Dear aelf Community Members,

Welcome to the February edition of the aelf Monthly Digest! This article provides an overview of the advancements in aelf’s technology, highlights ecosystem development, recaps events held during the past month and shares Web3 industry insights.

Technology

1. aelf Cloud-Native Computing Optimisation

aelf's cloud-native computing system has been successfully deployed on the Testnet and has undergone rigorous stress testing. The system is now in the optimisation `phase and our team is actively addressing any issues to ensure optimal performance.

2. aelf Network v1.7.0 Upgrade

In February, aelf upgraded its network to v1.7.0, improving governance rewards claiming by allowing modification of the maximum number of claimable periods. The update also enhanced the aelf explorer, simplifying the process of claiming governance rewards, especially in cases with multiple claimable rewards from batches of votes.

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Ecosystem

1. Community NFT Design Contest Winners Announced

We'd like to thank everyone for their active participation for our aelf in Paris Community NFT Design Contest. We saw 19 design submissions and over 8,500 votes from the community over a span of 4 weeks. A big congratulations to the 2 winners who have both walked away with 100 USDT worth of ELF tokens each for their design skills and active voting participation respectively!

2. 2 New Block Producer (BP) Seats Released on aelf

aelf mainchain rewards pool node-voter incentive model

aelf's evolving ecosystem, rich with dApps, encourages active participation from token holders through voting, bolstering its robust and dynamic environment. With a governance structure powered by the AEDPoS consensus mechanism, we emphasise on collaboration between BPs, candidate nodes, and voters. Following the inaugural election of 17 BPs in early 2022, the network has grown to 21 BPs by 2024. We are happy to announce that we have two new BP seats open! Find out how aelf governance participants are incentivised and what it means to be an aelf BP.

3. aelf Ventures Launches AEVOLVE Labs

We're excited to announce the launch of AEVOLVE Labs, an incubator for promising blockchain projects. AEVOLVE Labs offers tailored mentorship, networking opportunities, and funding support to selected projects, aiming to foster innovation and efficiency across various blockchain technologies and sectors. With a focus on product-market fit, networking, and financial strategy, AEVOLVE Labs serves as a launchpad for early-stage blockchain ventures, providing crucial resources and support to shape the future of blockchain innovation.

4. aelf's feature in NUS Fintech Labs' 'FinTechLah' Podcast

On February 26th, aelf took part in NUS Fintech Labs' "FinTechLah" podcast titled 'Building a Robust Fintech Ecosystem in Singapore'. Leong Han Wai, our Business Development Associate at aelf, shared valuable insights on how Layer 1 blockchains like aelf can boost the Fintech ecosystem in the fintech and blockchain industry, focusing on skills development and the importance of networking. He also discussed strategies for both students and companies to remain at the forefront of the industry's rapid innovation and evolving market demands.

5. aelf Ecosystem dApps Highlight

AeFinder completed the development of v1.1.6 in February and is set for testing and deployment in March. This update brings various optimisations and enhancements for the indexer such as improved processing speed, client log enhancements, optimised RAM usage, and enhanced capabilities for horizontal expansion.

Following the rollout of AetherLink v1.1.0 last month, rigorous testing was conducted in February to verify the functionality of the features, including its multitasking and parallel processing capabilities, as well as the enhanced node connections through gRPC.

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Events

1. AllStarsWomen DAO Singapore Chapter Launch with aelf

On February 6th, we hosted the AllStarsWomen DAO Singapore Chapter Launch Event which was a landmark occasion celebrating the intersection of blockchain technology and women's leadership in the industry. Esteemed hosts Akina Ho (Co-Founder of AllStarsWomen DAO), Linda Ang (Singapore Chapter Co-Lead/Head of Strategy at aelf), and Hilary Chiu (Singapore Chapter Co-Lead), alongside notable guest speakers, delved into the transformative power of Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) in promoting innovation, inclusivity, and a decentralised future for businesses. The panel discussion "How DAOs Will Transform Businesses" explored the profound impact of DAOs on business structures. Attendees enjoyed refreshments and the unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, making the launch an unforgettable kickoff for the AllStarsWomen DAO Singapore Chapter and a promising step forward for aelf's partnership in championing women's contributions to blockchain technology.

2. Lunar New Year Celebrations with aelf

The year of the Dragon roared to life at aelf's Singapore office with an electrifying celebration! The aelf team kicked off the festivities with a scrumptious luncheon, followed by a spirited lohei toss that had everyone cheering for prosperity and good fortune. The excitement continued with an angbao lucky draw, adding an extra dash of luck to the festivities.

The festivities continued with the Lunar New Year Lohei with aelf & Talent@Web3 held on February 15th where both DAO communities came together to mingle, indulge in another round of lohei tossing, and witness a spectacular dragon drone show right from our office windows.

3. NFT Paris 2024

Over the span of 1 week from February 21-26, we launched our first-ever Proof of Attendance NFT, co-hosted 2 side events and attended NFT Paris 2024 as a Gold sponsor. We also ran 11 raffle draws which saw more than 10,000 attendees and more than 600 Proof of Attendance (POA) NFTs minted. Read the recap article here.

4. Venturing further into Spain and the US

Following our successful participation in NFT Paris 2024, the aelf team swiftly transitioned to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, held from February 26-29th. As the largest international trade show for the mobile communications and telecoms industry, MWC provided a platform for us to deeply engage with industry leaders and explore cutting-edge developments. From there, our journey continued to ETHDenver, where we actively participated in #BUIDLWeek and attended numerous enlightening talks and workshops, further cementing our commitment to innovation and collaboration within the blockchain community.

5. Hands-on Smart Contract Workshop: Writing & Deploying with C#

aelf smart contract google developer space workshop

On February 29th, our "Hands-on Smart Contract Workshop: Writing & Deploying with C#" opened doors to enthusiasts, regardless of their blockchain background. Using C# as the programming language, attendees learned about smart contracts from the ground up, including writing and deploying them on a real blockchain. Our tech team simplified complex concepts, ensuring everyone could follow along and gain practical skills. This workshop empowered participants with new developer tools and introduced them to a community of supportive learners, showcasing the transformative potential of blockchain technology.

Upcoming:

aelf is headed to the US in March

In March, the aelf team is gearing up for an exciting journey across the United States, with stops in San Francisco, Boston, and New York City. Starting off in San Francisco, we'll be attending the Game Developer Conference 2024 and the Next Gen Tech Forum as a Bronze sponsor, where we'll explore the latest innovations and trends shaping the gaming industry. From there, we'll make our way to Boston for PAX EAST 2024 and New York City for NFT.NYC 2024. Stay tuned for more details!

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Industry Insights

This week, we published 4 Industry Insights articles:

This article provides a comparative analysis of key programming languages for smart contract development in blockchain and Web3. It discusses Solidity's popularity in Ethereum-based projects, Vyper's focus on security and simplicity, Rust's high performance in Solana, C#'s versatility, and Go's efficiency and scalability.

2. Tokenisation in DeFi: Revolutionising Asset Management, Ownership and Investment

This article focuses on the transformative impact of decentralised finance (DeFi) on asset management through the process of tokenisation. It explains how various assets can be digitised on the blockchain, outlines real-world applications of tokenisation, the challenges and benefits of tokenisation in DeFi and regulatory considerations.

3. 5 NFT Trends to Watch in 2024: Hybrid NFTs, RWA Tokenisation, Gaming NFTs, Ordinals and Phygital NFTs

This article delves into the dynamic evolution of the NFT market, highlighting 5 key trends: Hybrid NFTs, RWA Tokenisation, Gaming NFTs, Ordinals and Phygital NFTs. These trends collectively indicate a significant shift in how NFTs are being utilised, promising innovative applications and implications for the future.

4. How to Write Smart Contracts and Create DApps using C#

This article is a beginner's guide for Web3 development using C#. It covers the basics of smart contracts and their function within blockchain technology, outlines the prerequisites for developing in this space, and offers a step-by-step guide on the development and deployment process.

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*Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other form of professional advice. Aelf makes no guarantees or warranties about the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information on this blog. You should not make any investment decisions based solely on the information provided on this blog. You should always consult with a qualified financial or legal advisor before making any investment decisions.

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About aelf

aelf, the pioneer Layer 1 blockchain, features modular systems, parallel processing, cloud-native architecture, and multi-sidechain technology for unlimited scalability. Founded in 2017 with its global hub based in Singapore, aelf is the first in the industry to lead Asia in evolving blockchain with state-of-the-art AI integration, transforming blockchain into a smarter and self-evolving ecosystem.

aelf facilitates the building, integrating, and deploying of smart contracts and decentralised apps (dApps) on its Layer 1 blockchain with its native C# software development kit (SDK) and SDKs in other languages, including Java, JS, Python, and Go. aelf’s ecosystem also houses a range of dApps to support a flourishing blockchain network. aelf is committed to fostering innovation within its ecosystem and remains dedicated to driving the development of Web3, blockchain and the adoption of AI technology.

Find out more about aelf and stay connected with our community:

Website | X | Telegram | Discord

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Back to Blog

Tool/Platform	What's it about
ChainGPT	An AI-powered assistant for the blockchain and crypto industry, specializing in content creation, language translation, smart contract coding, and more.
aelf	A high-performance, customisable multi-chain blockchain framework with AI-powered smart contracts and a developer-friendly environment.
Quick Intel	An AI-powered crypto security platform that helps investors avoid scams, rug pulls, and honeypots by analysing smart contracts, social sentiment, and on-chain data.
Cogwise AI News Aggregator	An AI-powered news aggregator that analyses real-time news and global trends to predict market movements in the crypto market.
OpenAI Codex	An AI system that transforms natural language into code, automating code creation for smart contracts, blockchain applications, and other development tasks.
QnA3	An AI-powered Web3 knowledge hub that provides real-time information and insights on cryptocurrencies, blockchain projects, and the broader Web3 ecosystem, with unique Solana Actions integrations.
Fetch.ai	A platform that combines AI and blockchain to create autonomous economic agents (AEAs) for various applications, including supply chain optimisation and smart city management.
Octavia	A decentralised digital identity (DID) platform for creating and managing self-sovereign digital identities, empowering users to control their data and online presence.
TensorFlow	A versatile open-source machine learning framework used for building AI models that can analyse blockchain data, enhance security, and predict market trends.
Alethea	A platform that creates 'Intelligent NFTs' (iNFTs) with unique personalities and the ability to engage in conversations, powered by AI and blockchain technology.

Chain	URL	Explorer
AELF	https://aelf-test-node.aelf.io/	https://explorer-test.aelf.io/
tDVW	https://tdvw-test-node.aelf.io/	https://explorer-test-side02.aelf.io/

Feature	Description
Inheritance	ERC-404 inherits from the interfaces IERC-404, IERC721 Receiver, and IERC165, implementing functions specified in these interfaces, behaving as both ERC20 and ERC721.
Data Structures	Mappings track balances, allowances, approvals, and ownership of tokens. Double-ended queue stores ERC721 token IDs. Data for managing ownership and indices of ERC721 tokens.
Constructor	Initialises token name, symbol, decimals, and other necessary variables for ERC20 and ERC721 tokens.
Token Minting and Burning	_mintERC20 function for minting ERC20 tokens. _retrieveOrMintERC721 function for minting ERC721 tokens and retrieving from a bank. _withdrawAndStoreERC721 function for depositing ERC721 tokens into the bank.
Transfers	Functions for transferring ERC20 and ERC271 tokens between addresses. Distinguishes between token types based on ID. _transferERC20WithERC721 function handles transfers involving both types.
ERC20 and ERC721 Interactions	Approve function handles approvals for both token types. Functions like transferFrom, safeTransferFrom, and permit handle transfers and approvals.
EIP-2612 Support	Supports EIP-2612 permit functionality for ERC20 tokens.
Interface Compatibility	Implements necessary functions for ERC-404 and ERC165 interfaces, indicating compatibility with ERC20 and ERC721 standards.

Role	Max Number
BP	2N+1, N starts from 8 in 2022
Candidate node	5*(2N+1)
Voter	No limit

Benefits	Description
Makes smart contracts 'smarter'	AI-driven smart contracts can autonomously modify terms based on predefined conditions and real-time data input, ensuring that the contracts are not just automated but also intelligent and self-improving over time.
Levelled up data analysis	Data is the new oil, and AI is the machinery that refines it. It is possible for AI to reduce large-volume blockchain data analysis time by up to 90%.
Boosts security	Through machine learning models, AI can prevent frauds and detect security threats in real time. It can identify potential breaches, predict future threats, and adapt to evolving security measures.
Lowers carbon footprint	AI algorithms help optimise energy consumption in blockchain operations, given the flak drawn by activities like Bitcoin mining.

aelf Monthly Digest – February 2024