Gotta HAF HF26

in LeoFinance2 years ago

I am less interested (capable) with the technical side, than the social - but Hardfork 26 (scheduled for the end of July according to @blocktrades) is going to be highly disruptive and I am not sure how the average user is going to get disrupted yet, or if they will notice at all.

It is exciting!

For example, over the last 3 years, Custom JSON transactions have exploded thanks to @splinterlands changing their codes to improve game experience, as Custom JSONs allow for the "hiding" of information on the open blockchain, among many other things. Other games have followed suit, but if you have a look at the https://hiveuprss.github.io/hiveisbeautiful/ site, you will see just how large of a load Splinterlands puts on the transactions. There is a new JSON parser that lightens this load on the nodes substantially, which means that there is additional scalability for development.

In general, there are a mass of optimization codes being implemented that will improve the performance and hopefully reliability of running nodes, as well as lower the performance requirements, reducing the cost to fire additional nodes up, or scaling back some of the more expensive ones to a less heavy performer. While I believe that the average user isn't going to see much of a difference here in their daily usage, this creates a strong foundation to build from, which will impact on the average user.

image.png

HF26 - the HAF fork

HAF is an application framework for creating highly scalable decentralized apps that operate on the Hive blockchain-based network. With HAF, data from the blockchain network are pushed into a SQL database (PostgreSQL) for easy consumption by HAF apps. This means that HAF-based apps can easily be designed and maintained by database programmers with no previous experience with blockchain-based programming. Stolen from BT here

It is that last sentence that I am hoping will be cause for disruption, that developers with "no previous experience with blockchain-based programming" will be able to build easily and quickly for the Hive blockchain. This has the potential to close "the gap" heavily between Web2 and Web3 development processes and in so doing, welcomes in a lot of "legacy" developers into the Web3 mix.

By lowering the barriers to entry into development, there is a far greater potential that developers will start "hobbying" on Hive, building and tinkering with their new applications here instead. This means that there is the potential for more Hive integrated development to take place and, get pushed out into the the application marketplaces. Pair this with the potential for funding or partial funding incentive through the Decentralized Hive Fund (DHF) that can support proposals, and there is additional potential to attract developers to build.

A week back I wrote a post talking a little about the Changing Meta of Splinterlands. In gaming, it is generally limited to the optimization of "how best to play to win" the game itself, but this is Web3, not traditional gaming. So, while introducing new cards and abilities disrupts the gameplay, the "full stack of gameplay" is disrupted with any change that shifts the economics of the game. For example in the case of Splinterlands, the introduction of rentals, the introduction of additional tokens, the way the rewards mechanisms work, the print volumes, the ability to stake, LAND considerations, VC investment levels.. (the list goes on) all change the meta of the entire experience. The "best way to play to win" depends on which game you are playing in the Splinterlands economy.

With the release of every Hardfork, the meta on Hive changes. For instance, the dissolution of the majority of Bidbot markets was brought on through changes in the code known as the "economic Improvement Proposal" (EIP) that altered the reward structure splits, added a slight curve and encouraged the use of downvotes, by removing the cost of 2.5 of them a day. While none of these things were enormous changes, what they did do is change the behavior of users and through this shifting of "current chain culture", the profits from the Bidbots quickly disappeared, by introducing more risk of usage and, lowering the return for delegators. The last Hardfork built further on this by removing that curve and introducing voting windows that made automated voting no more lucrative than manual.

The HF26 release is looking to do the same, where there could be a significant change in "current culture" on the development side of the equation, incentivizing application growth and experimentation. I say current culture because the culture is always changing and there are always many sub-cultures in play concurrently. But, "code is law" at the point that code is in effect, but that code can change over time. This hardfork will change the code and I am quite certain that in due course, exploits will be found that will have negative implications on the chain and community in some way. but, this is the strength of decentralized development, which means that once that happens, it is up to the community to discuss, combat and build changes to the code. This is the "antifragility" development process of blockchains in effect.

Essentially, what is happening through HF26 is a reimagining of the code in ways that will improve performance and scalability of the blockchain. But, this isn't just good for node operators, because it simultaneously makes it far easier for developers to build applications and gives them a wider and more robust set of tools to work with, lowering the "cost" of development, at least mentally. Once developers are enthusiastic about building, it is very difficult to predict exactly what they are going to develop, but I would suspect that for the most part, it will be a closing of that gap between Web2 applications and Web3.

Currently, Web2 has a huge centralized advantage over Web3 development because of toolset and control, but through a process akin to osmosis, as the membrane between 2 and 3 becomes more porous, that toolset is going to leak into the Web3 environment for usage. HAF and HF26 is part of this process, as it pokes a few more holes in the membrane, giving gateways for the high concentration toolkit to leak through into where there is a low concentration. This improves the equalization of the sides and the legacy advantages of Web2 start to lessen, but due to the nature of Web3, the legacy system is unable to utilize the advantages Web3 offers natively. This means that eventually, Web3's toolkit isn't just on par with Web2, it is fuller and due to the incentives, the advantages to build and interact on Web3 will become stark in contrast.

All of this takes time to develop and just like the move from combustion to electric cars, there is a lot of infrastructure considerations involved. However, similarly, if you are looking for speed off the line, you are going to have to spend a pretty penny on a supercar to have a combustion engine beat an electric family sedan. Right now, the mainstream are still looking at Web3 like an oddity or a fad, judging it on the current capabilities, while forgetting that the same people looked at electric cars, social media, digital cameras, smart phones and the internet itself in the same way;

It will never be as good. It will never be widely adopted. It will never last.

Developers have proven them wrong every time so far, why would this time be any different?

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]

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Well there's probably a few technological innovations that "they" were right about (whoever they are), but a broken analogue clock is also right twice a day.

There is a lot they got right, but the problem is still the incentive model, as it cuts everyday people out. Well, they got it right for the maximisation of the few :)

That's a related but different analogy and I don't have anything nice to say about that right now ;)

I hadn't realised how big an impact Splinterlands has on the block-to-block effort, from what you have said that HF26 both optimises and puts tools in the hands of less technical groups - both have got to be good news for the wider ecosystem. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

yeah, it is a massive amount of transactions. The other way to see them is to go to https://hiveblocks.com/ and refresh occasionally.

I am anticipating increasing interest in Hive ecosystem development over the next year or so.

It can be widely adopted but I think it's hard to in the current structure. THe coding is just one part but that will only solve things for Hive and not crypto in general. Personally, I think HAF is good and SQL is a language more people are familiar with.

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Yeah, SQL is for sure easier to work with for most people and, there are a lot of programmers out there. Hopefully, this can attract a few of them to start exploring BC tech.

The more I hear about hf26, the more excited I get honestly. This will add a bit of rocket fuel to our beloved blockchain.

I really hope it will. It will be one of those "slow burn" for the most part - unless witnessing, where there should be immediate performance improvements.

Well done Splinterlands for putting Hive blockchain on the map. HF26 will probably go by unnoticed by most.... we hope.

Yes - hopefully it runs smoothly and things start to develop in the background - building more usecase for endusers.

Hello Mr @tarazkp
You are absolutely right that HAF based applications are easy to design and maintain by data driven programmers.

I don't think they have the courage to immediately get involved in blockchain-based programming.
It's the same with some people's skepticism about cryptocurrencies.
Those who are brave are programmers who have above average abilities, plus the courage to take risks against the magnitude of opportunities.

In my opinion, the natural law of all systems is to evolve and everything that develops is a new opportunity and that's only for those who dare.

Lowering the barriers to entry by making it simpler and, less costly to become involved should hopefully attract increasing interest in the development process. Timed with the right market conditions and, it could be quite incredible, especially if some of the apps get a little public traction.

Alright, it could be interesting. IMO most significant barrier for entrepreneurs coming to web3 is the onboarding issue. More minor limitations in the building are awesome, but scaling in old-world means increasing User/customer and then optimizing return out of it.

The calculation is very different on web3 ( special hive). Pay for marketing and converting + onboarding fee.

Makes pay twice for new users. Or like all current dapps do ( exclude splinterlands) canabilize the current userbase of hive.

Bringing new people into the game should be as cheap as possible. I only see it happen with light wallets.

Light wallets are a possibility too, especially since there is delegation of RCs coming. I see that there will be "hotseat" accounts for a lot of the games etc, meaning that unless someone wants to own their account, they can be light - or earned to own over time.

The cannibalization is something that happens in the whole industry at the moment I think. Most of the new tokens aren't filled with new money, they are just pumped with the old from other projects, but it isn't a 1:1 pump, so the crashes are very hard - as we know :)

But in time, it is developing and as more development happens, more users will start to move over organically.

will be "hotseat" accounts for a lot of the games etc, meaning that unless someone wants to own their account, they can be light - or earned to own over time.

Exactly. Like one NFT public wallet that transacts all "trades" for games. So people can sign in with Email, play and never know it use blockchain.

They can cash out on multiply chains at the same time, like a cash-in.

The best from every place creates real market depth.

IMO the cannibalization is a bit special on hive. For the onboarding cost reason.

Think about it, classic forums or Facebook groups that could convert all users to web3 without any "enormous" cost.

They decentralize the userbase ( could be the same interface as a Facebook group, not that hard to copy).

But it bust be dirt cheap.

Then users spend $ in the ecosystem.

cannibalization will happen, but fresh $$$ always come in and circulate.

Also fresh users are the same as attractive than already userbase.

The HF looks like it should be a good one! Let’s hope that it doesn’t lock things up for a few days lol but these are welcome changes! Scaling should hopefully get easier and these are the best types of improvements to make in a downturn!

I always fear the lock up, but hey - it gives me a "guilt-free" break! :D

I might start stacking a bit more BEE in anticipation of all the HE coins that'll be minted with all this future development!

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I am hoping here will be more than HE tokens :)

I agree 100%, what is your opinion about OBI?

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I don't know too much about it tbh, however, if it speeds up the transaction confirmation time, theoretically, does this mean that later more speed performance can be gained? Currently transactions are at 3 seconds - could this be improved without compromising security?

Like most hard forks I am looking forward to this one. I think a couple months after the HF is when we will see the effect of it in a lot off new apps and ideas and ways to use the chain.

Yeah, it takes time for things to adjust and of course in this case, developers to start building.

I am not that into HFs, but I wish they would change the curation rewards system, so an average users would get much more of it after the day post is published.

The rewards won't change with this, nor probably should they too often - at least not to add more rewards for content creators. At some point, that has to move away from the base layer, with the base token HIVE being incentivized to hold and secure the network in various ways, not sell as an income.

updates and upgrades on Hive such as this current Hard Fork 26 that will be coming to play at the end of the month is one of the many reasons Hive will always be a reliable decentralized crypto blockchain platform . Let the countdown to the disruption begin , shall we??!!

For sure- let's hope it runs smoothly

hopefully.

im waiting for HAF 26 hopefully everything will go smoothly

Yeah

hopefully everything will go smoothly

This is always the hope for HFs! In the past, there have been "issues" :D

yeah! gotta agree with that

Nice informative post! 👌

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Thanks :)

Hf26 is basically ment for developers and for those that have one application or the other, this does not really concern small user like us

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it should concern you - because it is those developers who build everything you use.

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good

Excellent read! I too am less capable with thre technical side of things. I am slowly improving each day. Your post is a great help here, thank you

On your last point, there's a great phrase that I picked up online about blockchain in general:

"In the short term, the technology is overestimated. In the long term, it is underestimated"

I try to say this whenever someone asks me what I think about cryptocurrency

didn't know this was happening. Good to know.

 2 years ago  Reveal Comment

I think so. the more distributed development takes place, the more inclusive it becomes at the user level too.