1. Last Week by the Numbers
neptune-core
Pull Requests: 2 opened, 6 merged
Commits: 27 merged into master
2. Stand-up Summary
Alan Szepieniec
Last Week: Help merge transaction chaining pull request. Outline the architecture for the DeFi module to support standing swap orders and user-defined tokens.
Coming Week: Stand by, continue outlining DeFi architecture.
Thorkil Værge
Last Week: Released Version 17 and merged Hard Fork Delta alongside transaction chaining pull requests. Closed entry points for network flooding attacks, resolved a fork choice rule bug causing block flickering. Verified the Test Net Zero transition at block height 540 via automated block data testing, resolved a peer ordering UI flickering bug by introducing deterministic tie-breaking sorting parameters, and upgraded owned nodes to Version 17.
Coming Week: Lead a 6-to-8-week development focus on succinctness, draft the formal succinctness development plan, and prepare the Version 17.1 release to remove the Triton VM v7 dependency via pre-hard-fork block snapshots.
3. Technical Discussion
- Hard Fork Delta & Transaction Chaining: Hard Fork Delta modifies the single proof program to permit the consumption of unconfirmed unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs). This enables wallets and smart contracts to execute multiple state interactions within a single block. The feature was successfully verified on Test Net Zero at block height 540 using a test PR that downloads and validates block data from a test server.
- Neptune Defi & User-Defined Tokens: Architectural design began on the DeFi module to expand smart contract functionality. So far the module contains data structures for standing swap orders and user-defined tokens (exploring token standards such as NIP20), enabling atomic swaps between native Neptune coins (NPT) and custom tokens.
- Networking & Stability Bug Fixes: Patched entry points to protect against network flooding attacks and fixed a fork choice rule bug that caused short-run flickering between competing blocks. Resolved a client UI issue where updating peer standings with a half-life caused non-deterministic peer list sorting by adding secondary parameters to break ties deterministically.
- Succinctness & Triton VM Architecture: Core focus for the next 6 to 8 weeks shifts to succinctness. Succinctness has been officially scoped as a soft fork instead of hard fork. Any future modifications to Triton VM (utilizing STIR and FRI proof systems) will require hard forks.
- Triton VM Dependency Removal: Version 17.1 will remove the dependency on Triton VM v7 by creating a state snapshot of all blocks preceding the Hard Fork Delta.
- Node Taxonomy: Clarified node classification, concluding that wallet applications relying on external servers to verify block proofs do not meet the definition of light nodes due to a lack of direct multi-peer network connections.
4. Updates and Announcements
- Version 17 Network Upgrade: Version 17 has been officially released. All network participants and node operators must upgrade prior to the hard fork activation on the 24th of September to avoid network disconnection.