The first step of implementing DAGKnight into the Kaspa network.
The Updated DAGKnight Rises
On February 23rd, 2023, an updated version of the DAGKnight whitepaper was released, which includes new figures to illustrate the protocol, a high-level overview of the algorithm, and important related-work notes. This updated whitepaper provides the following:
- New figures to illustrate the protocol.
- A high-level overview explaining the algorithm.
- New important related-work notes.
- Marks the first step for implementation.
Kaspa Community Crowdfund
On December 18th, 2022, Kaspa held a Community Crowdfund to raise 70 million KAS to finance the development and implementation of the DAGKnight protocol. After 12 days, on December 30th, 2022, the crowdfund met its goal entirely at the community’s request. A testament to the importance of the DAGKnight protocol in the eyes of the Kaspa community.
Paper and Protocol
The DAGKnight protocol was presented as an upgrade to Kaspa’s PHANTOM GhostDAG Protocol. The newly updated whitepaper provides a detailed overview of the algorithm. This protocol is designed to resist 50% attacks without relying on network latency assumptions. Therefore, it does not need a hardcoded parameter to assume network health and self-stabilizes as the network infrastructure improves or as latency conditions suffer. Were as traditional blockchains assume this parameter to avoid security risks and instability.
The new whitepaper version includes new figures to illustrate the protocol, making it easier to understand. In addition, it outlines how it functions and differs from PHANTOM GhostDAG and traditional blockchain protocols. Also provided are important related-work notes offering insights into the research and development behind the DAGKnight protocol. These notes provide valuable insights into the algorithm and its unique features.
One of the critical features of the DAGKnight protocol is its ability to adjust block confirmation times according to real-time network conditions. This makes it more efficient and secure than traditional blockchain protocols relying on network latency assumptions. Since DAGKnight performs according to latency and the protocol is high-speed while the network is healthy. When the network is slow, additional blocks are added.
The protocol achieves this through the use of k-clusters, groups of blocks sampled from the blockDAG. By evaluating k-clusters, the protocol can select a cluster with the most network delay that covers 50% of the network and adjust block confirmations to counter an attack.
This makes DAGKnight more scalable than traditional blockchain protocols, with this k-cluster mechanism that groups blocks based on their level of connectivity. This allows for more efficient propagation of new blocks across the network, reducing the time required to add new blocks to the chain. DAGKnight will also be built on Rustlang; the rewrite from Golang will be pushing 32 blocks per second by the time of implementation with an ultimate goal of 100 BPS.
The DAGKnight will make Kaspa the first proof-of-work cryptocurrency parameterless, scalable, self-stabilizing, and adaptive. Furthermore, this upgrade to the current blockchain trilemma solution, GhostDAG, will be far more efficient and secure than traditional blockchain protocols promising an exciting evolutionary step in blockchain technology.
The updated DAGKnight whitepaper provides a valuable resource for those interested in the research and development behind the protocol. With its in-depth explanations and clear illustrations, the whitepaper offers a comprehensive yet high-level overview of the DAGKnight protocol, its unique features, and its potential to revolutionize the world of blockchain technology. The successful crowdfunding campaign and release of the updated whitepaper are promising signs for the future of Kaspa and the DAGKnight protocol.
Updated DAGKnight Paper: https://eprint.iacr.org/2022/1494.pdf
Tip: Michael Sutton is known on Twitter for: “Computer science, graph theory, parallelism, consensus; taking #Kaspa to the next level” He offers the latest in his Kaspa developments and you can follow his work on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/MichaelSuttonIL — @MichaelSuttonIL Medium here: https://medium.com/@michaelsuttonil —
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