify Labs – Asia Pacific’s new Web 3.0 startup incubator/accelerator initiative.The Asia Pacific region is a bustling hub of creative Web 3.0 activity. With its entrepreneurial spirit, tremendous cultural diversity, and historic knack for technical innovation, Asia Pacific represents an important hotbed for blockchain innovation and experimentation.As important Tezos ambassadors in this critical region, the team at TZAPAC has been hard at work for many years building community, educating builders, and driving adoption within Asia Pacific’s vibrant Web 3.0 community.Now, with a renewed focus on supporting entrepreneurs to realize their creative visions here in the Tezos ecosystem with a new accelerator/incubator initiative known as Fortify Labs, the TZAPAC team looks to make some big waves in 2024. And, to hear TZAPAC’s deputy head of lab strategy Imran Haqeem tell it, big waves might be exactly what’s in store…“TZAPAC has been around for quite a bit. When I first started we were very focused on building the Tezos community and building up the arts side of Tezos specifically. We did a bunch of events like Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Moments Jakarta, and ArtScience Museum in Singapore.The broader mandate of TZAPAC is Tezos adoption in the Asia Pacific region, both on the project side and the community side. Naturally, Tezos has a footing in art. The artist community here is super strong and super vibrant, so we were very focused on that, but we do have the Tezos adoption mandate as well in terms of getting projects to be built within the region.Today we’re really focused on helping entrepreneurs and helping them realize their visions and reach their growth goals here in the Tezos ecosystem. Over the years we’ve built a large community in APAC. Now it’s about bridging the gap between the projects and the community.”It has become increasingly clear over the past few years what a critical role new projects and startups play in driving Tezos adoption forward. Every new application, new innovation, and new game that emerges within the Tezos ecosystem represents a crucial entry point for new users to find their way to Tezos and see what’s going on in this bustling ecosystem for themselves. With that knowledge in hand, the team at TZAPAC has made it their mission to support new startups and entrepreneurs looking to build here in the Tezos ecosystem…“The path of a startup is often treacherous. Having those people that you can rely on, that you can lean on, and that you can trust is super, super important.”Enter, Fortify Labs.As the latest iteration of TZAPAC’s ongoing efforts to support builders, creators, and innovators to realize their creative visions in the Tezos ecosystem, Fortify Labs represents somewhat of a departure from the initiatives that preceded it. The TZAPAC team has learned a lot over the years running its small grants and incubator programs. With Fortify Labs, TZAPAC is determined to put that knowledge to work…“When I started at TZAPAC, it was when the small grants program was going on. I would say it was pretty bare-bones. We were focused on interesting projects in need of a bit of initial capital. Very quickly we realized that we should be doing more. We know that capital alone isn’t enough. We know that we need to work with these people. We need to spend time with them and give them the resources that they need. We met a bunch of founders and learned a lot about what they needed and the issues that they faced when they were trying to build their startups.Building a product is one part of it, but actually going to market, finding customers, generating revenue, and being sustainable are just as important. Understanding this led to the creation of Fortify Labs. With Fortify Labs, we spend the first 3 months making sure that the product is ready to go to market. The next 5 months is finding customers and partners with you, helping raise capital, and providing additional resources. These resources span from technical support to mentorship and legal support and beyond.At the end of the day, startup founders are entrepreneurs. They have a big dream. We at Fortify Labs are the mere facilitators who support them to reach it.”In that endeavor to support Web 3.0 entrepreneurs to reach their big dreams here in the Tezos ecosystem, TZAPAC has assembled a formidable team. Deputy Head of Lab Strategy Imran Haqeem has seen a lot during his time working with TZAPAC, and he’s confident that all the pieces are now in place…“Essentially, Fortify Labs is what we’re calling ‘your growth accomplice’. We’re going to actually sit down and spend time and work with you, help you find your customers, etcetera. My role within that is both laying out the strategy behind the program and making sure that it’s in line with what these startups need. Over my two-plus years working at TZAPAC I’ve worked really closely with founders and Fortify Labs is the product of constant iteration of what we’ve been doing. Now we’re at the point where we know, based on the feedback we’ve received, exactly what startups need. My job is to operationalize it.”The first cohort of projects selected for Fortify Labs’ support will be announced in the very near future. And, while the list hasn’t been finalized just yet, Imran has been impressed with both the level of interest Fortify Labs has managed to generate since it was announced and the diversity of the projects that have been submitted for review, something he spoke about during his recent appearance on TezTalks Live…“We‘re still in the midst of finalizing the first cohort, so I can’t go into details on the cohort itself, but we’ve definitely seen a lot of interest. We’ve had applications from across the Asia Pacific region and outside of the region as well. In terms of the types of projects we’ve seen, I would say that it’s quite broad. There’s still kind of an emphasis on NFTs, but we’re definitely seeing more DeFi projects, we’re seeing more gaming-related startups, even AI-related startups. I think this first cohort of projects is going to be a banger.”With the TZAPAC team throwing its weight behind multiple projects as we head into the second quarter of 2024, it will be very interesting indeed to see how things unfold with Fortify Labs. And, with talented folks like Imran Haqeem leading the charge for the next generation of Web 3.0 projects emerging from the Asia Pacific region, following this initiative’s progress could be well worth any Tezos enthusiast’s time.Fortifying The Future: Exploring TZAPAC’s New Startup Accelerator/Incubator Initiative With Imran… was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tezos Commons :: A Quick Look At The Evolution of Tezos A Look Into Some of The Key Milestones and Upgrades Of Tezos.Tezos isn’t just about the buzzwords or the hype; it’s about a continuous quest to improve, to innovate, and to meet the constantly evolving demands of the blockchain world while sticking to core values like decentralization, censorship resistance, and being permissionless. To achieve that, Tezos has gone through a journey of adaptation, growth, and resilience that’s quite remarkable.To date (March 2024), with 15 protocol upgrades total, this journey has been punctuated by key milestones and updates that have not only kept Tezos relevant but has also pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with blockchain technology, and in this article, we will look at exactly that. The evolution of Tezos!Origins and launchTezos was founded by Arthur and Kathleen Breitman with the vision of creating a blockchain that could evolve by itself over time, circumventing the disruptive hard forks that plagued other networks. This vision materialized into a blockchain where stakeholders actively participate in a defined governance process which precipitates the blockchain’s evolution.The mainnet launch of Tezos in 2018 was marked by its novel approach to consensus, combining proof-of-stake (PoS) with a unique on-chain governance mechanism that empowered the community. This innovative start set Tezos apart as a platform built on the principles of collaboration and continuous improvement.Since then and through its on-chain governance, Tezos has gone through 15 protocol upgrades, named after historical cities, in alphabetical order and you can find them all listed here. These upgrades have brought major improvements to the protocol. To maintain brevity in this article, rather than looking into each upgrade individually, I will highlight key areas of evolution and improvement within Tezos, alongside the specific upgrades where these changes were implemented.Key Upgrades and MilestonesAdapting to Needs: Roll SizeIn the early stages of Tezos, a “roll” was defined as the minimum quantity of tez required to obtain baking (validation) rights, initially set at 10,000 tez. This threshold underwent reductions: first to 8,000 tez with the Athens upgrade, and then to 6,000 tez following the Ithaca upgrade. The Ithaca upgrade not only adjusted the roll size but also revamped the baking rewards system, transitioning from a roll-based to a stake-based framework.Under the original system, a baker’s (Tezos validator) stake was quantified solely by the number of rolls they held. For instance, possessing 11,000 tez would still categorize a baker as having just one roll under the protocol’s view. The introduction of Ithaca refined this approach, ensuring every additional tez contributed towards a baker’s total stake, thereby influencing their rewards more granularly.The subsequent Jakarta upgrade further evolved the Tezos ecosystem by eliminating the roll concept from the governance process. As a result, a baker’s stake and voting weight are now denominated in mutez, the smallest unit of tez, equivalent to 0.000001 tez, enhancing the precision and flexibility of stake and governance participation.Consensus Algorithm Evolution and Reduced Block TimesWith the Babylon upgrade, improvements were made to the Emmy+ consensus algorithm to boost network efficiency. Following that, Granada marked a transition from Emmy* to Emmy+, which also halved block times from 60 seconds to 30 seconds. Then after Granada, another large change in the consensus algorithm occurred with the adoption of Tenderbake during the Ithaca upgrade that introduced deterministic finality which enhanced the security of transactions. Finally, in Mumbai, block times were further reduced from 30 seconds to 15 seconds making the user experience even faster.Achieving Efficiency: A Focus on Reducing CostsTezos has also set a benchmark in operational efficiency, as evidenced by the substantial reductions in gas and storage fees across various upgrades. Delphi marked a significant milestone by reducing gas fees by up to ten times and slashing storage fees by a factor of four. Florence followed with enhancements in the Michelson interpreter, which lowered gas consumption for smart contract execution thereby making interactions with complex smart contracts substantially cheaper.In the Granada upgrade, gas consumption related to the execution of deployed smart contracts saw reductions by a factor of three to six, further lowering the cost for developers to deploy and interact with their smart contracts. Nairobi introduced another major reduction in gas consumption for various operations, including simple tez transfers and smart contract calls, paving the way for an up to 8x increase in the transactions per second (TPS) capabilities of Tezos.Feature Innovations: Expanding Tezos’ CapabilitiesTezos has consistently introduced features that expand the platform’s capabilities, addressing both specific user needs and broader market demands. Some of these features are the introduction of privacy-preserving transactions and on-chain permissions (a.k.a. Tickets) with the Edo upgrade, the launch of “Liquidity Baking” in Granada, and the highly anticipated Enshrined Smart Rollups in Mumbai that enable Tezos to scale in one of the most decentralized ways across the industry. These kind of features reflect Tezos’ commitment to technological excellence, scalability, and innovation.Never Stop Evolving.With 15 major upgrades where each upgrade sets the foundations for future ones, it’s clear that Tezos isn’t just keeping up; it’s bringing new ideas and improvements that matter. From making it easier for more people to participate, to speeding things up and cutting costs when interacting with the blockchain, to paving the way of truly decentralized scalability, all of these upgrades are showcasing the flexibility and evolutionary capabilities of Tezos.However, this journey is far from over. Even though the past upgrades have introduced huge improvements, I feel like we are just getting started and the best is still ahead of us. A brief glance at the forthcoming upgrades and features will make this clear. Innovations such as the Data Availability Layer, Adaptive Issuance, Etherlink, and additional reductions in block time are just a few examples of what’s on the horizon (for more details, refer to my article “Tezos in 2024: A Few Things To Be Excited About!”).So if you are interested in a blockchain that doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk, then dive into the Tezos universe and explore the blockchain that always adapts, innovates, and — Never Stops Evolving!A Quick Look At The Evolution of Tezos was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.