Dev Release 112

Greetings BlockDAG Community,

BlockDAG Explorer - Development Release Notes

We are excited to announce the latest development updates for the BlockDAG Explorer. This release focuses on key improvements in data structure, transaction handling, and compatibility enhancements for Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) addresses and ERC20 contracts. Below is an overview of the major features and improvements introduced in this release:

1. UTXO Account Schema Design to Maintain Balance
We’ve introduced a new UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output) account schema that allows efficient tracking of balance changes across transactions. The schema design has been optimized to handle large volumes of UTXO sets, improving both scalability and transaction validation. This schema enhances the explorer’s ability to accurately reflect the balance for each account by tracking the movement of UTXOs in real-time.
Key Highlights:

• Efficient storage and retrieval of UTXO data.
• Real-time balance computation based on UTXO tracking.
• Improved transaction visibility for users, reflecting updates immediately after transaction confirmation.

2. Algorithm for VIN and VOUT Hash Data
A new hashing algorithm has been implemented for VIN (Input) and VOUT (Output) data in transactions. This algorithm is designed to generate compact, secure, and unique hash data for each transaction's input and output, ensuring that transaction history can be traced and verified with high precision.
Key Features:

• Secure hashing of transaction input/output data.
• Enhanced transaction traceability and integrity checks.
• Optimized for speed and performance in block-heavy environments.

3. Worked on Normalising the Data Response
We’ve improved the normalization of data responses throughout the explorer API, ensuring that responses are more consistent and easier to process by external systems. The structured data formats provide seamless integration with third-party services, enhancing the usability of the explorer’s data.
Improvements Include:

• Unified response format across all endpoints.
• Consistent error handling and message formatting.
• Enhanced API performance by reducing redundant data.

4. Faucet for EVM Addresses
We are introducing a faucet service for EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) addresses. This faucet allows users to easily test and interact with the explorer by distributing test tokens to specified EVM-compatible addresses. The faucet is a key feature for developers building and testing smart contracts within the BlockDAG ecosystem.
Faucet Features:

• Easy-to-use interface for requesting test tokens.
• Support for EVM-compatible addresses.
• Enhanced for developers working with ERC20 tokens and smart contracts on the BlockDAG platform.

5. Schema Design Meeting for ERC20 Contracts in Explorer
As part of ongoing efforts to fully support ERC20 contracts, a schema design meeting was conducted to define how ERC20 tokens will be tracked and represented within the explorer. This will ensure that token balances, transfers, and contract interactions are accurately displayed in the explorer.
Topics Covered:

• Schema design for ERC20 token contract data.
• Efficient indexing and querying of token balances and transfers.
• Integration with existing UTXO and account-based models.

We are pleased to share the latest development updates for the BlockDAG X1 App. This release highlights important discussions and advancements in user experience, internal build processes, and security infrastructure. Below are the key details from this development cycle:

1. User Experience (UX) Improvements for Wallet Connection
In a recent meeting, our team focused on enhancing the wallet connection experience within the BlockDAG X1 App. The goal is to make the process more intuitive and familiar for users by adopting industry-standard design patterns commonly seen in other blockchain applications. These improvements will simplify onboarding and reduce friction when connecting a wallet, ensuring a seamless experience for both new and experienced users.
Key Takeaways from the UX Meeting:
 

• Adoption of familiar UX patterns for wallet connections.
• Streamlined interface for a quicker and easier connection process.
• Enhanced tooltips and guidance for new users.
• Improved feedback mechanisms during wallet connection, ensuring users know the status of the connection.

2. Internal Meeting on Build Release Process
An internal meeting was held to review and optimize the build release process for the BlockDAG X1 App. This effort aims to ensure that our build and deployment pipelines are robust, efficient, and scalable. The discussions focused on automating repetitive tasks, reducing manual interventions, and minimizing the time taken to push new updates from development to production environments.
Key Discussion Points:
 

• Streamlining the build pipeline for faster release cycles.
• Automating testing and deployment workflows to reduce errors.
• Improving version control and release notes management.
• Enhancing communication between development, QA, and operations teams.

3. Security and Infrastructure Audit
As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure and reliable platform, we conducted a comprehensive security and infrastructure audit of the BlockDAG X1 App. This audit involved reviewing our security protocols, data handling practices, and overall infrastructure resilience. The findings have helped us identify areas for improvement and ensure that the app remains secure against emerging threats.
Audit Highlights:
 

• Comprehensive review of infrastructure for vulnerabilities.
• Security protocols strengthened to safeguard user data and transactions.
• Enhancements in monitoring and alerting systems to detect potential breaches.
• Optimized server infrastructure for better performance and scalability.

This development cycle has focused heavily on improving both the BlockDAG X1 App and BlockDAG Explorer, emphasizing user experience, internal process optimization, and security enhancements. For the X1 App, we held key meetings to make the wallet connection process more intuitive, streamlined the build release process for faster and more reliable updates, and conducted a comprehensive security and infrastructure audit to ensure the app's stability and resilience. On the BlockDAG Explorer side, we introduced improvements to data accuracy, transaction integrity, and expanded support for EVM-based assets. These efforts work in tandem to provide users with a seamless, efficient, and secure experience as we continue building the BlockDAG ecosystem into a best-in-class blockchain solution.