Sep 3, 2023 5 min read

Technical Progress Update August

GM 🌅 #IOTA Fam 🤖

It has been another month since I last provided an update on the latest developments in iota-core. While I anticipated a potential slowdown in development efforts due to the annual summer holiday break, we are witnessing quite the opposite. GitHub activity is ablaze.

To put this into perspective, let's take a quick look at the statistics. The developments around coordicide are primarily influenced by changes in the GitHub repositories: iota-core, iota.go, and hive.go. The team has collectively worked on 94 pull requests, of which 87 have already been merged into the codebase, leaving 7 still open. Judging by the GitHub activity, it doesn't seem like the team has taken much of a holiday. Not that I am applauding that, but it truly appears to me that the team is relentlessly pushing forward to finally showcase what they have been diligently building for so long.

Now, let's delve into what transpired this month. But before we do, remember to “Read the disclaimer baby!”

Disclaimer: The information provided in these updates comes from the official IOTA GitHub (https://github.com/iotaledger) and the IOTA discord server (https://discord.iota.org). The interpretation of that information, however, does not represent official information from the IOTA Foundation. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the content, it is important to note that the updates reflect community perspectives. For official announcements and statements, please refer to the IOTA Foundation's official channels and communications.

As usual, let's take a brief moment to recap what we discussed last month. In July, the team primarily focused on certain topics. They successfully completed the implementation of Mana and Mana Account support, while concurrently working on incorporating Congestion Control and Staking functionalities into the protocol – all while aiming for expediency. Remarkably, both network congestion control and staking features have reached completion roughly two weeks ago. You can observe the progress in PR#130 (congestion control) and PR#143 (staking) within the iota-core repository. In addition to the progress evident on GitHub, Jonas also recently confirmed the finalization of these features in a Discord update just a few days ago.

With the inclusion of these features, we are now nearly feature-complete for IOTA 2.0. This signifies a shift in the team's focus from introducing new protocol features to the meticulous refinement of existing parameters. Their efforts now encompass compiling all pending ToDos, closely monitoring issues, rectifying bugs, and rigorously conducting comprehensive testing.

This activity is evident throughout GitHub: A multitude of bug-fixing pull requests are emerging and promptly being addressed. Additionally, the team is in the process of consolidating all outstanding ToDos within the codebase, embarking on an effort to clean up the codebase. Furthermore, the team has commenced the process of tracking every single open issue on GitHub, indicating that a maturity state has been achieved that lets you finally handle the amount of remaining open issues. A significant step forward in the journey towards achieving a polished and deployable codebase. Incidentally, the iota-core repository currently accounts for 51 unresolved issues. Over the past month, a total of 34 new issues were raised, while 36 issues were successfully resolved.

The team has also begun actively improving the APIs and tooling required for accessing and utilizing the network. The adaptation of the Hornet wallet, explorer, and other components to align with the demands of iota 2.0 is presently in progress. Jonas has recently provided commentary on the outstanding features and actions essential for progressing towards the public testnet milestone.

Beyond enhancing APIs and tooling, addressing documentation needs, and intensifying testing and bug-fixing efforts, he underscored four primary features that remain to be integrated. These encompass the completion of the node autopeering mechanism (Iss #49), implementation of warp sync and additional enhancements to node usability (Iss #193), design of the tip selection mechanism for active validators (Iss #240), and the establishment of the account creation process (Iss #278). All the pending features are meticulously documented in the iota-core issues list. Notably, Issue #240, which pertains to tip-selection for validators, boasts a comprehensive explanation and serves as an insightful read for those seeking to delve deeper into the details of protocol design. As for Issue #193, involving the implementation of warp syncing, active pull requests (PR #280 & PR #293) are presently underway to address the matter and potentially resolve it soon™ (I guess).

So, yet another month passes, marking both accomplishments and a fresh array of tasks that lie ahead. And indeed, Jonas has emphasized the dynamic nature of the remaining tasks list, acknowledging the possibility of the roster of missing features and apparent issues expanding over time. The question remains where are we with Coordicide and WEN?

From this point onward, it's important to note that everything presented is purely speculative and stems solely from my intuition. However, the trajectory seems evident – progress is accelerating at an impressive rate. The team is actively curating a comprehensive ToDo-List that encapsulates the remaining tasks for each component, a clear indication of the concerted drive towards completion. Testing endeavors have been underway for a month now, and the resolute enthusiasm of the developers within Discord remains unwavering.

Notably, more and more research engineers are engaging in discourse with the community, injecting heightened excitement as they eagerly anticipate showcasing the fruits of their labor. Nonetheless, it's essential to acknowledge the potential divergence between the perspectives of developers and the broader community – a dynamic that warrants careful consideration. While the protocol itself might be nearing readiness for deployment, with only minor features and bug fixes remaining, it's crucial to recognize that a finalized protocol doesn't encompass everything necessary for the realization of coordicide. As highlighted earlier, various pieces need to seamlessly converge. Tooling must be in place to enable community access to the network. Comprehensive documentation is essential to empower developers in comprehending and engaging with the network. Furthermore, adaptations are required to facilitate the integration of Layer 2 solutions, enabling them to anchor with IOTA 2.0 and handle matters such as mana fees. Amidst all these factors, a palpable sense of excitement prevails. I am strongly convinced that it's not a matter of 'if' anymore, but rather a matter of 'when' coordicide will be achieved. My best estimation would place the unveiling of a public testnet around November or December of this year. And when that public testnet becomes accessible, I am inclined to believe it will exhibit a commendable level of stability for us to engage with.

That wraps up my speculations. Let's not add undue pressure to the diligent development team. It's abundantly clear that every member is fully committed to crafting a success story that benefits all. I eagerly anticipate sharing the next month's progress with you, so stay tuned. As for now, brace yourselves – exciting times are ahead! 😎 🚀.

TLDR: Exciting developments in IOTA-core despite the summer break. GitHub activity on fire. Coordicide elements nearing completion. IOTA 2.0 is nearly feature complete. Speculated public testnet around Nov/Dec.

ID_IOTA