Q1 Progress on Harmony
In Q1 2024, Harmony made significant strides towards 'ONE Finality' and advanced the development of x.country—the Web∞ of (ONE) AI. We focused on enhancing our blockchain to support social AGI applications, ensuring fast and reliable transactions within a decentralized and inclusive framework.
This report showcases the hard work and achievements of our team, whose innovative efforts are essential in propelling Harmony towards these ambitious goals. As we evaluate our progress this quarter, we are energized by our vision and the potential to shape the future of ai ∩ crypto.
Adam (@SerpentChain):
Protocol Engineering:
For the duration of Q1, my primary focus has been on the harmony gaming initiative. On the protocol side my time has been applied to working with the team in security and outage incidents, and research. I have not made any new advancements in Harmony's ERC4337 account abstraction implementation at this time.
In research, I have dug further into various abstract security topics, such as formal verification of smart contracts, smart contract security, and deep diving into active Ethereum proposals such as EIP-4844 (protodanksharding), EIP-6780 (Restrict SELFDESTRUCT), EIP-5656 (MCOPY opcode), EIP-4788 (Beacon block root commits), EIP-1153 (transient storage opcodes).
Devops:
Performed code reviews on many pull requests, looking mostly for issues that could lead to consensus loss and new problems with delegators. I have also collaborated with our team on occasion working to identify and resolve various reoccurring issues with Harmony Mainnet, testnet and devnets.
Harmony Gaming:
Spent a lot of time researching several different gaming projects, sampling code from them and communicating with developers. I linked with developers and artists at Ethereum Denver and referred those that could be a valuable addition to the Harmony team. I completed a rather lengthy update of a formerly released Web3 plugin for the Godot engine written in c++ to support the latest engine updates to 4.x. The plugin is now available to the community as an important component of the sdk. In addition to the Godot web3 plugin upgrade, I have been working to deliver a suitable interface to use common api frameworks within the game sdk.
Alaina (@des1gnsoup):
In Q1, I drove our Twitter engagement significantly, recording an 88% increase in activity, 27% more impressions, and maintaining a 4.0% engagement rate. This effort resulted in higher link clicks, retweets, and likes, reflecting robust community engagement. Our Substack saw steady traffic, slightly decreasing views but improving open rates, despite fewer postings.
On YouTube, we saw a 26% rise in views and a 90% jump in watch time, highlighting our successful content strategy that included new videos and shorts. I also managed projects solo, enhancing our Figma iterations and taking initiative in areas like project management and content creation, which included redesigning thumbnails and improving video editing skills.
Artem (@artem_code):
During the Q1, I contributed to the development team of the VoiceAI app, focusing on UI elements and writing tests. Developed an inscriptions indexer backend utilized in an inscriptions lottery. Maintained harmony1bot.
Successfully launched a Human Protocol client at h.country: created a prototype for the client app, added support of key features such as routing, core user interface components, and Firebase integration. Started working on Harmony Portfolio client, a counterpart to the Metamask portfolio, with the alpha version scheduled for release by the end of March 2024.
During work on the Swap page in the Harmony Portfolio, I encountered difficulties due to the need to copy some features from the Harmony Swap client (https://swap.harmony.one), which is based on Uniswap. Researching the client's code and Uniswap documentation took much more time than planned; however, I managed to implement basic operations: Swap Quote, Wrap (ONE -> WONE), and Unwrap. Currently in the process of implementing the final operation (Swap), after which I can move on to improving the user interface.
Casey (@caseygaETH):
Q1 of 2024 has been a period of significant advancements and solid growth for the Harmony Protocol, underpinned by strategic technical leadership, robust research initiatives, and active community engagement. As the Lead Protocol Engineer and Researcher, my contributions spanned various critical aspects of our project's development, from leading protocol discussions to conducting vital research that will shape the future of our network. This report outlines the essential areas of my involvement and their impact on the Harmony ecosystem.
Leadership and Project Management
My leadership was instrumental in steering the protocol's development and ensuring alignment with our strategic goals:
Lead Protocol Meetings: Regular protocol discussions are convened to align development priorities, tackle technical challenges, and foster a cohesive engineering culture.
Code Reviews and Branch Management: Spearheaded code review sessions and managed multiple development branches, significantly improving our codebase quality and facilitating smoother future development.
Jira Progress Boards Organization: Implemented SCRUM-based Jira boards to streamline our engineering efforts, enhancing team productivity and project tracking.
Research and Development
Research forms the backbone of our protocol's innovation:
Research Reports: Delivered comprehensive research reports on upcoming incentives, guiding our strategic planning and decision-making processes.
Network Incident Reports and HIP-32 Proposal: Authored detailed incident reports and reformed the HIP-32 proposal, contributing to our network's resilience and governance model refinement.
Smart Contract Audits: Conducted extensive audits on key smart contracts (Lend, Swap, Liquidity), providing critical insights to fortify our network's security and reliability.
Community Engagement and Outreach
Actively engaged with the blockchain community, reinforcing Harmony's presence and fostering partnerships:
Global Blockchain Events: Participated in leading blockchain events (DevConnect, ETHDenver, ETHLondon, ETHTaipei, ETHSeoul), representing Harmony and engaging with community members and partners.
Mentorship: I have served as a mentor at various events, onboarding new engineers to Harmony and broader EVM chains and strengthening our developer community.
Project Outreach: Led outreach for stealth projects considering building on Harmony, notably Partie/AWS, broadening our ecosystem and fostering innovation.
Incentive Management and Gaming Initiatives
Managed vital initiatives to drive protocol adoption and engagement:
Protofire Incentives Management: Oversaw the Protofire incentives, ensuring their effective execution and alignment with our lending and swapping mechanisms.
Web3 Gaming Research: Conducted research to support the development of a Web3 game, aiming to combine fun with functional engagement to attract more users to our network.
Q1 2024 has been marked by concerted efforts to enhance Harmony Protocol's technical foundation, governance, and community engagement. My leadership across these domains has driven progress and laid a robust foundation for our ecosystem's continued growth and evolution. As we look ahead, I am committed to sustaining this momentum, fostering innovation, and further solidifying Harmony's position as a leading blockchain platform.
Frank (@fegloff77):
I added Harmony1Bot features: OpenAI's DALL-E 3, Vision command, and various models from Claude and Vertex. I implemented code snippets support, an Inscription lottery, voice command functionality, and fixed payment logic while upgrading the bot's performance and stream completion. Additionally, I made notable contributions to Harmony-llm-api by adding endpoints for Whisper, Anthropic, PDF inquiry, and Gemini, along with implementing streaming logic.
I contributed to the 1.country project by adding Inscription image rendering for Telegram's Image subscriptions. For the Social Map project, I implemented Whisper logic, added a markers endpoint, refactored the codebase with TypeScript, and improved the app's styling and state management. Lastly, I made enhancements to the Human Protocol project (h.country) by optimizing the Welcome and UserPage route components and improving the app's overall logic.
In optimizing harmony1bot performance, I tackled various technical challenges with targeted features. This included efficiently implementing an image generation queue to handle multiple DALL-E 3 requests and resolving prompt interpretation errors. I also enhanced stream completion for Anthropics and Vertex models, improving user experience by reducing response times. Additionally, integrating voice-command functionality streamlined user interactions, with features such as command reuse improving overall usability and user experience.
Gheis (@Gheis_Mohammadi):
In Q1, my focus was on enhancing the functionality and stability of Harmony network. Throughout the quarter, I dedicated considerable efforts to resolving various issues including known blocks, stuck transactions, p2p client crashes, race conditions, configurations and logs, syncing issues and so on. These efforts were instrumental in maintaining the stability and reliability of our networks.
I worked on many new features that each of them could be a separate project:
p2p client: implementation of numerous new functions in the p2p client, significantly enhancing its capabilities. Now, nodes can seamlessly request accounts, storages, and state sharing from each other
state synchronization: I completed the necessary code and resolved numerous issues, followed by a significant refactor of the state sync stage, accounting for approximately 40% of the changes. It is in the final stages and requires an operational snapshot database.
state pruning: I made substantial progress by addressing numerous issues and conducting extensive testing across different network databases. This one also is in the final stages and requires an operational snapshot database.
snapshot database: I spearheaded efforts to optimize our snapshot database, refactoring the codebase and resolving numerous issues to ensure its successful operation. Despite encountering some remaining challenges, our progress in this area has been promising.
eth database upgrade: upgrading the eth database has been initiated to support snapshot functionality. The PR would be thousands lines of codes.
Furthermore, we successfully addressed an unexpected Mainnet Shard 0 outage and Crosslink stuck situation, requiring intensive effort over several days and the implementation of multiple PRs.
The outage on shard 0 highlighted significant technical challenges, including the inclusion of outdated crosslink data within block proposals and issues with the deployment of snapDB. To address these challenges, We added many new logs, developed and deployed hotfixes, alongside with grafana alerts, to bypass the validation failures and node stagnation. Process improvements focused on enhancing crosslinks processing, new deployment procedures for critical updates, ensuring synchronization of components, and bolstering monitoring and alerting capabilities. These measures aim to mitigate the risk of future outages, enhance network stability, and improve overall reliability.
In parallel, I made several enhancements to our network configuration file, introducing new configurations and segregating cache configurations for improved manageability.
Overall, Q1 was marked by significant progress, with numerous issues addressed and a couple of new features has been developed and are in their final stages.
Julia:
I prototyped a social media platform called Remote Emitter using Firestore for message storage, adding features like username-based posting, timestamping, location stamping, user-specific pages, and hashtag support. I optimized storage and indexing for sub-100ms updates, integrated with Cloudflare for automated deployment, and utilized Neo4j to calculate nth-degree user connections with sub-400ms latency up to 6 degrees. For the h.country project, I migrated relevant Remote Emitter features, implemented link handling, defined action specifications, and created a prod deployment process, while also researching AI models trained on unlabeled voice data.
I worked on the Onescriptions ONES launch, gathering statistics, testing inscriptions on Avalanche, and developing minimal on-chain security proof-of-concepts and a BTC-ONE flip prototype. I focused on data analysis, model training, and resume collection for the PmF project, implementing wallet lookup features using 4 digit codes, emojis, and error codes. I automated parsing of comments from "Who wants to be hired?" posts on Hacker News, manually collected 500 resumes for GPT analysis, and researched additional resume sources to expand the dataset.
I researched voice AI models particularly focusing on those capable of processing unlabeled data such as vave2vec and looking into papers experimenting with the impact of more unlabeled data on model quality. I concluded that the largest novel application that we could pursue would be a LLM analogue operating purely on unlabeled voice data (a voice to voice model rather than a voice to transcription to text to synthesis flow). The feasibility of this project was determined to be outside of our 3 month scope as existing implimentations were not compelling enough, especially on our available dataset.
Konstantin:
Protocol Engineering:
During Q1, my primary focus has revolved around leader rotation testing and activation. This involved rigorous testing across various scenarios, including sequential deactivation of internal nodes, fail tolerance, and performance measurements from remote regions. We successfully conducted tests on the devnet and anticipate further activation on the testnet. In addition to leader rotation, I've also explored a feature that allows skipping keys when they belong to a single address, enhancing recovery by redirecting to another validator instead of attempting keys of an already inactive one individually. I dedicated effort to resolving issues following HIP-30 activation, particularly concerning coincidences and a significant number of consensus losses. Furthermore, in my research endeavors, I delved deeper into the Groth16 native EVM implementation. Native implementation requires precompiled contract, which one i've already implemented. Currently it required Solidity wrapper on the low level code, but i faced with total lack of utilities for local development. Groth16 is zero-knowledge, which allows a prover to convince a verifier of the truthfulness of a statement without revealing any additional information about the underlying data.
Nagesh:
I integrated OpenAI's Whisper in the Voice AI app, enabling features like Press & Hold and Tap to Speak. I also set up the safe-iOS project for the Harmony network, successfully launched it on TestFlight for real-time testing, and conducted research and development on MetaMask and Keplr Wallet, customizing the Telegram iOS project to meet specific needs. Additionally, I implemented location services in the Voice-on app to fetch and display addresses during audio recording saves, deployed these updates to TestFlight, and studied the Farcaster network, reviewing its documentation and experimenting with an unofficial Flutter SDK.
I developed the ONE (Voice) Map app, introducing features like a current location button, speech-to-text conversion using Whisper, and UI enhancements, deploying it to TestFlight with the integration of CodePush for streamlined updates and enhanced app stability. I also began the ONEResume project in React Native, integrating CodePush for updates and adding a feature that allows users to upload their resumes and receive feedback from Claude-3, further extending the functionality and user engagement of the app.
Throughout Q1, tackling the technical challenges associated with React Native reload mechanisms was a significant aspect of my work. Implementing CodePush in the projects like ONE (Voice) Map and ONEResume was a strategic decision to overcome the limitations of traditional live reloading and hot reloading. This approach allowed for direct updates to the users devices without requiring them to download a new version from the app store, leading to a more seamless user experience. The impact of these technical enhancements was profound, as it not only accelerated the deployment process but also improved the overall stability and reliability of the apps.
Rikako:
In Q1, I researched over 100 Harmony network community projects, focusing on soulbound/inscription tokens and swapping mechanisms. I developed the OTP connection page for our social geo game website and created a Telegram bot for processing Harmony network transactions. Additionally, I led the development of Harmony's mobile applications using Gnosis Safe through forking and configuration.
Later in Q1, I analyzed AGI market trends, tested frames on Farcaster, and examined projects from 43 companies in the AGI Edge hackathon. Using the Story Protocol framework, I created robust royalty policies and deployed a smart contract for them on Harmony's shard 1. I also initiated the ONE Map project with React Native, implementing location check-in buttons with Firebase, refining the UI for /links, and facilitating OAuth authentication for Human Protocol across 7 platforms.
Deploying the Story Protocol on Harmony presented a formidable task, particularly in ensuring the seamless deployment of all 29 contracts upon which this singular contract depended. This endeavor also involved intricate configuration adjustments, transitioning the original contract deployed on Polygon to align with the parameters of Shard 1. Notably, amidst these complexities, the implementation of the royalty policy contract emerged as a pivotal feature, empowering users to specify dividend allocations for a designated IPID, thereby enhancing the platform's functionality and versatility.
Soph (@sophoah):
Throughout Q1, I've played a pivotal role in addressing technical challenges and advancing key initiatives within our project. Notably, I collaborated with team members on resolving issues such as testnet leader rotation activation hurdles and enhancing our mainnet oracle integration with Band. Moreover, my efforts in troubleshooting and providing support for various development tasks, including HIP30 state verification failures and devnet consensus loss investigations, have contributed to the overall progress and stability of our ecosystem.
In addition to technical contributions, I actively participated in community engagement and internal operations improvements. I facilitated the progress of HIP32 through validator coordination, while also enhancing our internal operations and security through the development and updating of multiple playbooks. Furthermore, my involvement in addressing user-reported issues and providing support to exchange partners underscores my commitment to ensuring a seamless experience for all stakeholders.
Detailing more the DevOps area, in the first quarter, I spearheaded several initiatives aimed at enhancing our technical capabilities, optimizing processes, and fortifying our security posture. I automated the renewal of SSL certificates for non .country domains name linked to harmony.one subdomains, empowering our DevOps team to efficiently manage certificate renewals. Additionally, I took the lead in updating our internal operations playbook for Goteleport, significantly reducing manual interventions required for adding, updating, or installing new teleport nodes. Moreover, I developed a 'bad-delegation' script to detect addresses that received an excessive amount of ONE, ensuring the integrity of our network and implementing processes to swiftly address any issues encountered. These initiatives underscore my commitment to leveraging technology and process improvements to drive efficiency and enhance our overall operational resilience.
Additionnaly, the devops team has made significant strides in advancing our technical capabilities and improving operational efficiency. Under my guidance and supervision, Ulad executed several key initiatives, including the establishment of two snapshot nodes for shard 0 and shard 1 in the testnet, which have already been embraced by users. We also focused on optimizing system performance by updating the Push-gateway runbook and creating RPC/nginx runbooks to streamline the process of updating our RPC. Additionally, we developed scripts to detect backup nodes in preparation for HIP32. These efforts align with our overarching objective of maintaining a secure, efficient, and resilient technical infrastructure.
Sun (@sunwavesun):
I implemented a minimal on chain flip service that handled cross chain asset bridging. The services has handled around ~300 transactions for Base and BSC combined. I've also implemented BTC-EVM wallet which allows for users to use CLI in order to manage accounts in both Bitcoin and EVM based chains derived from the same keypair.
Prototyped human protocol using various tools and frameworks, and eventually implemented the Firestore based h.country. Specifically implemented keypair management, path commands using "/", as well as OAuth flow. At ETH Denver, introduced the application to ~30 users. Recently, I have deployed the Polaris EVM execution layer on Rollkit, a Cosmos SDK fork, and worked with Yuriy in launching Op Stack based, smart contract rollup on Celestia.
Theo F (@theofandrich):
I completed the partnership with QiDao and aided them in transitioning to Band Protocol from Chainlink, integrating a stable coin (MAI) into our ecosystem, a key enhancement to our financial infrastructure. Also helped product development for Metamask portfolio and initiated the groundwork for cross-chain portfolio management to facilitate trading, lending, and investing across various blockchains.
I worked on developing ONE Map Social by orchestrating product development, focusing on integrating location-based services and user-generated content to enhance social interaction within the app. I managed to secure app store approval within one week of app initiation.
Theo P (@theoperisic):
In Q1, I managed and helped launch 4 distinct projects: Human-Protocol, Quest Lottery, Lend, and Flip. For each project I contributed to the product through UI/UX iterations, userflows, and minor frontend pushes, as well as operations by coordinating 12 individuals, 5 internal, 4 from the apps team, and 3 from protofire. I also extended this coordination to our community, helping the 7 recovery multisig custodians who increased recovery percentage by 6%, the most in a single quarter, and the 60+ eligible validator community for HIP-32 leading to a unanimous YES vote with 3 billion ONE.
I also released the 2024 roadmap, engaged in twitter spaces and EthDenver, promoted 7 ecosystem projects, and onboarded a new infrastructure partner, Envio. The campaign with the OneScription team, led to their sold out inscription token, raising 1.8 million ONE. On my own time, I also attended 5 bi-weekly Harmony Ecosystem Roundup spaces to engage with the community.
7 ecosystem project promotions: Galaxii, a decentralized TikTok alternative; MetaSMS, an encrypted messenger; Joskins, a platform for purchasing merch with ONE tokens; Knights&Peasants, a strategy blockchain game; OneScription, a gateway for converting Harmony inscriptions to ERC-20 tokens; AnotherWorld, a Ready Player One-inspired metaverse; and Coherence, an NFT marketplace.
Yuriy:
I developed the Inscriptions indexer backend and the OneScriptions hrc20 frontend. Additionally, I created the Inscriptions lottery main page and implemented the lottery backend and stats API. For the Human Protocol project, I focused on Firebase design and interaction, frontend features, locations features.
Added optimisations for the Human Protocol project: added firestore persistent Local Cache for all queries, connected infinity scroll for the actions table with lazy loading of 100 elements, optimized pages loading time (main page, feeds list) from 8 sec to 1 seс.
I conducted an architecture study for a sovereign rollup on our Shard 1. Furthermore, I deployed and integrated an OP Stack Rollup with Harmony Shard 1, which is currently in progress.