Cartesi

Blockchain technology has been around for a few years now, but it’s still in its infancy. As a Pool Manager of the <a href="https://blockmain.capital/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Blockmain</a> Pool, Marek van Beek is one of the pioneers who make up the Cartesi community. After reading the previous article in our CTSI Holder interview series, Marek got in contact with us, hoping to inspire more people to both learn more about the power of The Blockchain OS and to start staking or running a node to keep The Blockchain OS decentralized and secure. Want to learn how Marek started out staking CTSI and what made him take the jump to Pool Manager? Read on…<blockquote>Let’s start from the beginning! How did you get to know about Cartesi?</blockquote>I was looking for projects that were undervalued and listed on Binance back in summer 2020, just <a href="https://medium.com/p/e97c46ff8cce" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">after Cartesi launched on Binance</a>. When I first learned about the project, I saw instant promise. Cartesi stood out because Layer-2 solutions appealed to me, which I view as a critical component of blockchain’s future. At first, I did not know how The Blockchain OS worked since the papers were all so technical. When I began reading more and researching more, it became clearer to me that Cartesi was a legitimate project to become involved in. I like to see projects giving development updates, and that’s exactly what Cartesi does. They’re actively building The Blockchain OS. Furthermore, Cartesi’s desire to introduce mainstream developers to blockchain is critical for the growth of blockchain technology.I gradually saw Cartesi appearing on more exchanges and revealing more and more of what they were working on through social media. Although certain aspects of Cartesi are analogous to other projects, the fact that it is a full operating system on the blockchain, Linux no less, is what distinguishes it, which is truly unique.<blockquote>How did you start staking?</blockquote>So there I was with CTSI in my wallet and when Cartesi staking was launched, I thought it would be interesting to get rewards. At the time, Cartesi didn’t have their <a href="https://medium.com/cartesi/noethers-staking-delegation-full-mainnet-release-is-now-live-92334e91fbb1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">delegated staking</a> released, so I had to figure it out myself. The <a href="https://explorer.cartesi.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Cartesi Explorer page</a> was the same as it is now, but without the pools. From the articles, I learned I had to ‘run a node’, but I didn’t even know what a node was, let alone how to run it!<a href="https://medium.com/cartesi/noethers-staking-delegation-full-mainnet-release-is-now-live-92334e91fbb1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Learn how to run a node with this article.</a>But I was determined and intrigued enough to read all the articles. To be honest, the language of running a node was all abracadabra for me. Halfway through, I thought it was way too complicated and I took a break. After a while, I decided to get back into it and really dedicate a day or two to get this node up. With help on Discord from Cartesi’s Senior Software Engineer and Technical Community Manager, Carlo, I checked for confirmation that I was on the right track. He helped me to follow every step carefully and then it was live; my first node was up! When I look back it’s easy, but in the midst of all that new information, it’s hard.Now, with delegated staking and all the pools on the Explorer page, it’s much easier for community members to get started — which is a great thing.<blockquote>It sounds like a journey! What happened once you had your node set up?</blockquote>Well, the first few days I was constantly checking: do I have any rewards? After three days, I contacted Carlos on <a href="https://discord.com/invite/Pt2NrnS" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Discord</a>, wondering whether I had done anything incorrectly? But no, I just had to be patient. And after three days: result! First block mined and my first reward! At the time, the rewards were fairly generous, reaching as high as 150 percent, which was quite incredible.<blockquote>When did you decide on creating a pool?</blockquote>In a WhatsApp group, I was discussing Cartesi and how to get started on staking or running a node with my pals. They wanted to stake since they saw the rewards I was earning, but they wanted to do it in a pool. When staking delegation came, I thought to myself, “Perhaps I should set up a pool.” For that, I had to shut down my other node so I was a bit hesitant at first. It was not too difficult to set up a pool, but I had to change from using Heroku so I had to study the articles again, and again asking for help on Discord. It was easy this time because I was familiar with the terminology.I did not do this solely for the benefit of my friends. I truly believe that staking in a pool is the only option if you want to be in the top ten in staking. I added my own CTSI and then informed my buddies, “Here’s the link. You can now stake.” That required some explaining; some people have to get accustomed to the way blockchain works since I got questions like ‘why do I have to pay a fee?’. Some friends sought security and began staking with Binance initially. However, they had to restake after 30 days or so. Now they’re coming to me and they don’t have to restake. (Marek shows me a WhatsApp message) What a coincidence, I just received a message from a buddy who is about to go over to my pool and asks me whether they’re setting it up correctly.<img src="https://academy-public.coinmarketcap.com/srd-optimized-uploads/5ac8906eee5d4879b8f667d0bcc74f1b.png" />Marek shows me a WhatsApp message from a friend who just got started with staking. “Does everything look good?”<blockquote>And what’s next?</blockquote>I hold on to my CTSI except for the fees. I hope for Cartesi Rollups to be on Mainnet soon and I’m ready to support that. What keeps me interested in the project is that the team is still going strong and executing — maybe not as fast as other projects, but constantly sharing a new listing on a new exchange, updating, and always improving the project. That’s what keeps me bonded to the project.I believe that DApps made with mainstream software are the future. If you can build a complete game on blockchain with Cartesi, that’s awesome. When it comes to NFTs, it’s good to decentralize. For example, I was playing <a href="https://townstar.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Townstar, a Play-To-Earn Blockchain Farming Game</a>. It’s a little like Farmville. You would expect the game to be decentralized (it’s on the blockchain, right?) but they decide how many farms there are and water fountains. They try to create scarcity by releasing a new NFT item that is somehow always sold out immediately. In a decentralized game, you wouldn’t have that central point of power — and failure.<img src="https://academy-public.coinmarketcap.com/srd-optimized-uploads/eda909498c754b40801a2ddbb4c09e13.png" />“You would expect <a href="https://townstar.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Townstar, a Play-To-Earn Blockchain Farming Game</a> to be decentralized (it’s on the blockchain, right?) but they decide how many farms there are and water fountains.” — Marek van Beek, Blockmain pool manager.Want to see how blockchain games can move beyond the hype of NFTs and play-to-earn? If you want blockchain games to be totally sustainable, inclusive &amp; with reliable in-game economies, check out Cartesi Co-Founder, Erick de Moura’s article: <a href="https://medium.com/cartesi/new-generation-blockchain-games-beyond-the-hype-of-nfts-and-play-to-earn-96d426003b9c" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">New Generation Blockchain Games: Beyond the hype of NFTs and Play-to-Earn.</a><blockquote>Do you have any advice forpeople who would like to run a pool, but are afraid to?</blockquote><ul><li>Take a couple of days off to learn and to set it up. You can’t do this just in a few hours if you’re not familiar with the terms mentioned in the articles.</li><li>Ask people for help on <a href="https://discordapp.com/invite/Pt2NrnS" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Discord!</a> Cartesi’s core contributors are great and super active on assistance.</li><li>Go step by step and don’t be afraid to check in on Discord, you can just send a simple message — “Am I on the right track?”</li><li>It helps to have a group of friends who would like to stake in a pool/your pool, as I had. It makes for a good incentive to have friends asking: How’s our pool? Is it up yet? When can we start?</li></ul>Interested in becoming a Pool Manager? Learn how to set up a pool of your own with our <a href="https://medium.com/cartesi/staking-delegation-guide-pool-management-3cfe357a66c2" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Pool Management guide.</a> Or if you want to start staking, check out <a href="https://medium.com/cartesi/noethers-staking-delegation-full-mainnet-release-is-now-live-92334e91fbb1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">how to start staking in a pool with our step-by-step instructions</a>. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Join our <a href="https://discordapp.com/invite/Pt2NrnS" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Discord community</a> to connect with core contributors of The Blockchain OS.Already have a pool set-up, but looking for some extra support? We’re welcoming Pool Managers to Cartesi Labs, apply today for a <a href="https://cartesi.io/en/labs" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">3-month Lab Grant.</a><h4>About Marek</h4><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/marekvanbeek/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Marek van Beek</a> got interested in crypto after hearing about Bitcoin in 2013. Over the years he has specialized and started working in crypto full-time in 2017.Currently, he lives in Bali, Indonesia where there is a thriving crypto community. Marek is very interested to see where Cartesi is going, once the community of developers &amp; users starts to take off. In his free time, he loves to play futsal and eat sushi with his wife at their favorite sushi restaurant.Want to stake in Marek’s pool? Learn more here: <a href="https://blockmain.capital/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://blockmain.capital/</a>About CartesiThe Blockchain OS is a decentralized layer-2 infrastructure that supports Linux and mainstream software components. For the first time, developers can code scalable smart contracts with rich software tools, libraries, and the services they’re used to, bridging the gap between mainstream software and blockchain.Cartesi is enabling millions of new startups and their developers to use The Blockchain OS and bring Linux applications on board. With a groundbreaking virtual machine, optimistic rollups, and side-chains, Cartesi paves the way for developers of all kinds, to build the next generation of blockchain apps.Welcome to The Blockchain OS, home to what’s next.Follow Cartesi across official channels:<a href="https://t.me/cartesiannouncements" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Telegram Announcements</a> | <a href="https://t.me/cartesiproject" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Telegram</a> | <a href="https://discordapp.com/invite/Pt2NrnS" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Discord (Development Community)</a>| <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/cartesi/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Reddit</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/cartesiproject" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cartesiproject/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cartesiproject/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/Cartesiproject/videos" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Youtube</a> | <a href="https://github.com/cartesi" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Github</a> | <a href="https://github.com/cartesi/cips/discussions" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Cartesi Improvement Proposal (CIP)</a> | <a href="https://cartesi.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Website</a>

Staker to pool manager: how a CTSI holder takes a more active role in securing The Blockchain OS.

Cartesi

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