Following the previous update, we have continued to implement the testnet. It is now open for use and code review — see the end of this newsletter for links.

Upcoming Events:

Distributed Markets: Monday, April 23rd, 2018 — Chicago

Distributed Markets Conference takes place today in Chicago. Adam Perlow will be discussing the future of decentralized finance. If you are attending or in the area, please stop by and say hello.

Cardano in Israel: Monday, April 30th, 2018 — Tel Aviv

Next Monday at 7:30 PM, Zen Protocol, and Ayeka will be hosting Charles Hoskinson, the founder of IOHK. Charles and other IOHK members will join Zen Protocol to participate in a Q&A panel discussing formal verification, and advantages of implementation on the blockchain. Please join the event if you are interested in attending. If you want to add a question, please send a message to @isrod by telegram or to the Zen Protocol FB, and we will add it to the list.

BitemBassy Israel Hackathon: May 10th-11th, 2018

This week over 50 developers will gather for the largest decentralized technology hackathon in Israel. Zen Protocol will be co-sponsoring the event. We will be speaking with teams at the pre-hack on April 26th, and attending the final presentations to meet with top teams, and developers.

Want to plan an event? Want us to attend your event?

We want the ecosystem in Israel and abroad to continue to flourish. If you would like to see us at a convention or meet-up or want to plan an event, please get in touch with us at isaac@zenprotocol.com.

New FAQ: “Why change from C# to F#?”

Some community members have asked why we re-wrote our core blockchain logic in F#. We feel it is essential for the community to understand significant development decisions. Here are some of the reasons why F# is a better tool for the Zen Protocol node, courtesy of Ash, our Formal Methods expert:

1) Consistency and extensibility: having only one language for the codebase makes it easier to work on since only one language is needed to develop.

2) Stability: we find our F# code is very stable and bugs are rare. Debugging F# can be relatively easy, if necessary. Maintaining our C# code was becoming sufficiently time-consuming that we felt a switch was well-motivated.

3) Hiring Considerations: It’s easier to find/onboard new developers if they only need to know one language, rather than two.

The Release of the Developer Testnet and Codebase

The new testnet is ready and has some new features we are excited to share with you. The testnet client combines standard send/receive functionality with a full-featured contract explorer and manager. Future updates will make it easier to create and interact with new contracts.

Our codebase is now available for viewing at https://gitlab.com/zenprotocol/, as well as on Github at https://github.com/zenprotocol/.

The website now has instructions, video tutorials, and troubleshooting sections for the testnet, along with documentation for our custom API and SDK.