May 2017 - Dash Core Team Monthly Report

Dear Community members,

It is my pleasure to give you a status report of the Dash Core Team activities. Below, you will find our report covering activities performed through the end of May, grouped by the four strategic areas of focus for 2017.

  1. Software Development

    1. Dash core wallet - version 12.x (lead developer: Udjin M6; PM support: Robert Wiecko (Deactivated))
    2. Dash Evolution (lead developer: Nathan Marley; PM: Luba S. (Unlicensed))
      1. Detailed development roadmap for May-July was created. Milestones: Backend Pre-alpha (06 June), DashDrive Pre-Alpha(04 July), Frontend Pre-Alpha(17 June), Backend Alpha(15 August), Frontend Alpha(1 August).

      2. New DevOps workflow was created and accepted by the team. It allows us to improve product quality assurance and deployment process, build CI&CD for Evolution.

      3. Finished refinement of Evolution Whitepaper, Architecture Diagram was created.

      4. We make some organizational changes that will help us to improve delivery process and increase development transparency:

        1. Internal weekly reports(project status).

        2. Improved structure of Evolution sub-projects in JIRA, now all team activities are tracked in JIRA, statistic is available.

        3. Started  more detailed planning of product versions/milestones.

        4. Created documentation related to project planning and project management in Evo Confluence space

    3. Dash Evolution Backend (lead developer: Alex Werner (Unlicensed); PM: Luba S. (Unlicensed))
      1. Completed researches:

        1. Dapi & JSON highjacking (Does DAPI need to integrate a JSON Hijicking solution while/before API response?)

        2. Handle new user creation without any funds.

        3. DashAuth: How we could use BitAuth2017 in a Dash Evolution perspective? Defined requirements for challenge building and resolving processes for authentication to interactive session with a MN quorum.

        4. Probability of successfully attacking a quorum.

        5. Seeding Evolution initial SubTx Costs from the Network

        6. How we will use ZMQ and what is ZMQ.

      2. DashAuth: POC building finished, implemented Account/Create, Account/Login functionality.

      3. New development environment setup was finished:

        1. Setup of server running with Evolution parts(Insight, Insight-API, dashd, dapi API, dapi WS) on testnet.

        2. Setup of DAPI basic interface with others parts (Rest-interface, ZMQ interface with dashd, JSON-RPC interface with dashd).

        3. Setup of evo-backend-installer with two differents install modes.

        4. Updated requirements (install list + package) for Evo-backend-installer

        5. Setup on npm (+grant access) : dapi, dapi-sdk

      4. AuthService was implemented in DAPI

      5. Decoupling Insight-API from Dashd management was finished

      6. In order to work-out for the later DashPay needs, we need to be able to make DashPay's dependencies (Bitcore-wallet-service) works on a decentralized way. Preparing Evo Backend for DashPay Wallet(Evolution Frontend) was done:

        1. Implementation of Explorer routes

        2. Inspection of DashPay calls and returns

        3. BWS mock (added routes/wrappers +test for bws mock)

        4. Additional signatures for DashPay were inspected and documented.

      7. Proposal Generator: verified proposal generator work, finished w/auto-deployment (CD).

      8. DAPI : Setup Main Tech Architecture (with tests, benchmarking, and basic connection interfaces - RPC...):

        1. Prepare WebSocket interface

        2. Prepare Rest interface

        3. ZMQ interface with dashd

        4. JSON-RPC with dashd

    4. Dash Evolution DashDrive (lead developer: Nathan Marley; PM: Luba S. (Unlicensed))

      1. New developer was onboarded - Ian

      2. Started building of DashDrive prototype:

        1. Mocked up DashDrive proof of concept User API calls and test JSON user account database

        2. Contacts added

      3. Researching completed:

        1. Backend storage

        2. OOB data transfer with IPFS

        3. GraphQL

        4. IPNS with regards to pre-validated OOB. Matrix overview.

        5. Factom

      4. Quorum integration research was done, quorum interaction stories with other system components were defined.

      5. Created internal documentation with detailed description of what is DashDrive and what is Quorum.

    5. Dash Evolution Frontend (lead developer: Chuck Williams (Unlicensed); PM: Luba S. (Unlicensed))
      1. Planned Alpha DashPay Wallet Release that will include DASH Account Setup, Basic DASH Transactions. Release date: 1 August 2017

      2. IBN Team(Contactors) was successfully onboarded and started work on Android build for DashPay Wallet.

      3. First version of UX Flow for DashPay Wallet (Account Setup) was delivered

      4. Documentation created: DashPay Wallet & Bitcore Playground DASH - How-To - How to get a private key for an address in the DashPay Wallet

      5. Initialized "Dash-UI" UI/UX Pattern Library Repository as home for discovered patterns and practice of Common Dash Interfaces & Interaction Styles.

    6. Dash wallet for Android - updated features (lead developer: @HashEngineering)
      1. Full report available here: https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/dash-wallet-for-android-maintenance-and-support-1.14777/#post-128538

    7. Dash wallet for iOS - updated features (lead developer: @QuantumExplorer)
      1. Escalations with Apple management on Dash acceptance (Ryan Taylor (Unlicensed) is handling the communication)

    8. All Electrum versions updated https://electrum-dash.org
  2. Business Development

    1. Fernando @ Corks 
      http://irishtechnews.ie/corks-first-blockchain-hackathon-and-conference/
    2. Daniel @ Blockchain 360  
      https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/danie-dash-blockchain-360-san-francisco.14945/
    3. Dash Team @ Consensus NYC  
      https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/consensus-2017-nyc-thread.15015/
    4. 2 Conferences (new leads)
    5. 2 new leads on Asian exchanges (Japan)
    6. Interesting opportunity with crypto-currency village in Asia
    7. Meeting with Bithumb to agree on promotion on Korea
    8. New project with BlockCypher
    9. New opportunity in China
    10. Coinapult Integration
  3. Marketing and Communication

    1. http://fintekneeks.com/the-cryptosphere-nears-40-billion/
    2. https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/dash-accessibility-market-cap-rises/
    3. https://www.cryptoninjas.net/2017/05/03/dash-partners-coinapult-cryptocurrency-fiat-gateway/
    4. https://www.paymentssource.com/news/5417-your-morning-briefing
    5. https://cointelegraph.com/news/altcoin-dash-opens-regulated-fiat-purchases-with-coinapult-deal
    6. BCHGraz - Meetup #10 - DASH by Valentin Kalinov 1+2: https://youtu.be/yYo-SnHfMfY

    7. https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethereum-vs-dash-in-race-for-100-mark-both-crossed-threshold

    8. Other major publications:
      1. https://www.facebook.com/thecryptoshow/posts/1954301158126588

      2. https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/the-crypto-show-ken-ramirez-of-alt36-a-pos-for-the-cannabis-industry

      3. http://www.banklesstimes.com/2017/05/11/dash-system-gives-window-to-blockchain-potential/

      4. https://cointelegraph.com/news/dash-to-ripple-gateways-heading-to-market-altcoin-watch

      5. https://www.dashforcenews.com/neocash-radio-dash-force-exclusive/
      6. https://www.dash.org/forum/threads/march-april-2017-dash-core-team-monthly-report.14919/#post-126744
      7. https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/trading/avatrade-adds-ethereum-dash-ripple-cryptocurrency-cfd-trading/
      8. http://www.newsbtc.com/2017/05/24/billion-dollar-market-cap-club-now-includes-seven-different-cryptocurrencies/
    9. Dash.org Multi-language is live
  4. Project Organization

    1. Onboarding of 6 new developers completed
    2. JIRA and Confluence setup for the new team completed
    3. Assistance with the new project structure implementation
    4. Work on the internal core team processes
    5. Updates of Core Team Intranet
    6. Q1 Core Team call preparations
    7. Initiated first interviews for HR Director position and conducted first interviews
    8. Kicked-off American PM search