It’s time for our latest weekly development report!

It’s time for our latest weekly development report! https://arkscic.com/blog/ark-development-report-august-9-2024/  $ARK

Ark Scan Block Explorer v2.29.0 is here with WebSockets integration!

Enjoy real-time data streaming, faster updates, and a more responsive experience.

Ark Scan Block Explorer v2.29.0 is here with WebSockets integration! Enjoy real-time data streaming, faster updates, and a more responsive experience. Try it today at https://arkscan.io $ARK

Welcome to August and the start of a busy month at ARK!

Dive into our latest Weekly Development Report

Welcome to August and the start of a busy month at ARK! Dive into our latest Weekly Development Report https://arkscic.com/blog/ark-development-report-august-2-2024  $ARK

We've made significant enhancements to boost its performance and resilience

Dive into the details of these improvements and their positive effects on system performance in our newest post at

Check out the latest installment of the $ARK  Mainsail blog series!   We've made significant enhancements to boost its performance and resilience  Dive into the details of these improvements and their positive effects on system performance in our newest post athttps://arkscic.com/blog/mainsails-performance-improvements

## What Is ARK?

ARK is a cryptocurrency- and [blockchain](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/blockchain)- based development platform allowing anyone to create their own fully customizable and interoperable blockchain. Reducing the industries need for Smart Contracts by using custom transactions, logic and multiple programming languages. ARK was founded in mid 2016, running a Toekn Exchange Campain(TEC) later that year which raised $800K in bitcoin and other exchanged cryptos. Sound financial planning has allowed the team to become a well-funded entity since its inception. On March 21, 2017, the ARK Public Network went live, hosting the native ARK crypto asset. The ARK business entity formed shortly after, called ARK ECOSYSTEM SCIC. The business entity is commonly referred to as 'ARK.io' which is part of the teams branding as well as the teams website.

The ARK Ecosystem consists of an open-source blockchain technology stack authored in TypeScript programming language. ARK’s public network acts as a live implementation of ARK technology, node operators acting as delegates on the network, standalone blockchains running on ARK technology with independent node operators, business entities that develop products powered by ARK as well as assist in maintaining the code base, an enterprise division driving adoption as well as a community of users, developers and service providers. 

The ARK Public Network supports special transaction types such as multi-payment, multisignature, many various registration transactions, and IPFS hash transactions. ARK’s Launcher product, allows fully customizable interoperable blockchain creation using a graphical user interface. This plug and play creation method allows developers to fully utilize ARK’s consensus model, technology stack, product line and custom transactions.


### What Is ARK Trying To Solve?

ARK aims to solve the difficulty of working with blockchain technology and developing solutions that satisfy various use cases. The ARK Core Framework is designed to give developers easier access to blockchain technology. This framework consists of the ARK Core, which acts as the backbone of an ARK-based network, handling peer-to-peer operations, ledger database management, API access, custom business logic and more. Within the ARK Core Framework is the Generic Transaction Interface (GTI), which enables developers to create custom transaction types that run on a customized blockchain and fulfill the developer's desired use case. The concept is similar to building a decentralized application in Solidity. However, there is no complex new language to learn as the GTI functions in TypeScript. Lastly, the decentralized ARK-based application and any related crypto assets would run on a sovereign interoperable blockchain to address scaling concerns. 


## How Do You Mine Or Stake ARK?

You cannot mine ARK, ARK is forged by elected delegates that run the network. ARK runs on a custom designed [delegated proof-of-stake](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/delegated-proof-of-stake-dpos) blockchain with 51 forging delegate slots and eight second block times. Each forged block creates 2 ARK which is sent to the validating/forging delegate for it’s work. Delegates are elected by ARK token holders. The token holders voting power is locked at 1 ARK = 1 Vote, as users cannot vote for more than one delegate with a given wallet address. This addresses concerns with centralization and power groups that have plagued DPoS in the past. Potential forging delegates can run instances of the ARK Core and campaign for forging status by gathering vote weight from token holders. 

Users who wish to place their delegate into one of the top 51 slots execute a special vote transaction using the ARK Desktop or ARK Mobile wallets, assigning vote weight to the delegate. ARK used in voting is not locked and can freely exit and enter the voting wallet address at any time. The staking rewards system is handled by the delegates themselves and each delegate's reward system is completely unique to each. The ARK team does not run the ARK public network.


## Where Can You Buy ARK?

You can buy ARK at any crypto exchange that supports the digital currency. For the latest list of exchanges and trading pairs for this cryptocurrency, you can check out the full list on the ARK website or click on our market pairs tab. There are also downloadable exchange plugins for the ARK Desktop Wallet. ARK can be stored on an exchange, in the ARK wallets, multi asset crypto wallets, crypto debit card wallets or ledger hardware wallets.

Binance

Atomic wallet

Steem is a community-focused blockchain that creates an instant earning opportunity for the network’s users. The protocol is designed to provide an earning opportunity for customers based on their value to the network. It is designed to provide users with a platform where they can post curated content online, and get paid in cryptocurrency.

The protocol is a publicly available, incentivized blockchain database that allows users to interact with each other and earn in return. It leverages technologies from both social media and cryptocurrency to provide users with value. The network ensures the fair treatment of contributors by running a reward structure that reflects each user’s contribution.

Steemit is the first app that was built on the Steem blockchain, and it launched on July 4, 2016. The protocol aims to provide value for its community of users in the following ways:

To provide thoughtfully chosen news and commentaries.

Creating an opportunity to earn.

As a source that offers answers to users’ inquiries.

Offering a stable cryptocurrency pegged to the USD.

Steem

Ardor

Lisk and the LSK token are widely accessible on the most popular exchanges on the market.
The top exchanges to buy the Lisk token are:

Binance

Kraken

Upbit

Huobi

Zonda

Bitflyer

It is important to consider the fact that investing in crypto carries risk, just like any other investment.

If you’re struggling to find a LSK trading pair with your local currency, check out this guide on how to convert fiat into Bitcoin - giving you a gateway to buying LSK.

Lisk

Loom Network is a platform as a service that is built on top of Ethereum and allows developers to run large-scale decentralized applications. This platform was released on October 1st, 2017.

The goal of this is to allow application developers to have smart contracts that can access much more computing power when it is required, or maintain the same power at lower costs for tasks such as trials for onboarding new users or applications that simply do not need the full security of blockchain to begin with.

In this system you have the ability to interact with APIs developed by third parties which are not on chain. Loom attempts to be the ultimate platform that allows smart contract developers to create applications without the need to switch to another programming language.

As such, they can easily integrate their applications with the outside world.

The Loom Network runs on Plasma, which is a scaling solution that allows for faster transactions throughout the network.

Loom Network

aelf

Ontology Gas

Komodo

Status is categorized as a mobile and desktop operating system and decentralized browser that incorporates a messaging system. As such, Status allows you to interact with a network at any time, from anywhere. It was originally released in June in 2017.

It is a light client Ethereum node, and has the ability to give you access to all Ethereum decentralized applications (otherwise known as DApps) from an app that is installed on your mobile phone or tablet. This means that users can send encrypted messages as well as access decentralized applications, including a cryptocurrency wallet.

Status

Metal DAO

Apps use ICON to operate cross-chain seamlessly, build momentum and gain reputation. ICON's Cross-Chain Framework simplifies cross-chain development with its easy-to-use xCall messaging standard and connections to secure bridging protocols.

ICON

Aragon

Ontology is a project designed to bring trust, privacy, and security to Web3 through decentralized identity and data solutions. It is building the infrastructure to provide trusted access to Web3, allowing individuals and enterprises to rest assured that through regulatory compliant digital identity solutions, users and their privacy come first.

The Ontology blockchain is a high speed, low cost public blockchain. It is designed to bring decentralized identity and data solutions to Web3, with the goal of increasing privacy, transparency, and trust. To achieve this, users and enterprises are provided with the flexibility to build blockchain-based solutions that suit their needs, while also ensuring regulatory compliance. Through Ontology’s Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), Ontology ensures frictionless compatibility with Ethereum, the first step in the creation of the Ontology Multi-Virtual Machine and further interoperability for the chain.

At its launch, Ontology chose to forego the popular initial coin offering (ICO) model in favor of a series of community distributions and airdrops of its ONT cryptocurrency.

This helped to quickly establish both organic price discovery and a passionate community and helped the project to avoid subsequent regulatory scrutiny.

For example, for a brief period any person who signed up for the Ontology newsletter received an airdrop of free 1,000 ONT, which reached a value of $10 per token soon after the token became listed on major exchanges like Binance.

Ontology launched its own MainNet on June 30, 2018 and has been up and running smoothly since.

Ontology

Powerledger (POWR) is a technology company that builds software for distributed and decentralised energy markets for a sustainable future. It has developed a blockchain-based platform that enables the tracking and trading of energy, flexibility services and environmental commodities. Its goal is to provide the platform for a fully modernised, market-driven grid that offers consumers a choice in their energy while driving the democratisation of power.
Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Powerledger operates in more than 10 countries. Powerledger operates on two blockchain layers; the POWR token is issued on Ethereum as an ERC-20 token, and the Powerledger blockchain - a native Solana based blockchain to process energy transactions on a more scalable network.

The POWR token is an ERC-20 token that acts as a licence required for businesses such as; utilities, renewable energy operators, microgrids, companies committed to 100% renewable energy and property developers to access Powerledger’s platform, and will be able to be used to pay for transactions on the Powerledger blockchain in future. In 2015, 30 countries had reached grid parity, meaning that the price of solar-generated energy was equal to or less than the cost of local retail electricity. Powerledger combines renewable energy and blockchain technology to offer energy solutions that are cheaper and more sustainable than traditional energy alternatives.

Powerledger

Bancor is an ecosystem of decentralized, open-source protocols that promote on-chain trading and liquidity.

Its main protocol, Carbon, is a decentralized trading protocol allowing users to perform automated trading strategies using custom on-chain limit orders and range orders, with the option of combining orders together to create automated buy low, sell high strategies.

By design, Carbon orders are irreversible on execution, easily adjustable directly on-chain, and resistant to MEV sandwich attacks. These capabilities give users an unprecedented level of control and automation to perform novel trading strategies on-chain.

Fast Lane, a separate open-source arbitrage protocol, allows any user to perform arbitrage between Bancor ecosystem protocols and external on-chain exchanges and redirect arbitrage profits back to the Bancor ecosystem.

All Bancor ecosystem protocols are governed by the BancorDAO via staked BNT.

Bancor

REQ is listed on Coinbase, Binance, crypto.com, KuCoin and many other exchanges.

The REQ token powers the Request Network open-source protocol via a few mechanisms: anti-spam; governance; staking; discounts; independency.

The Request (REQ) utility token, launched in 2017, ensures the performance and stability of the Request Network. The Request Network itself is an Ethereum-based decentralized payment system where anyone can request a payment and receive money through secure means. It removes the requirement for third parties in order to provide a cheaper, more secure payment solution that works with all global currencies.

The original whitepaper is available here.

When a user creates a request for payment, they define to which address the payment needs to be allocated and what the amount is. The user can also define the terms and conditions of the payment, upgrading a simple request into an invoice. Once this is completed, the user can share their request to be paid by their counterparty.

Every step is documented and stored on the Request Network, allowing everyone involved to easily keep track of all the invoices and payments for accounting purposes.

Request is also integrated with legislation across the world to remain compliant with the trade laws of each individual country.

Request

Hive (HIVE) is a blockchain running on a delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism. It launched in March 2020 as a hard fork of the centralized Steem blockchain and as a gateway from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. The blockchain claims to offer “lightning-fast processing times and fee-less transactions.” Examples of use cases include social media with monetized rewards for content creators, interactive blockchain games, identity management, micro-loans and more. The platform powers decentralized applications (dApps) like Splinterlands, PeakD and HiveBlog.

Hive is a social network of apps and services, where users discover the capacity of blockchain technology, connect to the platform and securely share content through equitable redistribution of value. Thus, the users are the proprietors of the network, and sponsors can contact communities and artists directly without intermediaries.

Hive is an open source blockchain that focuses on scaling through layer-2 sidechains, while still benefiting from a common layer-1 blockchain backbone to ensure distributed data integrity. The Hive ecosystem runs on two cryptocurrencies — the native governance token, HIVE and the USD-pegged HBD stablecoin.

Hive

Golem Network is an open-source, decentralized computing platform that is building an ecosystem to provide computing power to the AI industry. A peer-to-peer marketplace for distributed computing resources. Users engage directly on the Golem platform, exchanging GLM tokens for the utilization of their idle computing resources.

Golem allows to break down tasks into smaller subtasks and distribute them across multiple providers, enabling parallel processing. This approach boosts efficiency and speeds up the completion of complex computations.

Golem

Civic is a blockchain-based identity management solution that gives individuals and businesses the tools they need to control and protect personal identity information.

The platform is designed to change the way we think about identity verification by giving users more control over their personal data, while allowing them to access a wide range of services without needing to fork over excessive amounts of personal information.

Civic's identity verification solution uses distributed ledger technology to authorize identity usage in real time, and is used to sparingly share information with Civic partners after authorization by the user.

Unlike some other identity management services, Civic users store all their sensitive data on their mobile device. Users are able to authorize the sharing of specific personal data by providing a biometric signature through the Civic app.

The Civic ecosystem is enabled by a unique utility token known as the Civic token (CVC), which is used for the settlement of identity-related transactions between Civic participants — such as between a customer and service provider.

Users can earn CVC tokens for completing a variety of tasks, such as signing up for a service through the platform or introducing new users, while validators can earn CVCs for validating documents for service providers.

Civic was launched in 2018, following a sell-out initial coin offering (ICO) the year prior.