Skywire has gone through extensive development and upgrades as the launch of mainnet approaches. In his live stream, Synth speaks of the many new features and updates that will become available as the project continues advancing.

CX Programming Book

The CX programming book is complete and off to publication! CX is simple and is therefore an easy to learn, fully-programmable language for the Skycoin project. The author of the book, Amaury, has put together a comprehensive explanation of the language for users. Synth explains in his interview the differences between other languages and CX, and how catchphrases such as “Turing complete” can mislead users into thinking that a particular platform is the zenith of all languages. The CX language is versatile and performs numerous types of computations, while not assuming a stringent syntax or specific model of computation.

The CX programming language is built around security. Affordances allow the ability to place constraints on which functions are called. Remember the DAO hack on the Ethereum blockchain? If technologies like Affordances were implemented, this sort of attack would have been impossible. Affordances are useful for IOT and machine tools where sensors can be utilized to stop a machine in instances of user error.

Skycoin Hardware

The hardware for the Skycoin project is nearing completion. A new hardware wallet is almost complete, and the associated software is under development. The Skywire antennae are undergoing a rigorous testing stage and a new full-time hire has been put in place to work on the motor, GPS, and accelerometer. Long distance and omnidirectional versions will continue to develop as the other areas of Skywire progress. A new ARM processor is being made specifically for the Skyminer, making it cheaper to build overall. These next-generation boards will cost approximately half of the price of the current Skyminer Orange Pi Primes, bringing the total cost of the equipment down. After the production of more budget-friendly hardware is created, more advanced iterations will be rolled out creating a complete package for all users of Skywire.

Messenger Updates

The Messenger system is also being overhauled so that there will be multiple ways of communicating with public keys. Methods include direct connections, a messenger node connection, Skywire node connections, and a new feature called Skywire Multi-home. Anyone will be able to run a Messenger server which will facilitate the change-over from one directory server to hundreds, and eventually thousands, of Messenger servers. Servers can choose to act as gateways to facilitate direct connections between nodes, while a connection daemon will show all the connections and their types.

Coin Hour Bank

The Coin Hour bank is complete! The Coin Hour bank will move all Coin Hour transactions off of the blockchain and will handle upwards of 10,000 transactions per second. The Coin Hour burn will continually be reduced from the current 30% to 15% then 5% and ultimately 0% creating the necessary specifications needed for Coin Hours to have their own fair market value.

Skycoin Store

Skycoin will also be launching a marketplace! Skyfleet members and other potential users will be able to purchase a plethora of merchandise and equipment. Hardware wallets, Antennae, and even Skyminers will be purchasable through the Skycoin store.

Skywire Mainnet

Mainnet is almost ready for launch! A new API, changes to the Node uptime tracker, and automatic reward distribution are just a few of the new upgrades that will be rolled out during mainnet. Of those upgrades, the implementation of a Continuous Integration (C.I) environment will aid the Skycoin team with upgrading and maintaining a secure and efficient development environment. The C.I environment will come with an auto-update feature that allows nodes to easily update to the latest stable version of software. A change log will enable Skyfleet to stay updated weekly with the development of Skywire. A new website will be available for registration of your nodes. Skyminer SD cards will need to be flashed one last time for the miner to auto-register with mainnet and for rewards to be automatically distributed in the future. Other implementations will also come online such as the use of decentralized servers and the impending reconciliation of payments for bandwidth with Coin Hours as the burn rate approaches zero percent. A new Multi-home feature will enable numerous connections. These are all immensely important upgrades to Skywire, so stay tuned for more information as Skycoin builds the Skywire decentralized web.

This concludes Synth’s updates to Skywire, and we are excited about the many upgrades under development to launch a sophisticated, secure, and user-friendly decentralized internet. The Skywire suite’s technological footprint will continue to gain prominence in the blockchain world as it sets the stage for revolutionary and usable blockchain technology.