Background

Ever since the start of my tech comm career, I have been privileged to work within developer experience teams; this has been very beneficial for my career because I believe every technical writer should have the opportunity to work within developer experience teams. This firsthand experience is crucial for professional growth, giving more opportunities for technical communicators to directly advocate for their users and contribute meaningfully to initiatives that enhance their onboarding experience. These among many other reasons are why I chose to enrol for DevRel Uni (Developer Relations University), Cohort 6 to access and build my network of devrels and also learn about the devrel profession from their varied experiences.

DevRel Uni is a six-week immersive program that welcomes a new cohort of students annually. As a member of Cohort 6 (2024), I had the privilege of learning from experienced DevRel professionals and mentors. This included Bianca Buzea (Chronicle Labs, DevRel Uni Founder), Matt Hamilton (Arbitrum Foundation), Austin Griffith (Buil Guidl), Kevin Blanco (Appsmith), Coogan Brennan (Polygon), Olayinka Shidipe (Fleek), and Francesco Andreoli (Consensys).

Key Takeaways and Insights from the Speakers

Bianca Buzea's "Developer Relations: A Comprehensive Primer" at DevRel Uni provided a foundational understanding of the multifaceted role of a DevRel professional.

Key takeaways emphasized the importance of advocacy for developers, impactful education, and building strong, inclusive communities. Buzea highlighted storytelling, empathy, and adaptability as crucial for success in this dynamic field.

As part of Week 1's assignment, we were tasked with creating a 30-60-90 day plan as a newly hired DevRel within an organization. This exercise proved invaluable, prompting me to reflect on key tasks and identify actionable ideas for my initial 90 days. Check out my X Post.

Matt Hamilton's session at DevRel Uni delved into Arbitrum, a leading Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum, and its innovative new tool, Stylus.

Stylus empowers developers to write smart contracts in familiar languages like Rust, C, and C++, expanding the developer pool and fostering collaboration between blockchain and traditional software engineering. Key benefits include enhanced performance, reduced gas costs, and increased accessibility for developers across different programming backgrounds.

Hamilton's presentation highlighted the transformative potential of Arbitrum and Stylus in driving innovation and expanding the boundaries of Ethereum development. Check out my team’s submission on A Comprehensive Guide to Arbitrum Stylus and Ecosystem by Owanate Amachree, Alberto Chaves, and Mirna Ampuero.

Austin Griffith's session at DevRel Uni introduced "Speedrunning Ethereum," an approach that emphasizes accessible tools, a core concept focus, and iterative learning to simplify dApp development. Key takeaways included rapid prototyping, leveraging reusable components, and collaborative learning through communities like Buidl Guidl. This allows developers to build and learn efficiently, accelerating their growth in Web3. Griffith also highlighted valuable resources like Scaffold-ETH, Speedrun Ethereum, and Buidl Guidl for participants to explore.

Kevin Blanco's session at DevRel Uni emphasized the power of storytelling in creating impactful DevRel video content. He highlighted the importance of connecting with the audience emotionally, using narrative arcs, and maintaining authenticity to deliver engaging and memorable experiences. Practical tips included identifying the target audience, keeping the message concise, and leveraging visuals for a more substantial impact. This session provided valuable insights on crafting video content that educates, inspires action, and fosters a deeper connection with the developer community.

Coogan Brennan's session at DevRel Uni emphasized the crucial role of documentation and developer bootcamps in empowering developer communities. Key takeaways highlighted the importance of creating clear, concise, and accessible documentation that caters to different skill levels. Brennan also emphasized the value of developer bootcamps in providing immersive learning experiences, fostering collaboration, and lowering the barrier to entry for complex technologies. This session underscored the importance of creating high-quality resources that empower developers, build trust, and foster a thriving developer ecosystem. Check out my series on #BuildWorldClassWeb3Docs, which shows how I implemented storytelling to document my experiences on a recent project I led.

Olayinka Oshidipe's session at DevRel Uni emphasized the importance of crafting high-quality, audience-centric content, including blogs, threads, and videos. Key takeaways included understanding the target audience, maintaining consistency, and focusing on quality over quantity. Oshidipe highlighted the importance of storytelling, concise messaging, and strong visuals in creating engaging and impactful content across different formats. This session provided valuable strategies for creating content that educates, inspires action, and builds a strong, engaged developer community.

Francesco Andreoli's session at DevRel Uni explored the diverse career paths within Developer Relations, including Developer Advocate, Community Manager, Content Creator, and Program Manager. Key takeaways emphasized the importance of building a strong portfolio, actively networking, and continuously upskilling to enter the field. Andreoli stressed the importance of focusing on impact, seeking mentorship, and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of DevRel. This session provided invaluable guidance for aspiring DevRel professionals on navigating their career paths and achieving success in this dynamic field.

The 22daysofdevrelchallenge presented a significant learning opportunity for me. Given my tendency to shy away from consistent social media posting, this daily challenge pushed me outside my comfort zone. Recognizing the importance of a strong online presence for a DevRel professional, I embraced the challenge. While I didn't maintain a perfect 22-day streak, I successfully created and shared high-quality, engaging content with my audience. You can explore my contributions using the hashtag #22daysofdevrelchallenge on X. Also the mentors X profiles have been linked to their names so you can follow DevRels already excelling in the field to learn from them.

Key Skills for DevRels

Technical Proficiency:

• Programming languages (at least a basic understanding of Javascript, Solidity or any)

  • Build APIs and SDKs

  • Learn Version control systems (Git)

Communication & Interpersonal Skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication

  • This can be demonstrated through blog posts and your technical writing portfolio.

• Public speaking and presentation skills

  • Volunteer to speak at conferences and online events.

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills

• Community building and engagement (X posts, Hackathons, Events, etc)

Content Creation & Marketing:

• Technical writing & documentation

• Blog writing, articles, and tutorials

• Social media engagement and content creation

• Video production (screencasts, tutorials)

• Event planning and coordination

How Technical Writing Skills Translate to DevRel

Core Transferable Skills

Technical Communication

Translating complex technical information into clear, concise, and engaging content (documentation, blog posts, tutorials). This involves understanding and explaining technical concepts to a diverse audience (developers of varying skill levels)

Creating user-friendly and accessible content

• Information Architecture & Organization:

  • Structuring and organizing complex information effectively (e.g., APIs, SDKs)

  • Creating and publishing clear documentation in intuitive navigation for easy findability and access to the developer resources

• User Research & Feedback:

• Gathering and analyzing user feedback (developer feedback)

• Identifying user needs and pain points

Project Management:

• Managing documentation projects and timelines

• Collaborating with cross-functional teams (engineers, product managers, etc.)

Building the Necessary DevRel Skills

Technical Skill Development

• Learn to code: Start with basic programming languages (Python, JavaScript) and gradually increase your proficiency. Check out this valuable resource to help you get started in Web3 and Smart Contract Development. Also, check out this Web3 Resources guide by Vedang Vatsa.

• Explore APIs and SDKs: Experiment with different APIs and learn how to use them effectively.

• Contribute to open-source projects: Gain practical experience and build your portfolio. Join the Rootstock Hacktivator to kickstart your contribution to Open Source and earn rewards.

Community Building & Engagement

• Participate in online communities: Engage in discussions on forums, social media, and online communities (e.g., Stack Overflow, Reddit or Web 3 communities like Developer DAO, etc).

• Attend and speak at developer events: Network with other developers and share your knowledge. Check out ETHGlobal hackathons and events.

• Build your brand: Create a strong online presence through a blog, social media, or a personal website. Follow me on X.

Content Creation & Marketing

• Practice creating different types of content: Blog posts, tutorials, videos, presentations.

• Learn basic SEO and content marketing principles.

• Experiment with different content formats and tools.

Career Transition Tips

• Networking: Attend industry events, connect with DevRel professionals on LinkedIn, and build relationships within the DevRel community. I have shared some valuable resources in the course of writing this article.

• Portfolio Building: Create a portfolio showcasing your technical writing skills and any DevRel projects you've undertaken. One hack to do this is via X, LinkedIn or YouTube, as these platforms enable you to share your knowledge and build a social media presence and community.

• Highlighting Transferable Skills: In your resume and cover letter, emphasize how your technical writing skills align with the requirements of a DevRel role. Check out this FREE CV template by Workhap.

• Consider a DevRel Internship or Apprenticeship: Gain hands-on experience and learn from experienced DevRel professionals.

Learn how to set up Metrics Tracking (Objectives, Key Results, Actions) for DevRel Teams by Brendan Graetz or read the blog post on Goals Planning for your DevRel Team using OKRs.

Check out more valuable resources from https://developerrelations.com/.

Landing a Job in DevRel

Watch this video. I found it particularly insightful for landing DevRel roles. Also, read the guide on Recruiter’s Advice For First-Time DevRel People.

Conclusion

Technical writers possess many core skills essential for transitioning into a successful DevRel career. You can seamlessly transition into this exciting field by strategically leveraging your existing strengths in technical communication, actively expanding your technical expertise, and engaging deeply within the developer community.

In the previous section, we learnt how to use a journey map and mental models to draw up a simple information architecture. Now it is time to take inventory of the existing content, strategize on the Content, define the scope and goals based on results from the survey and research, and take inventory of the content based on the different target audiences. Start by doing a thorough content audit for an existing docs platform. Determine what content is up-to-date and no longer of use, what content should be added, what needs to be reviewed, and which teams are responsible for maintenance. Also, consider setting up CI/CD pipelines for documentation; this ensures an ecosystem approach to documentation maintenance is adopted. This can be done using a regular spreadsheet or any tool you like. Here is a simple template to help with this.

Things to take into consideration…

Before you begin the content inventory, you should be aware of the following:

• Determine the amount of traffic lost or gained due to moving or deprecating content. To do this, start by planning your URLs. Buy the Docs Inventory and Taxonomy Builder Template.

• Note that when content is moved, the URL automatically changes. This means a redirect setup is needed before the site goes live to avoid visitors to your documentation encountering many 404 pages.

• Consider conducting an internal audit of the content to find broken links, outdated images, and content and shorten the URL levels. This will prevent the user from navigating deep into the content before finding it. Write an automated script that can detect broken links. Run this as part of your CI/CD pipeline for bonus points and regularly using cron jobs.

• Pay attention to the site metadata and how the URLs are named for better SEO, findability, and effective search. Also, please pay close attention to how the URLs are unfurled in applications or social media where you expect them to be shared.

Populating the categories…

1. Concepts: The /concepts bucket or section should contain conceptual information about the platform and technology. This means the Glossary, FAQs, and concept definitions should be found in this section. For example, Ethereum is a programmable smart contracts platform that uses Proof of Stake. This means the concepts section needs to explain the foundations of the blockchain, why a programmable smart contracts platform is necessary, the technology stack and how Ethereum uses Proof of Stake to validate transactions.

2. Developers: The /developers section, depending on your organisation's needs, should rank higher. Generally rank the section where you expect action to be taken to achieve an overall goal. For example, suppose a developer integrates your API or SDK or can use a quick start guide to deploy a transaction. In that case, this contributes to increased network and transaction activity. This section ideally should contain general setup instructions, an integration guides section for API / SDKs, a blockchain primer for developers new to the platform, and other resources like connecting to the node, deploying smart contracts, etc.

3. Node Operators: As the name implies, node operators are simply node operators. This bucket or section should cater to them and contain information on node setup, configuration, running, and maintenance.

If developers are a secondary audience, this should be highly ranked after them. However, depending on your organisation's needs and wants and information from the user research and survey conducted, if node operators are the primary users of your product, then this should rank first.

4. Users: Depending on the user segmentation, users can refer to general users of your tools or product. These tools and products mostly have a user interface. In the case of an API or SDK integration, consider branching out into another bucket called “Developers” since they’re most likely to integrate the APIs and SDKs. See the example above in the developer section. The user’s bucket should typically contain information and external links to products or guide content.

Note that this is a simplified example of IA structure. Other content types do not fit into these three categories. Some platforms refer to that content as Resources or Knowledge bases (Tutorials, guides, etc.).

An Improved Information Architecture

In the previous section, we drew up a simple information architecture and explored the types of content needed for each section. After taking stock and inventory, let's develop our IA to reflect the developer journey.

The diagram above categorises content into four main areas: Concepts, Developers, Node Operators, and Users. These categories form the foundation for your information architecture (IA). Depending on how you structure your content, you'll find subfolders or files within these base folders.

Here's an example of how this structure can be applied to finding setup instructions for developers: A developer looking for setup instructions would likely find them in the /developers/setup.md file. If the setup instructions differ for different operating systems (OS), such as Windows, Linux, and macOS, you can create separate sections within the same Setup.md file. However, if the setup instructions become too lengthy and complicated to read on a single page, consider using a readability test, such as the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease test, to assess readability. If your score suggests the content is difficult to understand, you can create subfolders within the /developers/setup folder to organise instructions specific to Windows, macOS, or Linux users. See the recommended levels for a URL structure.

Next, we will explore the docs toolsets, considerations and platform selection depending on your use case.

Resources

• Interaction Design Foundation

• NNGroup: Mental Models

• Diataxis Framework

• Docs Inventory and Taxonomy Builder Template

Huge thanks to Brendan Graetz for the review and feedback.

Before proceeding, read the previous series on Exploring Web3 Documentation: Key Challenges and Growth Opportunities and User Research Methods to Boost Your Information Architecture Design.

Considering the above definition and with results from the user research and journey mapping exercise, categorise or group the information into different buckets using a system in human-computer interaction known as mental models. “A mental model is what the user believes about the system (web, application, or other product). Mental models help the user predict how a system will work and influence their interaction with an interface”. Another common approach or framework used in the documentation space is the diataxis framework, which suggests approaches to content, information architecture and form that emerge from a systematic approach to understanding the needs of documentation users. Diataxis suggests categorising content into Tutorials, how-to guides, explanations and references. This systematic approach will be slightly different when categorising information for a web3 platform.

We will look at how to apply this systematic approach but from a web3 platform POV.

A practical example…

We covered vital differences between web2 and web3 documentation, some of which were decentralisation and Technology.

In decentralisation, it was observed that Documentation must be accessible to a wide range of stakeholders, including Developers, Node Operators, and General Users.

In technology, it was observed that given the complex nature of the blockchain, a documentation or developer portal needs to explain complex concepts like blockchain fundamentals, smart contracts, cryptographic concepts, etc., which is vital.

Based on the above, we can now draw up a simple IA. In the image below, we have categorised and labelled the content into three buckets: Concepts, Node Operators, and Users. Recall the definition of mental models. This means a beginner to your Web3 platform will most likely navigate to the concepts section, a node operator will likely navigate to the Node Operators section, and a user of that product or tool will most likely navigate to the Users section.

Some examples of exemplary IA implementations that applied the mental model and journey mapping include the Ethereum Developer Resources, Polygon Knowledge Layer, Casper Documentation, Rootstock Developer Portal, etc.

In the following article in this series, we will cover how to assess the existing content by conducting a content inventory and taxonomy planning.

Resources

• Interaction Design Foundation

• NNGroup: Mental Models

• Diataxis Framework

• Docs Inventory and Taxonomy Builder Template

Huge thanks to Brendan Graetz for the review and feedback.

To effectively improve your documentation and drive developer adoption, you need to understand:

• Developer Journey: How do developers and users discover your documentation? What challenges do they face when finding the content? How do you tailor/map the content based on the user journeys?

• Decision-Making Factors: What motivates developers to choose your platform? It could be documentation with straightforward guides on getting started—or juicy opportunities available within your ecosystem, such as grants programs, ambassador programs, hackathons, etc.

Previously, we explored the Web3 landscape, challenges and differences between Web3 Documentation and Traditional Documentation. See Exploring the Web3 Documentation: Key Challenges and Growth Opportunities.

User research is the first step to understanding user needs, pain points, and expectations. Some of these methods usually include surveys, interviews, and usability testing. This is critical to solving developers' challenges. Adopting a structured approach will lead to insightful discoveries and insights into what features developers prioritise.

During the research phase, aim to discover the answers to these questions:

• Who are the users of your platform?

  • Who are your developers? (segments and personas)

  • What are their pain points?

  • What are their developer journeys?

  • What are their expectations at each stage of the developer journey?

• What content do your users expect to see or interact with based on their journeys?

  • How do I group the content to solve the needs of different audiences? What is my information architecture?

    • How do you know what content needs to be moved, audited, added, reviewed, or no longer used?

    • How do you keep track of the content and taxonomy to ensure it aligns with the user's expectations?

    • How do you conduct taxonomy / URL planning?

• If you already use docs as code, find out if the current platform works or if you need to change to a more community-friendly platform.

  • What features do developers enjoy using?

    • Time to read

    • Edit this page,

    • Authored by, etc

  • Is the tool free or paid? Closed source? Paid open source?

  • Does the platform have a robust community and components that keep it in sync with current documentation features?

• Can the development be handled in-house or contracted to an agency if migrating to a new platform?

  • What’s the budget?

  • What’s the timeline for the project's delivery?

  • What are the trade-offs? SEO, impact on traffic, broken links, accessibility across different platforms and users (Mobile, Web, etc.)

• What priority features must be shipped, and what secondary features are required?

  • Do you need to add localisation? What are the targeted countries?

  • Night mode toggle

  • Code samples and callouts

  • Etc

• How does the project contribute to overall organisation goals and vision

• How can developer activity be measured and tracked using the documentation?

• How do you ship this to the market and get feedback?

The research should address these, among other questions. The docs survey should also be designed to ask the developer some of these questions.

Now, let’s figure out an answer to some of these questions…

Before going ahead, let’s define some essential terms:

• Taxonomy: A content taxonomy is a scheme of classification used to organize and categorize content.

• Information Architecture:

• Docs as Code: As the name implies, it refers to treating technical documentation like code; this involves using tools and techniques like version control (GitHub), automation (CICD) with static site generators (SSG) and more.

• Platform: Refers to the documentation being considered or currently in use

User Persona and Journey Mapping

User research and journey mapping should be carried out on the platform level and for the documentation. Determine who your users are and what business model you operate under. This could be a B2B, B2C, or B2b2C model; knowing the ideal customer on a platform level allows for easy identification of the ideal customers and what content should serve them.

One way to achieve this is by building a developer journey map for each persona using tools like Miro or Notion.

In the image below, there are five stages of journey mapping: discover, Evaluate, Learn, Build and Scale. “The Developer Journey Map is a visualisation that identifies the path a developer follows and experiences.

As users move left to right across the stages, their interaction with your brand, team, and product increases. It’s one of the most valuable tools in Developer Relations. It helps you think holistically about the experience from the developers’ perspective while providing an efficient guide. “Read more about the developer journey map on DevRel.Agency.

Next, we will use the strategies above to create a sample Information Architecture for a typical Web3 Docs Platform.

Resources

• Interaction Design Foundation

• NNGroup: Mental Models

• Diataxis Framework

• Docs Inventory and Taxonomy Builder Template

Huge thanks to Brendan Graetz for the review and feedback.

This series will cover how DevRel teams can focus more on reshaping or crafting exceptional developer experiences, starting with reimagining existing documentation or creating new documentation experiences. We will explore the specifics of understanding the developer audience, crafting effective information architecture patterns, selecting the right documentation platform, and conducting a content audit and inventory for your documents.

Here is what to expect:

• Information Architecture and Content Inventory and Planning

• Docs Platform development, Content Migration and SEO

• Go-to-market strategies for web3 documentation

Let’s get right into it.

One aspect mainly discussed related to DX is providing developers with the tools, community support, and up-to-date resources. This is where documentation plays a significant role. Documentation is vital to the DX funnel (from awareness to product). The AAARRRP is a framework that helps you define your developer relations strategy by providing a mechanism for mapping the company goals for developer relations through to the activities that will help you achieve those goals.

However, fewer platforms do not prioritise documentation because measuring success against business goals is quite a herculean task. The diagram above shows the AAARRRP pyramid from awareness to the product's stage. From developers being aware of the product, signing up for the product, and using the product to activating and retaining devs through providing concise, up-to-date documentation and tailored resources, all these play a significant role at the different stages in the developer funnel.

To better understand the unique challenges and opportunities in Web3, let's compare traditional and Web3 documentation.

Key Differences between Web3 Documentation and Traditional Documentation

Web3 is still in its infancy, and challenges abound with any emerging technology. Many Web3 projects grapple with creating documentation that effectively onboards and guides developers through a platform. A common pitfall is neglecting the developer journey and failing to tailor content to user needs.

This presents a significant opportunity. Since technical documentation remains the top resource for developers learning new technologies (Stackoverflow 2024 Developer Survey), Web3 platforms can differentiate themselves by understanding user personas and needs and anticipating how they interact with documentation.

By understanding user personas and their development journeys, DevRel teams can effectively tailor resources to guide developers along different paths to success. For instance, a Web2 developer transitioning to Web3 can benefit from a structured learning path like the "Zero to Hero" course or video resources. By providing familiar tools and resources, such as CLI tools and APIs to interact with RPC, DevRel teams can bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3, making the transition smoother. This approach fosters trust, grows the developer community, and accelerates platform adoption.

How web3 Docs are Different from Traditional documentation

To create effective documentation experiences, deeply understand your documentation users. This requires comprehensive user research, considering a diverse audience.

• Technical Users: Developers, Tech Leads, IT Support

• Non-Technical Users: General Users, Customer Support

• Decision-Makers: Executives influencing tool choices

In the next chapter in this series, we will explore how to conduct user research for documentation, tailor content based on different user journeys, and create an excellent information architecture that effectively onboards developers and users to your product.

Resources

• Interaction Design Foundation

• NNGroup: Mental Models

• Diataxis Framework

• Docs Inventory and Taxonomy Builder Template

Huge thanks to Brendan Graetz for the review of the series and feedback.

Note that this post is a list of the activity cards; The solutions and spoilers have been saved for a subsequent post!

The original design of the activities ☝️

The physical cards for the activities used on the day ☝️

The rules are that these have to be completed sequentially - complete each objective before moving on to the next one. Consider doing this in a group rather than individually. However, if that is not an option, some activities may not 100% work, and you'll need to adapt accordingly (suggestions have been provided inline).

You might notice that some cards contain an Easter Egg. These are for doing something more than just the base requirement of the activity. As the name implies, these are not specified in the activity cards; finding them involves some guess work (and luck). All team members need to complete the basic steps to move on to the next activity, but only one team member needs to - optionally - complete the Easter Egg to get the additional points.

OBJECTIVE #1

You have 30min to set up a new Metamask Wallet in a new Browser Profile of your computer and connect to RSK Mainnet.

Existing/current wallet not allowed. Save your seed phrase!!!

Then sign into the link below and connect to RSK Mainnet + add RIF token - metamask-landing.rifos.org

Every member of the team must submit the address at: forms.gle/XXXXX

Reward: 10 points

This objective is simply the set up for the rest of the sequence, so that everyone starts on a level playing field with a fresh wallet.

Adaptations:

• Use a spreadsheet or other shared doc instead of the google form.

OBJECTIVE #2

You have 5min to select your team name!

Write and show your name to the public.

Be creative

Reward: 10 points

This objective is simply to populate the leaderboard with names instead of team numbers.

Adaptations:

• This task is simply to enable teams to appear on the leaderboard
• Skip if not competing with multiple teams

OBJECTIVE #3

Two members of your group will receive RBTC from IOV.

Transfer among yourselves such that everyone has equal amounts.

You can check account balance at explorer.rsk.co

You have 25min for this task!

Reward: 20 points Easter Egg: 20 points

This objective is to ensure that everyone has sufficient funds to perform the tasks in the rest of the sequence. The amount needed is approximately 10USD worth of RBTC.

Adaptations:

• Transfer in RBTC that you hold in another account; or
• Obtain RBTC from an exchange
• If doing this individually, skip the distribute equally step, instead just transfer to another one of your own accounts

OBJECTIVE #4

You have 30min to convert your 50% funds from RBTC to RIF Tokens.

You must use app.rskswap.com/swap or live.sovryn.app/swap.

Reward: 30 points

This objective is to convert some cryptocurrency into utility tokens, which will be used in some of the subsequent tasks.

OBJECTIVE #5

You have 40min to register a new RNS Domain (e.g. yourname.rsk)

Your domain must last for 2 years.

You must use manager.rns.rifos.org.

Reward: 40 points Easter Egg: 20 points

This objective is to use some utility tokens, to register a decentralised domain name.

OBJECTIVE #6

You have 20min to lend approximately 2USD worth of RBTC on Tropykus using the “microsaving” feature.

You must use tropykus.com.

Reward: 60 points

This objective is to use cryptocurrency as savings to earn interest.

Partners on stage, talking about their products, as they are being used during the activities day.

OBJECTIVE #7

You have 30min to mint RDOC on Money On Chain.

You must use rif.moneyonchain.com.

Reward: 60 points Easter Egg: 20 points

This objective is to convert utility tokens into a stablecoin, which will be used in some of the subsequent tasks.

OBJECTIVE #8

You have 45min to purchase a limited edition “IOV Gorra Digital Edition” from Kripton Market.

You must use marketplace.kriptonmarket.com.

Reward: 60 points

This objective is to use a stablecoin to purchase a retail item.

Adaptations:

• These items may no longer be available, purchase any other item with approximately the same value instead.

Mini-spoiler: The "digital edition" was a bit of a troll 😉, this activity was really about the purchase of a physical cap; and was revealed right at the end of the activities.

OBJECTIVE #9

You have 10min to uninstall your Metamask wallet from your new Browser Profile.

Reward: 10 points

This task is to simulate "losing" your wallet.

OBJECTIVE #10

You have 35min to recover your wallet but now using Defiant (mobile) or Liquality (browser).

Ensure that your addresses/balances are intact. Hint: Check your derivation path.

Reward: 100 points

This task is to recover funds after "losing" your wallet.

Next

So those are all the activities! If you do indeed try them out, be sure to drop your feedback and questions over at rsk.co/slack

Originally posted on Bguiz Blog.

More coming soon; this is the second in a series of posts!

• Dogfood Your Web3 Ecosystem - The thinking behind it, and preparation for it
• This post Try it yourself! - A list of all activities, (almost) no spoilers
• Coming soon Demos - How the activities were completed and evaluated, spoilers aplenty
• Takeaways](/2022/dogfood-your-web3-ecosystem-takeaways/) - What we learnt from the entire process

What is a Wrapped Token?

Wrapped cryptocurrencies or tokens are pegged to the value of another original crypto or assets like gold, stocks, shares, and real estate and put to work on the DeFi platforms.

They are a special type of ERC20 tokens, which typically prefix their token symbol with "W". For example, RBTC is the native cryptocurrency on the RSK Blockchain and WRBTC is an ERC20 token that wraps RBTC. This not only enables the RBTC denominated DeFi activity on DeFi platforms (which standardises on the ERC20 standard) but also consequently enables it to be used on other blockchain networks.

The original asset is 'wrapped' into a digital vault, and a newly minted token is created to transact on other platforms. Wrapped tokens allow non-native assets to be used on any blockchain, build bridges between networks and implement interoperability in the cryptocurrency space.

How do they work?

The creator of the token, upon deployment usually creates the initial supply of the tokens (total number of tokens). This is known as a "mint" operation. In many ERC20 tokens that's all. But for some ERC20 tokens, the total supply needs to be increased or decreased after the initial deployment.

So the smart contract exposes a mint function, for increasing the total supply; and a burn function for decreasing the total supply. Of course, they don't simply allow that to happen for no reason, usually, a set of requirements must be met to use these functions, and these smart contract functions check for that.

In wrapped tokens, the wrap operation performs a mint. The holder transfers cryptocurrency to the smart contract, the smart contract mints the equivalent amount of tokens, and finally, the smart contract transfers the tokens to the holder.

The unwrap operation does the reverse and performs a burn. The holder transfers tokens to the smart contract, the smart contract burns the equivalent amount of tokens, and finally, the smart contract transfers the cryptocurrency to the holder.

Difference between a wrapped vs an unwrapped token

Difference between BTC, RBTC, WRBTC, and WBTC

BTC is the native currency of the Bitcoin network.

RBTC is the native cryptocurrency of the RSK network. RBTC it is pegged 1 : 1 with BTC (1 RBTC = 1 BTC).

WRBTC is an ERC20 token that wraps RBTC. Both are on the same network, RSK. This is accomplished using a smart contract. See WRBTC on the RSK block explorer.

WBTC is an ERC20 token on the Ethereum network that is treated like wrapped BTC. However is not accomplished using smart contracts, and instead requires trust in an intermediary.

All four of these assets have equivalent value, they simply exist in different formats and on different blockchain networks.

Why use WRBTC?

Trade Directly with other Tokens The reason you need WRBTC is to be able to trade RBTC for other ERC-20 tokens on decentralized platforms. Because decentralized platforms running on RSK use smart contracts to facilitate trades directly between users, every user needs to have the same standardized format for every token they trade. This ensures tokens don't get lost in translation.

No wrapping is done When you "wrap" RBTC, you are trading via a smart contract for a token of equal value called WRBTC. If you want to get native RBTC back you need to "unwrap" it, via the same smart contract.

Source: Think and Dev

Other Benefits of using wrapped tokens?

Faster The RSK blockchain processes transactions faster than the Bitcoin network. With RBTC and WRBTC, it's possible to use your BTC reserves on the RSK platform, conducting transactions faster. Watch how to get RBTC using Sovryn and Liquality.

Promotes Interoperability One reason for this is that ERC20 tokens all have a standard interface. The method to transfer ERC20 tokens is the same for any tokens that follow that standard. Every blockchain is different and enforces its own standards, meaning many tokens cannot be used across other chains. Wrapped tokens allow for non-native tokens to be used on other blockchains.

Increased Liquidity There is only one cryptocurrency per blockchain network. RSK only has RBTC, and Ethereum only has Ether.

However, DeFi protocols want to be able to trade and perform other operations using multiple tokens, not just one. Combine that with token bridges that enable tokens to cross from one blockchain network to another. Combine all of this together and you get the ability to have Wrapped RBTC, Wrapped Ether, RDOC, and rUSDT all available on a single DeFi platform, which is pretty amazing! Wrapped tokens increase liquidity and capital efficiency for exchanges, as they offer their users greater trading options.

Where to Get Wrapped RBTC (WRBTC)?

RBTC and WRBTC

To acquire wrapped RBTC, you can wrap your own RBTC by finding a WRBTC merchant such as RSKSwap. The merchant sends your BTC to a smart contract that mints the WRBTC wrapped token at a 1:1 ratio and stores your deposited BTC. When you want to redeem your WRBTC for bitcoin, the merchant will send a burn request to the custodian who will then destroy the WRBTC and return your RBTC back to you. For the more technically savvy, you can even perform the exact operations described above by interacting directly with the WRBTC smart contract.

BTC and RBTC

If you have BTC on the Bitcoin network, you may wish to convert it to RBTC on the RSK network. Watch this explainer video below or read about the RBTC Conversion on RSK Developers Portal.

For converting RBTC to BTC and vice versa, you can check out the guide here: RBTC Conversion or watch this explainer video

Originally Published on Hackernoon

Centralization runs deep in society in the form of corporations, businesses and governments. Not that they’re bad, but blockchain technology can offer a viable structural alternative by creating a more transparent and accountable system. The idea of open-source decentralization is to redistribute power and to create a fair and trustless system across all industries. This technological breakthrough, therefore, brings lots of promise and hope for the future.

The inception of Bitcoin in 2009 has resulted in a revolution in the trading and payments industries. People have started to accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment and it’s being exchanged in large volumes. These can be used for global transactions, buying new assets, and at your nearby retail stores.

Even though many stores accept Bitcoin and other tokens as a method of payment, it’s rare to see token holders use it in their daily transactions. Another argument might be that there aren’t enough shops that accept it. An often cited reason behind this is that it’s not practical to use it as a unit of account. Stablecoins are tokens developed for this particular reason. They are termed “stable” because they are pegged to the value of something else, such as precious metals or fiat currency.

To better understand stablecoins, it is important to first learn about price volatility in cryptocurrency.

Volatility is a measure of how much the price of an asset has moved up or down over time. There are many factors attributing to the volatile nature of Cryptocurrency. Firstly, Cryptocurrency is still at a very nascent stage compared to other investment tools, traditional currencies and even gold. Secondly, the cryptocurrency market thrives on speculation, traders bet that the prices would go up or go down to make profits. These speculative bets can cause a sudden influx or a sudden efflux, leading to high volatility. Their highly speculative nature might be an attractive feature for investors, but it also makes them hard to use in payments and trade. Compared to other cryptocurrencies, stablecoins are stable in value while maintaining similar decentralized features as cryptocurrencies. This makes them an ideal medium for value storage or transaction.

What are Stablecoins?

A stablecoin is a token built on a blockchain network that is designed to minimize volatility by pegging to a more stable asset. Most commonly, they are backed by US dollars, but they can also be backed by other fiat currencies, like euros or yuan, and even assets like gold, or other cryptocurrencies. Benefits of this include being able to take advantage of blockchain technology and peer-to-peer value transfer while not being exposed to the high price volatility of Bitcoin, Ether, or other cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins are a relatively new kind of technology and each of them comes with different implementations, liquidity, risks, and acceptance.

Importance of Stablecoins

Without both short-term and long-term stability, it is considered extremely risky for the mainstream public to adopt cryptocurrencies as a direct replacement for fiat or traditional assets. Larger mass adoption will always require some form of stability. From a consumer perspective, it’s risky and impractical to use cryptocurrencies and tokens for daily use. A volatile medium of exchange can compromise users' purchasing power.

That’s where stablecoins are the go-to. Stablecoins are the only form of tokens where you don’t have to worry about the instability and volatility of cryptocurrency prices. Stablecoins have an important role due to the following factors:

1. Protection from (hyper)inflationary fiat economies Stablecoins have the potential to help people living in countries suffering from high inflation rates, which ultimately reduces their purchasing power. This is usually a result of economic and political uncertainty. There are many examples throughout history where fiat money has significantly suffered from devaluation.

In these countries, it is extremely hard to move their capital elsewhere since capital control laws are imposed by the government to prevent money from leaving the country. Converting their money in stablecoins will ensure that the value of their money is preserved, instead of keeping their money in their national fiat currency which will further reduce their purchasing power. Stablecoins have the ability to globally assist the masses from the fallout of economic and political uncertainty.

1. Hedging Mechanism For Traders

To hedge is to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an investment or asset. Hedging is a strategy often used in the investment world to protect users' positions by reducing risks. Stablecoins are commonly used in the cryptocurrency market as a hedge against Bitcoin and other digital assets. Converting their holdings into stablecoins protects their value.

Types Of Stablecoins

There are several ways that the stability feature of stablecoins are designed. The two most common types are convertible and synthetic stablecoins. The key difference between these two is how they are collateralized.

• Convertible stablecoins These are backed by assets that are held in a reserve, where the asset acts like an IOU that is held by a centralized entity. The most commonly used are fiat-backed stablecoins pegged to the US dollar like USDT or USDC.

For a more detailed explanation about Stablecoins, Read more in What are Stablecoins?

• Synthetic stablecoins

They aim to target a return to a reference sovereign currency like the USD, but they are not directly convertible for fiat currencies.

One way to achieve the target stability is by using crypto-collateralization (for example, DOC or RDOC), or using derivatives (eg XUSD). Another way is through a peg that is actively managed using an algorithmic monetary policy or smart contract (eg Terra or Ampleforth). This is often used in conjunction with oracles that provide on-chain access to price feeds for fiat and blockchain asset pairs.

See the Difference between Stablecoins and other Digital Assets Stablecoins on RSK

Stablecoins play an important role in the RSK ecosystem:

• They allow users to send, receive, or save the value in a stable form
• Offer a stable trading pair for swaps
• Stablecoins function as less volatile collateral for borrowing reducing the risk of a margin call
• Create more stable yield generation and they're part of the foundation for RSK’s DeFi on Bitcoin ecosystem.

Bitcoin-backed Stablecoins

DOC

DOC is short for Dollar on Chain. DOC is 100% collateralized with Bitcoin, with a 1:1 USD peg guaranteed by the smart contract. Dollar on Chain is the ideal stablecoin for daily transactions and users seeking to hold current value without leaving the benefits of bitcoin.

The DOC Token Smart Contract Address: 0xE700691Da7B9851F2F35f8b8182C69C53ccad9DB

Features

• Self Contained in the Blockchain What makes DoC unique is that the collateral is in a Smart Contract inside the blockchain, this means you don't need to trust a third party controlling the collateral.

• Perfect for Daily Transactions With third party non-custodial wallets you can instantly send and receive DoC with no protocol fees.

• Personalized Wallet Storage Forget about giving up your private keys to a third party, DoC tokens are securely stored in your own wallet.

Benefits

Users of the DOC tokens gain;

• Best Collateral

Dollar On Chain doesn’t rely on fiat. All the collateral is bitcoin. The DoC's outstanding stability is guaranteed by the Smart Contract.

• Buy or Mint You can buy DoCs on a secondary market, but the Smart Contract allows you to mint your own DoCs avoiding unnecessary extra costs such as the spread.

• Use for Daily Transactions DoC is fast, secure and it doesn't have any protocol fees. That's why there is a growing ecosystem around it.

Where to Get DOC Tokens?

You can get the DOC on Money On Chain Stablecoin Protocol or read the Getting Started Guide.

RDOC

The RIF Dollar on Chain stablecoin, or RDOC for short, is one of the main assets on the RIF On Chain DeFi platform. RIF on Chain is powered by Money on chain, a stablecoin and leveraged token protocol, which runs on RSK smart contracts.

RDOC is a stablecoin in the RSK ecosystem that's pegged 1:1 to the US Dollar and guaranteed by a smart contract.

RDOC is a crypto-collateralized stablecoin that uses the RIF token as collateral. Unlike the majority of other DeFi protocol stablecoins where users are required to provide collateral or a collateralized debt position to borrow funds, like the competing Ether-backed decentralized stablecoin DAI, RDOC can be acquired by platform users directly by spending RIF, which is a unique feature that some users may prefer.

The RSK Infrastructure Framework is creating the building blocks to construct a fully decentralized internet that enables decentralized sharing economies.

An important distinction to keep in mind is that RBTC is the transactional token that facilitates operations on the RSK network, whereas the RIF Token allows any token holder to consume the services that are compatible with the RIF architecture.

Avoid crypto volatility using RDOC for payments, daily transactions, holding your savings, and acquiring RIF Services like identity, storage or communications.

RDOC smart contract token address: https://explorer.rsk.co/address/0x2d919f19d4892381d58edebeca66d5642cef1a1f

How to Get RDOC?

• Buy RDOC using a Decentralized Exchange

You can buy RDOC tokens on a DEX, such as RSKSwap or https://tex.moneyonchain.com/, and Liquality Swap .

• Minting RDOC

You can mint the tokens yourself using RIF as collateral. To mint RDOC, you need to connect to the RIF On Chain Platform. You can access the RIF On Chain Platform at https://rif.moneyonchain.com.

Note, before you can interact with the ROC platform, you need to:

• Set up an RSK network-compatible wallet like Nifty Wallet, Wallet Connect, Metamask, or Liquality
• Fund your wallet with RIF for minting, and RBTC to pay for gas fees.
• Mint RDOC through the MINT/REDEEM button on the Exchange section of the RIF On Chain Platform, and you'll need to set the ALLOWANCE regarding the amount of funds in the wallet that you authorize to spend on minting. Note, the platform charges a fee of 0.1% of the value in RIF.
• After you confirm the mint, your RDOC balance will be reflected within a few seconds and you have access to a USD pegged stablecoin on the RSK network

XUSD

BabelFish is the cross-chain protocol that aggregates stablecoin liquidity from multiple issuers and chains into one single token: XUSD.

XUSD is a USD-pegged stablecoin that acts as a decentralized aggregator and distributor of different stablecoins. XUSD can be exchanged and redeemed 1:1 with any of the underlying stablecoin tokens backing it using smart contracts.

BabelFish acts as a decentralized bank that has branches on different chains, accepting and distributing USD-pegged stablecoins. In this way, it acts as a "trustless stablecoin translation device" for supported stablecoins on different networks.

Why Use XUSD?

XUSD is a unique stablecoin: by acting as a decentralized aggregator and distributor of different stablecoins, it offers three advantages:

1. Reduces risk: Pooling liquidity from multiple networks reduces potential systemic risk across platforms and marketplaces if one stablecoin is compromised. Users of XUSD are also subject to less systemic risk because the Babelfish insurance fund is intended to provide a level of security beyond the assurances offered by its underlying stablecoins.

2. Provides deeper liquidity: The advantage of this type of architecture is that it allows the fragmented liquidity pools formed by various stablecoins to join together as one larger and thus more liquid stablecoin pool. Deeper liquidity leads to lower slippage or failures in closing margin and lending positions. Deploying XUSD on top of the RSK network also attracts liquidity to the RSK ecosystem.

3. Provides flexibility: XUSD facilitates a 1:1 exchange between different stablecoins and networks. It allows users to easily bridge multiple stablecoins from RSK, Ethereum, & Binance Smart Chain networks to XUSD, and in reverse.

XUSD currently serves the following use cases:

• International remittances and payments
• Stable collateral in RSKs DeFi on Bitcoin ecosystem
• Open margin trades using XUSD or swap between XUSD and other tokens
• Lending to earn interest on XUSD, including the option to earn interest in RBTC and FISH tokens
• Use it to save as a non-volatile store of value

Need help storing Stablecoins? Read How to Store Stablecoins on RSK

How to Get XUSD?

On an Exchange

• A Decentralized exchange like RSKSwap, TEX, or Sovryn Swap
• Use a swap app to exchange your crypto for XUSD, like Liquality Swap.
• Peer to peer through Defiant or another user like you.

Use a Bridge

You can use a cross-chain bridge. The BabelFish Bridge allows easy and permissionless transfers of tokens from one chain to another through audited smart contracts.

There are 3 networks included in the Cross-Chain Bridge: RSK, Ethereum, and Binance Smart Chain. You can use the BabelFish Bridge to cross funds in and out of RSK with the Ethereum and Binance Smart chains. The bridge allows users to transfer multiple stablecoins from Ethereum and BSC to RSK XUSD. The $XUSD tokens on RSK can be bridged into any of the supported stablecoins at a 1:1 ratio.

XUSD smart contract token address: https://explorer.rsk.co/address/0xb5999795be0ebb5bab23144aa5fd6a02d080299f?__ctab=general

Find out more in the Stablecoins on Bitcoin .

RBRZ Tokens

RBRZ is the first Brazilian stablecoin in circulation. 1:1 pegged to the Brazilian Real. It will allow Brazilians to directly ramp up investments in foreign exchanges and to trade a Brazilian Real (BRL) pegged stablecoin on a global scale. It will permit sending and receiving BRL backed tokens safely and instantly, for a fraction of the cost of any other alternative.

Features

Stability

Price stability will be pursued by market agents based on the reserves held by the Reserve Managers.

Reserve

The Reserve Managers keep full reserves. BRZ Tokens are always fully backed.

Multichains

The BRZ is built-up on top of Ethereum, Solana and Algorand blockchains.

Security

The BRZ Smart Contract is the public instrument used for issuing and burning tokens according to convertibility demands. Our crypto transactions are verified by Parsiq.

Transparency

The issuance of new tokens and the underlying reserves will be audited by a reputable third-party firm.

Global Acceptance

The BRZ Token can be traded on multiple platforms.

Why Use BRZ?

Access to International Platforms Brazilian users now can enter international crypto markets without immediate exposure to Bitcoin or any other volatile cryptocurrency.

Enter the Brazillian Market International exchanges and platforms will be able to enter the Brazilian market seamlessly. Acquire Brazilian customers with a frictionless solution.

Trading Opportunity Users will be able to trade 24h / 7 days.

Hedge International investors with business in Brazil will have an easy alternative to hedge their holdings in Brazilian Reais.

How to Get RBRZ?

To get BRZ, use the RSKSwap

Ethereum-based Stablecoins

The RSK ecosystem allows users an alternative way to transact with Ethereum-based stablecoins like USDT or DAI with much lower fees by converting them to stablecoins that move on the RSK network, including rUSDT, rDAI, and others.

RBRZ Smart Contract Address: https://explorer.rsk.co/address/0xe355c280131dfaf18bf1c3648aee3c396db6b5fd

rUSDT

rUSDT is the RSK token bridge "crossed token" counterpart to USDT, which is natively from ethereum. Tether USDT converts cash into digital currency, to anchor or tether the value to the price of national currencies like the US dollar, and the Euro.

Tether token is also 1-to-1 pegged to the dollar, so 1 USDT Token is always valued by Tether at 1 USD.

Read the Tether Whitepaper: https://tether.to/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TetherWhitePaper.pdf

Ethereum/RSK Bridge that allows to move ERC20 tokens between one chain and the other. The bridge contracts are upgradeable, this enables a smoother move to a more decentralized bridge in the future.

rUSDT smart contract token address: https://explorer.rsk.co/address/0xef213441a85df4d7acbdae0cf78004e1e486bb96

How to Get rUSDT?

Using a Swap app;

To get rUSDT, use the RSKSwap

Using the TokenBridge;

You can use the ‘Token Bridge DApp’ together with Nifty Wallet or Metamask to move tokens between networks.

Follow the Dapp guide for more details on how to use the token bridge.

Find out How to Get Stablecoins on RSK

rDAI

rDAI is an alternative to convert Dai and pay much cheaper transaction costs, around 0.15c per transaction which is approximately 80 times cheaper than transacting DAI compared to doing it over the Ethereum network.

Why use rDAI?

Boycott High Fees on Ethereum Ethereum is experiencing extraordinarily high fees which make it impractical & expensive for most use cases.

How to Get rDAI?

Want to convert your DAI to rDAI?

Cross DAI to rDAI using the Defiant or Token Bridge

Cross DAI to rDAI using Kripton Market Swaps on Defiant or follow the Step by Step Guide

rDAI smart contract token address: https://explorer.rsk.co/address/0x6b1a73d547f4009a26b8485b63d7015d248ad406

See more explanation in Understanding Cross-Chains: How to use the RSK TokenBridge

For a more detailed explanation about Stablecoins, the differences between stablecoins and other types of digital assets, stablecoins on Bitcoin, where to store them, how to cross stablecoins using the RSK Token Bridge, and how blockchains achieve interoperability via cross-chain bridges, check out The Complete Guide to Stablecoins on the RSK Developers Portal!

Resources

• RSK Developers Portal
• RSK Explorer
• What are Stablecoins?
• The Complete Guide to Stablecoins
• RSKSwap
• RSK Bridge with Ethereum
• RSK Open Slack Community

Thanks for reading!

Watch the Replay

It was live-streamed on several platforms, thanks to everyone who joined the Livestream! For those of you who missed out on attending it live, visit the links below;

🎥 Watch the RSK Community Call December 2021 on Youtube (Replay).

🗣️ Propose your own RSKIPs

🔗 Join the RSK Research & Innovation Forum

🗣️ Suggest RSKIPs to discuss in the next community call

🔗Join our Open Slack Community and ask your questions in #research- and-innovation.

The speakers on this call were:

• Adrian Eidelman
• Sergio Demian Lerner
• Marcos Irisarri
• Brendan Graetz

In this call, we discussed:

• RSKj IRIS v3.2.0
• The next hard fork: HOP
• RSKIP 264 - Simplified Emergency Time-locks Refresh
• RSKIP 271 - Bridge peg-out Batching

The RSKj IRIS v3.2.0

Adrian Eidelman gave brief updates on the next release of RSKj. He said the IRIS v3.2.0 will happen in early January 2022. The new version will contain several improvements to the JSON-RPC interface (e.g, the pending argument for getBlockByNumber), improved gas estimation, support for new methods specifically support for new arguments that were not supported in already existing methods. Also, there will be various performance improvements.

He pointed out that all these changes are non-consensus changes, so this release is not a mandatory upgrade for RSK Mainnet. There are improvements being made to adjust the minimum difficulty for users and developers working on RSK Testnet. This does constitute a consensus change only for the RSK Testnet. Thus v3.2.0 of RSKj will be a mandatory upgrade for RSK Testnet.

See related links:

• Release candidate
• Included PRs

The next hardfork: HOP

Adrian Eidelman also talked about the next hardfork named HOP, though the date for this hardfork has not been set yet, he said this is open for discussion, and anyone can post their proposals to be discussed and included in the next hardfork via the RSKIP 291 : Network Upgrade HOP Initial Proposal.

He said two improvements were proposed which are Peg-out Batching and Simplified Emergency Time-locks Refresh. Read more about these proposals in Network Upgrade RSKIP. These same proposals were subsequently discussed in more detail.

Simplified Emergency Time-locks Refresh

Sergio Lerner talked about the Simplified Emergency Time-locks Refresh, he started with a brief recap of the history of what is now the RSK PowPeg, the potential problems with the PowHSM and the solutions introduced by RSKIP-201. He talked about the activation of the emergency multisig and that it has been ready since the IRIS network upgrade proposed in Jan, 2021 and activated in Aug, 202 1 but it only activates after the first change in the powpeg members and that we have delayed activation because there was no automatic method to refresh the UTXOs (only manual refresh) and that the RSKIP-264 (Simplified Emergency Time-locks Refresh) proposes such a method. The Emergency multisig will be activated with a PowPeg renewal immediately after RSKIP-264 is activated.

He highlighted the features of RSKIP-264:

• Checks all UTXOs for timelock expiration every 2 weeks
• Renews the time-locks 6 months prior to the expiration
• Complete renewal of all UTXOs every 6months
• Low expected average load
• Best efficiency if RSKIP-270 (Bridge UTXO set size management) is activated

See related links;

• RSKIP 270 - Bridge UTXO set size management

RSKIP 271 - Bridge peg-out Batching

Marcos Irisarri talked about the bridge peg-out batching. He said the idea is to reduce the cost for users when performing peg-out transactions while maintaining the security of the peg.

He talked about the current peg-out process;

1. RSK user sends n RBTC to the Bridge contract address
2. Bridge smart contract creates a BTC transaction sending n BTC to the user’s derived BTC address
3. Wait 4000 RSK blocks confirmations (33 hours approx) then the PowHSM signs the transaction
4. User receives the amount sent to the Bridge minus the BTC transaction fees

The proposal is to;

1. Each time a user sends RBTC to the Bridge, the peg-out request is added to a queue
2. Every 360 RSK blocks (approximately 3 hours) the Bridge creates one BTC transaction with an output for each of the peg-out requests in the queue
3. Wait for 4000 RSK blocks confirmations (33 hours approx) then the PowHSM signs the transaction
4. Each user receives the amount sent to the Bridge minus a fraction of the BTC transaction fees

He also highlighted the pros of the bridge peg-out batching, which includes fewer fees to be paid by users (total fee is divided among all the users receiving funds), and the pros involved. These include additional waiting time for the user to receive the funds (9% increase). This time has the potential to be reduced to 16 hours approximately in the following network upgrade.

See related links;

• RSKIP 271 - Bridge peg-out Batching

Decisions

No decisions were made during the December Community Call.

However, there was a short debate about RSKIP-271:

• Brendan raised the question about whether both RSKIP-271 and the RSKIP that would halve the waiting time could be both included in HOP, or whether the latter needed to be in a separate network upgrade.
• Sergio raised the question about whether RSKIP-271 could be implemented without necessitating a network upgrade in the first place, by avoiding consensus changes.
• These questions were not resolved during the call, and thus the discussion continues in the RSK Research forums

Summary

For more details on these, please watch the recording on Youtube. Want to champion an RSKIP? Missed the previous RSK Community Call? Watch the recording on Youtube. Also, leave a comment on this thread for the next community call!

Resources

• RSK Community Call May, 2021
• RSK Community Call, July, 2021
• RSK Community Call, August 2021
• RSK Community Call, October 2021
• Discussion for next RSK Community Call
• RSK Improvement Proposals Repository
• RSK Discourse Forum
• RSK Developer Portal
• RSK Community Slack

Thanks for reading!