Today, September 6th, 2023, marks a significant milestone for the Subspace Network. We are proud to announce the commencement of the final Gemini III Incentivized Testnet phase, set to begin at approximately 5 pm UTC.
Our core contributors have been diligently working to bring this phase to fruition. Their unwavering commitment and dedication have been instrumental in reaching this pivotal moment. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our early community members for their unwavering support as we strive to build the world’s most distributed, decentralized, and permissionless network.
Objective and Duration
The primary goal of this phase is to rigorously test both the underlying infrastructure and each individual feature. By the conclusion of this phase, we aim to have a network that mirrors a feature-complete mainnet environment. Given the comprehensive nature of these tests, the incentivized testnet phase will span a longer duration than its predecessors.
It’s crucial to note that Gemini III will undergo continuous evolution, with several iterations and multiple network resets throughout the incentivized phase. While these hard resets may present challenges, they are a strategic response to the invaluable feedback from our community. We are accelerating the transition to the incentivized phase to meet the community’s expectations and to express our gratitude for the unwavering support we’ve received.
These hard resets also offer a unique opportunity. Proactive farmers can seize these moments to claim a significant portion of the block rewards during the early stages. We encourage everyone to use these resets as a chance to refine farming strategies and maximize rewards. Engaging with a new network early on presents an opportunity to secure a larger share of the block rewards.
Collaborative Effort
The success of the Gemini III incentivized testnet phase hinges on the collective efforts of both the core team and the Subspace Network community. We have always envisioned our community playing a pivotal role in the ownership and governance of the Subspace Network. As we approach this significant milestone, we urge our community members to:
- Assist in educating and onboarding the new wave of farmers during the incentivized testnet phase, extending patience and guidance.
- Actively promote the Subspace Network, helping to expand our reach and influence.
Incentive Structure
For those who have been monitoring the block explorer, you might have noticed that beyond the standard rewards.BlockReward event, multiple rewards.VoteReward events are generated when a block is produced. The block reward is earned by the node that successfully farmed that specific block. In contrast, the voting rewards are designed to increase reward frequency for farmers and encourage broader network participation.
Without delving too deeply into the technicalities, voting rewards are granted to farmers who have found a solution to the block challenge within an accepted range. This range is broader than the block authoring difficulty range. Currently, the consensus rewards both the block author and nine voting rewards on average. Both block and voting rewards are distributed in proportion to the amount of storage pledged by each farmer.
Voting Reward Mechanics
The current voting implementation awards 0.1 TSSC for every vote successfully included in a block and 0.1 TSSC for the block author. The reward isn’t dynamically split within each block. As with block rewards, the likelihood of securing a voting reward is also proportional to the amount of space pledged. This system ensures that farmers receive more frequent, albeit smaller, rewards, which is preferable to waiting for a full block reward. While data sharding is viewed as a long-term solution, this approach offers an intermediate solution that will evolve into a more beneficial feature in future protocol iterations.
Incentivized Testnet Milestones
- Domains: Within the Subspace Network, a “domain” signifies an execution environment layer atop our consensus layer. Domains function similarly to layer 2 chains or rollups, reflecting our dedication to scalability through a modular approach. We will provide further details on functionalities and specifications in subsequent announcements.
- Stake Wars: This staking-based initiative involves Operator nodes and is designed to rigorously test our domain execution and staking protocols. Through Stake Wars, we aim to establish a robust network of Operators that will ensure crypto-economic security for execution. More details will be shared as the initiative progresses.
Eligibility
The Subspace Network remains steadfast in its commitment to true decentralization and permissionlessness. From its inception, the network has been open to all:
- No waitlist
- No registration
- No specialized hardware requirements
- No staking prerequisites
Recommended Minimum Hardware Setup
- CPU: 4 Core or higher
- RAM: Minimum of 8 GB
- SWAP: Minimum of 4 GB
- Storage: At least 100 GB SSD
We value all feedback and encourage open dialogue. Our supportive community on Discord, bolstered by a dedicated group of ambassadors, stands ready to address any questions or concerns. We look forward to your continued engagement and collaboration as we embark on this exciting phase.