AMA with Dmitry Gerasimov: December 21, 2023

Hello, dear friends! I'm Dmitry Gerasimov, CEO of Demlabs, which is developing the Cellframe blockchain.

Today we have a Holiday AMA session! As usual, we will talk about the latest news and answer community questions. We will also review the past year, and share our plans for the future, including the Cellframe Roadmap for 2024.

2023 has been a landmark year for us. The Cellframe mainnet finished a long period of beta testing and was released. The first t-dApps have started working. Interesting new projects have joined our ecosystem, and they are already preparing to enter the market.

So, today we have the following topics:

• The CELL staking program: Changing the reward calculation system. 
• Web development: Improving the UI, stabilizing the staking site.
• Cellframe Dashboard updates.
• Cellframe Node and Cellframe SDK updates.
• Release of the Cellframe DEX.
• News from the KelVPN team.
• Roadmap for preparing the bridge for the two-way mode.
• The results of Demlabs software development in 2023. The outcomes of the year - in numbers. "Demlabs," "Cellframe," ecosystem development, and marketing.
• And finally, our plans for the future.

CELL Staking Program

At the end of November, we changed the way staking rewards are calculated. Now the total pool of staking rewards is divided equally between $CELL stakers and Cellframe network validators.

In the current stage of development, it is important for us to increase the number of masternodes (validators) in the Cellframe network to make it more decentralized, stable and secure. So, by changing the rewards calculation, we found a way to support network validators without going beyond the emission limits specified in our tokenomics.

In the near future we will hold a community vote, which will include making a decision on the size and source of rewards for validators.

For CELL stakers, to maintain your income level, we recommend that you run Cellframe masternodes. Or you can delegate your keys to another user’s validator nodes.

Such cooperation will be beneficial to both parties. People who want to set up a masternode but do not have enough CELLs will be able to do this. Holders who delegate will receive a share of the transaction-validator rewards without needing to run a masternode themselves.

To make the process of delegation of rights more transparent and user-friendly, we are preparing to launch a special new feature.

This feature will run on the same limit-order engine that powers Cellframe's service-delivery mechanism. A user can create a key delegation order, where it will be possible to specify all the necessary conditions: for example, the number of mCELLs delegated, and the share of income from the total amount of fees collected by the node. This feature is currently under development. As always, we'll keep you updated on the launch and all the details. By the way, it's in the final stage of development. So, it will be released at the beginning of next month.

Web development news

We are continuing to refactor the Explorer site. This web interface displays all activity on our networks. Recently we:

• Stabilized the work of the staking site: https://stake.cellframe.net/ 
• Rewrote the logic for calculating staking rewards. This helped solve some problems with withdrawing rewards for single and LP stakes.

Cellframe Dashboard updates

In Dashboard, we optimized the logging system: we removed redundant logs that took up a large amount of memory, and added automatic clearing of logs when they reach 1 GB.

We are also working to improve the UX:

• Removed the need to enter a password when deactivating a wallet
• Implemented the ability to delete wallets using the dashboard interface

The Falcon signature was also added to the dashboard interface.

You can always download the latest version of Dashboard on our website: https://cellframe.net/download/

Cellframe Node and SDK

Since the last AMA session, a lot of important and interesting things have been added:

First of all, we implemented a new type of conditional transaction, the automated block reward, which allows for awarding validators a reward for signing blocks.

Such a transaction can be created manually, but for the convenience of users we have also added this feature for validators to collect rewards automatically. We talked about this functionality in detail in the last issue of our worklog: https://cellframe.net/blog/worklog-november-results/

In addition, we also:

• Fixed a looping problem that resulted in the release of new blocks based on the same mempool datums. This looping led to a sharp increase in the number of blocks, and hence an increase in the network load. At this stage of growth of the network, such a load is undesirable

• Updated the JSON-RPC protocol for data exchange between the Cellframe Dashboard and Cellframe Node services. Now this same protocol can also be used for any other tasks involving interactions with the node. So everyone who is developing something related to the node, feel free to use the JSON-RPC protocol instead of the CLI interface. 

• Multi-algorithm signatures have been improved. Multisignature is a mechanism used to sign transactions not with one, but with several signatures at once. The user can independently choose the order, number, and types of signatures to use. Why is this necessary? ​If one of the signatures is hacked, then the remaining signatures included in the chain will still guarantee encryption protectionThe multisignature feature can now already be used on Cellframe networks.

Cellframe Bridge: Preparing for Two-way Operation

First of all, let's look at the overall commit statistics in Gitlab. Then we will discuss the progress on the bridge specifically.

In preparation for launching bridge’s two-way mode, we are working to expand the functionality and improve the stability of Cellframe Node.

What we completed recently:

• Implemented node address authentication at the stream level.This will allow you to use an open stream in both directions. Why this is important: Opening a new stream is a resource-intensive process. This feature will allow us to optimize the use of resources.
• Extended the JSON-RPC protocol.
• Transferred the execution of cli- commands to proc- threads. This improved command processing performance. It's important when you process tons of comments at the same time.

Now let's look at the roadmap of preparations for launching the two-way bridge mode.

Ecosystem projects: Cellframe DEX

Our next topic: news from Cellframe ecosystem projects. Let's start with the Cellframe DEX, which is an example of a t-dApp implementation. The exchange of tokens in our decentralized exchange operates on an ecosystem-wide limit-order mechanism. This is the same type of limit order that forms the basis of service delivery in the Cellframe ecosystem.

The role of smart contracts in the DEX is the same as in other t-dApps. All Cellframe t-dApps perform conditional transactions that store the terms of the exchange. This is a very simple and therefore safe and reliable mechanism. And now this mechanism has finally been released!

What we completed recently:

• Added storage of orders and their history on the blockchain. We got rid of duplication of exchange parameter data; all information is now obtained only from exchange transactions using the hash of the conditional transaction.
• Added an export function for lists of orders where a field for order completion appeared. We also implemented a filter for pairs of orders in the “list display” command.
• Optimized DEX functionality and updated command terminology.

Ecosystem projects: KelVPN

The developers have added an automatic gas substitution feature for Metamask on the KelVPN staking site: https://stake.kelvpn.com/

The team's main efforts remain focused on the KelVPN and Cellframe Dashboard collaboration mode, which is already in the final stages before release.

Here’s what they completed:

• Optimized work with paid services when a KelVPN node is offline.If the service-provider node falls off the network and goes offline while the service is being provided, the VPN order for connected users will not be renewed. This will avoid payment errors.
• The method of storing data on partially executed orders has been changed.

Information about the balance remaining on a user’s prepaid service, measured by time and traffic, is now stored not on the server, but in a special GDB group. This means it is stored on virtually all nodes at once. To view data for a specific user and provider, you can now use the special net_srv command. Please examine the help command for more details.

2023 Year in Review: Demlabs

Now let's review the results of the past year and our plans for the future. I will start directly with the Demlabs company itself.

In the past year, the Novosibirsk part of our team moved to a new large office, and we converted our previous premises into Demlabs Studio.

In 2023 we actively developed the marketing of the Demlabs company. We relaunched the site: https://demlabs.net/ - updated the visuals and content.

In October we acted as co-organizers of the international cryptography Olympiad NSUCRYPTO: https://nsucrypto.nsu.ru/

We participated in the design of assignments, and after we finish reviewing the solutions, we will definitely share with you some interesting observations and anything else that can be shared. However, most of the information on the tasks is being kept secret for now.

And in November, the Demlabs team traveled to Moscow for the “The Trends” global forum in Moscow. We set up a booth and talked to representatives of business and media about the opportunities that blockchain technologies provide.

We hope that in 2024 some of our new business contacts will develop into joint projects and collaborations.

2023 Year in Review: Cellframe

Let's start with marketing. This year we actively developed the project’s social networks. We regularly published posts with news, shared detailed development updates in our Worklogs, and published text versions of AMA sessions.

Our X account already has nearly 30,000subscribers. In the international community in Telegram there are more than 15,000 subscribers. In the official Telegram channel we have more than 1,500 members.

We regularly streamed our AMA sessions on YouTube, and conducted partner AMA sessions with tech bloggers and crypto communities on various platforms (Telegram, BinanceLive, and X Spaces).

We produced our own videos about our platform, as did our community members, enthusiasts from all over the world working in many different languages.

This year the Cellxar studio released the animated series The Space Chipmunk about the adventures of Cellframe's mascot and his friends. The first two episodes were released in the fall, and the third premiered just yesterday. Be sure to check it out!

But our most important success and achievement in 2023 is, of course, the launch of the Cellframe mainnet! We worked long and hard towards it, and finally, in July, it happened! But we did not stop there and immediately set ourselves a new big goal - launching a bidirectional operating mode for the bridge and some other feathers like smart contracts.

In this mode, the bridge will connect the native CF-20 network with other blockchain networks, like BSC and Ethereum in two ways. Once this happens, our mainnet will open for all the world not only in one direction, but in both. The task is important and complex. Before launching the bridge, we must carefully prepare everything so that it works safely and reliably. This is what we are working on now.

Also this year:

• We completed the staking program. Now users have several options to choose from: single staking on CF-20, staking LP pairs on V2 and V3, on PancakeSwap or on Uniswap.
• We constantly refined and expanded the functionality of Cellframe Dashboard
• We launched Cellframe Wallet - a wallet application with a simple interface and only the most commonly used features.
• We resumed the development of Cellframe DEX and completed it. 

And we developed and expanded the Cellframe ecosystem. Let’s discuss the services being built on Cellframe. But before we move on to the results of the year for our projects, let's look at the statistics on commits for the year.

2023 Year in Review: Cellframe Ecosystem

KelVPN

Here’s what was done in the past year:

• The team made great improvements to the design and content of the project website. https://kelvpn.com/

• Development of an iOS version of KelVPN has also begun.

And most importantly, the KelVPN mainnet was launched. It now has the following functionality:

•  It is already possible to launch masternodes and validate transactions. But the collaborative mode, which will allow nodes to work as VPN service providers, is still in the debugging stage. So, you can use it, but use it carefully. 
• Launching the mainnet in its full form is one of the immediate goals of the project team for 2024.

Node.sys

In the past year, our partners from Minsk, with our help, launched a new project in the Cellframe ecosystem. Node.sys is a decentralized, self-replicating Internet of Things platform with its own token: NYS.

Other projects

We also began to develop the idea of ​​our own platform for building AI applications based on Cellframe. This is not only about launching and training ML models, but also about fully creating AI applications using our SDK. We have also gradually developed the ConfCall video conferencing service, and have two new partnerships for launching new projects within the Cellframe ecosystem.

2024 Plans: Cellframe Ecosystem

The first new project for 2024 involves the launch of a flatcoin, a progressive stablecoin that is not afraid of inflation, because it is linked to the price of gas, oil, metals and other commodities. And the second is the launch of a platform for crypto lending in the Cellframe ecosystem.

We also have plans for:

• New partnerships;
• Listings on new CEXs
• A trip to the BlockChain Life conference in Dubai in April 2024
• An event for the Cellframe user community
• Additional support for the developer community

Of course, foremost among the immediate development plans is upgrading the bridge to a bidirectional version.

Questions

The Cellframe blockchain is quantum-protected. Does this protection also work against the effects of AI?

No, it's different. For protecting against AI we need another AI. As you know, we are working on this.

IBM recently announced its first 1000 qubit quantum chip. What else is important in quantum processors besides the number of qubits?

After the number of qubits, other important metrics are error growth and entanglement time. Error growth means that in every calculation errors appear, so it's a really big deal to reduce the number of these errors. As you know, quantum calculations are not determined. And the next metric that's important for quantum processors is time of entanglement. It's the time when qubits are in an entangled state. This is as important as the qubits number. The product of all these metrics is called quantum volume. So, I think it's better to talk about quantum volume than just about qubits.

What language will Cellframe smart contracts be written in?

At first it will be WASM-based smart contracts, so there are no limits on language, but we propose Rust for such smart contracts. Second option will be EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) smart contracts - here it will be Solidity. So, the answer is Rust and Solidity.

The Cellframe community started talking about starting a bull run. What do you think are the signs that can be used to determine that it has really begun?

This question is more for financial analysts because it`s a real complex question. You need to track classic markets, stocks, and situations in global economics. But in general the most important sign of a bull run is a marching price rise. So, if you see it continuing for a long time it's a sign of a bull run.

Are there any additional bonuses for those VPN providers that provide residential IP addresses?

Because we have an open market, where you can place any limit order and set any price for your service, providers which have residential IP addresses can just set a little bigger price for their services. If it fits in the market, then it will be an additional bonus.

So, the answer is: we have a mechanism that allows you to earn additional bonuses on a free market. It could be residential IP addresses, extra-wide or extra-low latency, IP connections or other things that give some advantage for users. Any advantage can be sold.

Is the minimum amount of 10,000 CELL to run a masternode related to the price of the token? If so, what should the price be for this value to decrease?

It`s related but not directly. For example, if you have staked 10000 CELLs and become a masternode, and then because of price movements this amount grows up, you are still running a master node. But if this amount decreases, part of your stake will be unlocked.

How do you plan to ensure the stability of the token price during the launch of the bidirectional bridge?

I think it wouldn't be a problem because this volatility means possibility. I think we'll use some reserves to buy back some CELLs and I can advise others to do the same because it will be a good discount.

Are you planning to release any new tokens in the Cellframe native network? If so, for what purposes and when?

No plans for now. Maybe some tokens from my old pet-project Dapcash. I'm still planning to run it without market making, and its token will be replaced. But it's not a Cellframe token, it will be in another ecosystem like Kusama and Polkadot, but will be traded inside the Cellframe DEX. We are not planning to release any new Cellframe tokens.

Can Cellframe's technology be used in other blockchains that are also looking to increase their quantum security?

Yes it can be used, but there is just one important detail: if you just implement quantum security in your blockchain without other changes, it will not work because it will dramatically increase the size of your blockchain and decrease the TPS of your blockchain. So, it's better to use Cellframe SDK as a whole framework, not some parts, or redesign your blockchain from scratch like we did when we created the Cellframe blockchain.

Can you give an example of the practical use of chains?

The KelVPN project is an example of a practical use. You can download the KelVPN application and use it. It's working over the Cellframe network. Another product is the Cellframe DEX, which was released recently.

What about technical videos about Cellframe`s technology?

With technical videos there are some problems because for the last two years we were changing a lot in our API and only 6 months ago it was stabilized. And about 1 month ago we started to document. So, next month, I think, you can expect these videos.

What is the partnership with the Meter network? What about this?

They are waiting for the smart contracts because they have a smart contract-based protocol. When smart contracts will be ready, Meter will integrate to Cellframe as well.

Okay, that was all your questions. Thank you for all your time and for all your attention. It was a real pleasure to spend this year with you and looking forward to seeing you next year. Good bye, see you soon!