Simon Peyton Jones has just announced the launch of the Haskell Foundation at the Haskell eXchange virtual conference. The foundation is an independent, open, non-profit organization dedicated to broadening the adoption of the Haskell language, by supporting its ecosystem of tools, libraries, education, and research.

IOHK is one of the first sponsors of the Haskell Foundation because we believe in the power of functional programming, open-source software, and open governance. So, we are delighted to be able to join other key companies in supporting the community through an open and transparent process in which everyone can participate.

IOHK and Haskell

All of IOHK’s core software is open-source, and where possible we do our work via standalone projects that will benefit the community too. We have contributed substantially to compilers like GHC, GHCJS and Asterius; created libraries for eliminating space leaks; and are even building the Plutus smart contract platform on Haskell.

For several years IOHK has been supporting the development of GHC itself and aims to continue doing so. Our engineers have contributed the ghc-bignum library, improved cross-compilation support, worked on support for ARM architectures, provided general code improvements, and fixed a number of bugs. We are keen to help other community efforts, for example by funding the work of others, and by helping to get the recently-merged Windows I/O manager across the finish line.

In addition to its direct technical involvement, IOHK has also invested in expanding the Haskell community, including developing online tutorials, education programmes, and delivering face-to-face training courses in places such as Athens, Barbados, Mongolia and Ethiopia. Through this and other programs, we are fully committed to the Haskell Foundation’s goals of enhancing diversity within the Haskell community.

Looking forward

We are excited to be working with the Haskell Foundation to help move Haskell forward. IOHK has contributed to the Foundation’s technical agenda, and will help directly with technical work. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements!

In a previous post, Bringing new value and utility to the Cardano blockchain, I discussed the notion of transaction metadata. I also explained why this is crucial to Cardano’s Goguen evolution as a utility platform for decentralized finance (DeFi) operations.

There are many potential uses for metadata. With that in mind, IOHK has been working to ensure that both developers and enterprise-focused clients can easily build metadata into their applications. Furthermore, we want to make certain that ada users have a convenient way to see information about their transactions.

How does metadata work on Cardano?

Metadata tells the story of a transaction and there are many ways to interact with this story. Developers can take advantage of metadata by embedding details directly into a transaction, and ada users can search for specific information in the Cardano Explorer. The data can be added directly, or, for larger amounts, it is possible to create a Merkle tree of the data and put the root hash of the Merkle tree on the blockchain. Once this is done, it can be proved that the data existed at a specific point of time and that it remains permanently on the chain for future reference.

It is also important to note that transaction metadata is stored on the blockchain and is carried along with each transaction. The fact that it is stored on-chain, rather than being recorded in the ledger state, is beneficial because it does not influence transaction validation or compromise ledger performance.

Metadata service from IOHK

IOHK’s Professional Services Group (PSG) provides business consulting and technological services. In particular, our PSG is developing services to help companies build and implement blockchain solutions by integrating their systems in a seamless and convenient way with distributed ledger technology.

The metadata service has been developed with a variety of applications in mind, but for commercial applications in particular.

This interface handles the wallet interaction, provides users with low balance alarms, and rolls it all up into a Docker container. This eliminates the complexity associated with submitting metadata directly in the wallet’s backend API. Thus, the metadata service only requires the specified metadata and the number of blocks under which the transaction should be stored before it is considered as final.

In the metadata request, one can include:

• The actual metadata: sender and receiver identities, comments, tags.
• The depth: the number of blocks under which the transaction containing the metadata should be stored before it is considered as final.
• The client identity: indicates the wallet to be used.
• Transaction identity: this feature is useful in case of failures and restarts. It allows clients to re-examine previously submitted metadata.

After including all the details, the metadata service records a transaction on the blockchain, which then allows transaction information to be retrieved using the Cardano Explorer. For this, one would just have to indicate a transaction identity.

Another feature is that PSG metadata service can be specified using language-neutral protocol buffers. This expands the number of potential uses because client generators support many programming languages, including Python, Java, and Scala. Such extended opportunities make the process of integration with the Cardano blockchain more straightforward.

Accessibility is key

We have also developed a Scala and Java client for the Cardano wallet API, which bundles together calls to the API and makes them easily accessible to more developers. As well as a Java and Scala API, we can provide an executable jar file to give rudimentary access from the command line. You can find details of the PSG Cardano wallet API on GitHub and see how it allows clients to perform tasks such as submitting and listing a transaction, wallet maintenance, and node monitoring.

Working with wallets and Cardano-CLI

Another way of working with metadata is by submitting it directly from a wallet or the Cardano command-line interface (CLI).

These processes require basic coding experience and familiarity with running the Cardano node and CLI. Direct interaction with metadata opens powerful capabilities for building decentralized applications on Cardano because developers can authenticate valuable data in their preferred way.

In the Cardano wallet and the CLI, the structure of the metadata is defined by a mapping from keys to values (key-value pairs) that combine details for multiple purposes into the same transaction.

• Metadata keys act as a schema identifier showing the metadata value. Keys are unsigned integers limited in size up to 64 bits.
• Metadata values are simple terms, consisting of integers, text strings, byte strings, lists, and maps. Values have to be structured, which makes it easier for them to be inspected and managed, particularly by scripts.

The only extra cost involved is that the metadata adds to the size, in bytes, of the transaction and the processing fee is based on transaction size.

Metadata can be constructed using the Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR) and Concise Data Definition Language (CDDL) notations. For more detailed information, please refer to transaction metadata in the Cardano wallet and see how to use transaction metadata schemes in Cardano CLI.

Transaction metadata is an integral step for Cardano’s evolution into a multi-functional smart contract platform. Further Goguen enhancements will add metadata to specify transaction conditions for smart contracts, opening more opportunities for commercial use and deal settlement. If you want to integrate metadata into your business processes, contact enterprise.solutions@iohk.io with any questions or support requests. And keep following this blog for updates as we continue to build out Goguen functionality.

With the rollout of Goguen, Cardano is becoming a smart contract platform. Adding metadata – information about the data being processed – to transactions is key to this, and last month this capability was added to the blockchain. From a focus on transactions, Cardano is now becoming a utility platform open for partnerships, enterprises, and commercial applications that can be used for the complex operations that will define the era of decentralized finance (DeFi).

With an increasing volume of financial cryptocurrency operations, the ability to access immutable data that cannot be altered is crucial, especially when it comes to applications such as wealth management. The Cardano blockchain maintains permanent records of processed transactions, ensuring that the history of financial activity is transparent and auditable. However, to grant more accountability and visibility to financial processes, context has to be added to these transactions. Additional information can include facts such as sender and receiver details, conditions, and time of processing. This is done by adding transaction metadata.

What is metadata?

Metadata refers to ‘data about data’. In other words, it describes the context, content, and structure of records. As blockchain technology provides a transparent ledger for storing records immutably and securely, metadata generates trust with permanent data attestation.

All transactions happen for specific purposes, whether this is a payment for product or service, or a funds transfer to a family member. When a purchase is made online, for example, there is so much information that can follow along with the transaction. Metadata can tell the story of the product purchase reflecting its buyer and seller, the time of deal, product manufacturer, or the supply conditions. All of these records are important to maintain along with the transaction of wealth.

With the emergence of Bitcoin, developers started leveraging blockchain technology to put such little bits of additional data on the chain, knowing that the information would be available forever. Over time, adding metadata to the chain became commonplace.

Cardano is a third-generation distributed ledger. In terms of metadata, this means that Cardano is far more efficient in adding transactional information than earlier blockchains. While earlier blockchains supported 40-80 bytes of metadata, Cardano’s transaction size is currently around 16KB. Subtracting the size of the rest of the transaction (UTxOs, inputs, and outputs) still leaves the majority of 16KB for metadata.

Why transaction metadata matters

Metadata is a handy way of certification and validation. It allows cryptocurrency assets to hold historical ownership, transfer or value details. This is highly beneficial when working with non-fungible – unique – assets representing value such as property or intellectual rights, for example. Additionally, a range of documents can be signed and certified using a public key that proves the document’s legitimacy.

One of the most prominent uses for metadata is in a supply chain. Supply chain involves parties such as factories, customers, suppliers, and delivery services. To enable efficient data tracking, participants must provide confirmation of services that are interlinked, and these must be accessible by everyone for verification. In this case, metadata can provide a complete picture of supply chain processes with fixed recorded data on the blockchain ledger. This grants transparency, immutability, and trust for all stakeholders.

The Atala products

The deployment of metadata on Cardano will see early commercialization through the Atala product suite, which includes Atala Prism, Atala Trace, and Atala Scan solutions. To enhance the overall product functionality in terms of data feasibility, accountability, and traceability, the IOHK team is implementing metadata support while integrating with the Cardano ledger.

Atala Prism is a decentralized identity system that enables people to own their personal data and interact with organizations seamlessly, privately, and securely. The Atala Prism team is integrating metadata to certify and store DIDs and DID documents on Cardano. Also, it will be possible not only to create but also to revoke credentials such as university certificates.

Atala Trace and Atala Scan are being developed to enable brand owners to improve the visibility over supply chain processes and establish product provenance and auditability. In these cases, metadata integration will be used to record tamper-proof supply-chain records.

Working with metadata

There are different ways of working with metadata both for enterprises and the developer community. One such way is using the metadata service developed by IOHK’s Professional Services Group. We have been working with a number of partners on integrations and have many more in the pipeline. So if you’re running a business and also wish to ensure trust for your customers and partners while managing your transaction metadata securely, please contact us via enterprise.solutions@iohk.io to find out how to incorporate metadata services in your processes.

Transaction metadata is an important early feature of Goguen utility and smart contract functionality, which will be enhanced and developed by many other capabilities over the months ahead. Stay tuned to this blog for all the updates on native assets, ERC20 convertor, Marlowe, Plutus and other smart contract languages as we roll these out.

The Ethereum Classic network suffered from four 51% attacks between 2019 and 2020. Three of those attacks have occurred recently – with just weeks between each other – which resulted in expensive losses for stakeholders due to double spending and service disruption. A number of Ethereum Classic Improvement Proposals (ECIPs) followed after these attacks aiming to provide the immediate solution for 51% attack resistance.

IOHK, and ETC Coop have collaborated to provide Ethereum Classic stakeholders and the broader community with the knowledge and understanding on how to resist these issues. To support this activity, we have created a comparison document to showcase and summarize the different 51% attack mitigations. In it, ETC community members will be able to assess each proposal, understand any concerns, and be advised on how the ETC community can solve ETC network security issues together.

The ECIP that seems to be reaching adoption in the immediate term is ECIP 1100: Modified Exponential Subjective Scoring (MESS). MESS is a modified version of Vitalik Buterin’s Exponential Subjective Scoring (ESS) and aims to make larger chain reorganizations more difficult. However, we believe that it will not provide robust security and there is no guarantee that it will prevent further attacks. What’s most concerning, however, about MESS, is that it has not been formally studied nor has its security been proven. Moreover, a series of potential attack vectors on MESS have already been identified.

Checkpointing is the way forward

Checkpointing, on the other hand, can make 51% attacks impossible with deterministic confidence of finality. This approach grants the ETC core developer community a safe space to innovate and implement the more speculative proposals that are underway. These may include MESS, Reducing the dag, Keccak-256, and many others. Considering that ETC value and user experience is currently hindered by the low-confidence and subjective finality of MESS, MESS doesn’t provide high confidence for stakeholders to reduce confirmation times to desirable levels.

The Ethereum Classic network is a minority proof of work blockchain in the Ethash environment. As of October 08, 2020, the Ethereum’s network hashrate is ~248.16 TH/s, Nicehash’s hashrate is ~9.34 TH/s, while Ethereum Classic’s network hashrate is only ~3.47 TH/s . This means that Ethereum Classic’s hashrate is only ~1.5% of Ethereum’s and ~40% of Nicehash’s, which is just one of many other mining rental platforms. It should be noted though, that non-Ethash networks that are minable by general purpose hardware can also be turned on to Ethereum Classic, which means that the Ethereum Classic network is even more of a minority proof of work blockchain than represented by the Ethereum and Nicehash comparisons above.

It thus follows that the current security assumptions of the Ethereum Classic network no longer hold. Speculating ETC’s network security on ETH’s proof of stake timeline is also not a sustainable security strategy and arguably not competitive enough to increase the value of the network.

Looking to the future

Indeed, it goes further than that. ETC is at an important crossroads and the choices we make now will impact not only the future of the platform but of the whole ecosystem. Any 51% attack mitigation must be robust enough to give absolute certainty to ETC holders, users and service providers that their transactions will be secure.

We need to be decisive and resolute, while giving ourselves the time to get this right. If we adopt a suboptimal solution at this point, and there are further issues with the network, it is unlikely that our (thus far) patient stakeholders – especially exchanges – will remain so.

Our focus at the moment is rightly on mitigation. But let’s also ensure we remember the longer-term goal – the health and sustainable success of Ethereum Classic. Let’s move decisively to underpin the security of the network, and together look forward towards a new era of network growth, community growth and sustainable innovation.

This post was originally published on the ETC Cooperative blog

Project Catalyst is, at its heart, a series of experiments in innovation and governance. Once it was decided to set up a funded system to encourage innovation for Cardano, the IOHK team decided to collaborate with our global community from the start. So, that’s what we did. Now, with two funds already incubating hundreds of proposals and fostering thousands of conversations, we wanted to share some of the things that we’ve learned.

1. Our diversity is our strength

We knew that the Cardano community was crucial to realizing the full potential of Project Catalyst. But we did not fully realize the depth of the expertise available, nor its truly global reach. When we called for ideas for the project, people responded. To date, Project Catalyst has drawn 3000 registered users, 500 perspectives, 126 proposals and +5,000 comments from 70 countries around the globe. Building courses in Haskell engineering, boosting decentralized technology in West Africa, podcasts and blockchain applications in many fields are among the ideas pitched on our Ideascale innovation platform. Furthermore, each one of these has been refined by the Project Catalyst community.

With such a worldwide community of entrepreneurs, experts, and specialists, we are able to tap into a previously unknown well of ingenuity. Furthermore, the community itself is responsible for ensuring that the brightest ideas rise to the top.

2. Community interest is self-interest

Proposals in Fund2 are vying for a share of an ada fund worth $250,000. This is an enormous incentive for individuals to make their pitch as strong as possible. However, we are working hard to ensure that there is an equal incentive for people to help develop the ideas of others, instead of focusing on just their own proposal. When a strong idea comes to fruition, it will inevitably benefit Cardano, and therefore every ada holder. Ultimately, we have learned that we need to provide a variety of motivations and experiences for the community to foster the most productive dialogue.

Currently, Project Catalyst participants can give a limited number of ‘kudos’ or positive affirmations to people providing value to the Fund through their comments and proposals. This is meant to build communal support. We are also establishing a cohort of community advisers. These are registered participants who have no active proposals but want to provide thoughtful and fair advice to voters. The first of these community advisers are now joining up and we are looking forward to seeing how they will benefit the project.

3. Innovation requires a positive mindset

Despite its many benefits, the digital world can be a toxic place. From YouTube scams and keyboard warriors, to Twitter trolls and spam emails, there sometimes seems no end to the pitfalls in online engagement. Project Catalyst is learning to minimize this activity if not eliminate it entirely. One way that we are working on this is by leveraging the experience of our Fund1 participants. These early pioneers are helping encourage mutual respect and collaboration, which we hope will proliferate through the entire system. However, we understand that is a tough goal for any global platform.

That being said, we have an automated reminder to encourage people to keep their thoughts focused on how feasible an idea is, how its effect can be measured and audited, and its potential impact on Cardano. We want to attract the most talented entrepreneurs, and so the more constructive the feedback, the nearer we come to fulfilling our strategic objective. Furthermore, the Catalyst team has published a guide for community behavior and feedback. If and when we detect abusive activity, we reserve the right to warn or ban the miscreants. Toxicity can damage the project and even Cardano as a whole, so our interventions will develop as the community grows. We remain focused on creating a forum for passionate discussions without constraining creativity.

4. Break down barriers to creativity

Thus far, we have been pleased with the progress Project Catalyst has made on the Ideascale innovation platform. It provides an easy-to-use interface for developing complex ideas. But no system is perfect. Some community members have found the interface overwhelming. For us to find and develop groundbreaking ideas, our working methods must always work to enhance creativity.

Currently, we are listening to community feedback through the Catalyst problem sensing challenge and feedback forms. This helps us hear what works and what needs iterating and improving. Ultimately, the proposals chosen and funded by Project Catalyst are only as good as their ability to be embraced and championed by the community. And great collaboration tools are vital for this.

5. Focus on the returns

Every challenge within the program represents an intention to generate outcomes from the fund. We are now working on ways to measure the effect of these intentions and how they contribute to a challenge being met. These measures include measuring how many developers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and Dapps were developed as an outcome of every proposal. Ultimately, that which is measured can be managed.

For example, the current Fund2 challenge is:

“How can we encourage developers and entrepreneurs to build DApps and businesses on top of Cardano in the next 6 months?”

This challenge is fairly open-ended, and deliberately so. These wide-ranging challenges are designed to encourage a broad spectrum of ideas. But not too broad, so we can still measure and track them effectively.

Applying the lessons

We’re building a system which will eventually be run, developed, and funded entirely by the community itself. In time, IOHK will only be involved with the daily operations of Cardano at the request of the community itself. However, until we are able to hand over total control to ada holders, we must maintain constant communication.

Throughout the Project Catalyst program, we have worked to ensure that communication is a two-way street. We are redoubling these efforts by ensuring that we seek out feedback at every stage. We also ensure that community assessments will be performed at the conclusion of each fund. These interventions allow us to prioritize solving issues that are important to the community.

Project Catalyst has been an incredible journey. These are only five of the takeaways from our current process. As the experiment continues grows, we are looking forward to learning more, attracting more participants, and building a best-in-class governance system. This is only the beginning.

Get involved with Project Catalyst by logging on at Ideascale or joining our next Crowdcast town hall on October 21.