As node101, we have been validating more than 18 projects in the Cosmos ecosystem, including Band Protocol, Sommelier, Crescent, and Canto. node101 mainly provides technical solutions, produces products for the Cosmos ecosystem, and focuses on increasing adaptability. For example, we are currently working on a product that enables people to install and manage their nodes with just a click and without coding. In addition, we have been publishing “101” level content as blogs, podcasts, and videos in Turkish and English. Moreover, to support the Turkish Blockchain Builder Ecosystem, We have organized physical events such as Cryptİst, Moda Palace Monthly Gatherings, NYM and Manta Gatherings, Sui - Move Languages Workshops and Aleo - Tour of Türkiye.
We have been producing video content for dYdX to help Turkish users understand its features thoroughly (dYdX Türkiye). With our top-level devs and content team, we will assist dYdX in continuing its journey of change in finance.
With smart contracts and liquidity pools, they innovate,
Efficient, transparent, a platform we appreciate.
From margin trading to staking, possibilities unfold,
dYdX project, a revolution against old.
What kind of hardware do you run? Baremetal, cloud-based…? In what geographic regions?
We mainly run dedicated servers and VPS across Europe. We will integrate some nodes into bare-metal servers in the near future.
Technical make-up of team (elaborate on no. of dev ops engineers, experience, etc.)
Our highly diverse dev team consists of experienced individuals in their respective fields. The team comprises five developers, led by Yunus Gürlek, who has demonstrated success in Computer Science and Mathematics.
Yunus Gürlek (Head of Dev): Yunus has been honing his skills in computer science and mathematics from a young age, which has earned him the 5th place in Computer Science Olympics in Turkey. Currently, he is pursuing studies in Mathematics and Physics at Sorbonne University. He has worked across multiple ecosystems and made significant contributions to the Mina Protocol. He developed the Mina Protocol’s private voting (zkvote) interface and created the Mathematics Library within the protocol. Additionally, he tackled the Off-Chain Data Storage problem of the Mina Network by leveraging Celestia’s DA Layer and integrating it with two networks, Photon Bridge, resulting in the first project for the zkLambdaClass hackathon main track and Mina Protocol’s track.
node101 has been providing infrastructure services for 2 years.
What other networks are you running validators for?
We are running validators for more than 10 networks. Some of the networks we are validating: Umee, Crescent, Nym, Band Protocol, Irisnet, Cheqd…
Based on your participation in any previous testnets, mainnets, are there any best practices to be aware of? What are some things that made previous testnets, mainnet launches successful and/or things to avoid that have gone poorly?
From our extensive experience with testnets, we recognize that the cornerstone of successful testnet operations is a robust network of dedicated testers capable of delivering insightful feedback. Using sophisticated automated testing tools has been instrumental in pinpointing bugs efficiently, and the value of conducting tests in diverse environments cannot be overstated.
Equally vital is the seamless communication between developers and testers. This synergy ensures comprehensive coverage of potential issues and facilitates swift resolutions.
However, there have been pitfalls we’ve observed in previous endeavors:
Lack of a Cohesive Plan: Absence of a structured plan or timeline for the testnet can hamper its effectiveness.
Resource Constraints: Not allocating sufficient resources or staff can lead to gaps in testing, potentially allowing critical issues to go undetected.
Ambiguous Reporting Mechanisms: Without a streamlined process for bug reporting and resolution, there’s a risk of critical feedback getting overlooked.
Drawing from these lessons, we strongly advocate for the establishment of a parallel testnet alongside the mainnet. This practice ensures that each binary undergoes rigorous testing on the testnet before the technical team integrates updates into the mainnet. It’s a best practice that reinforces security, stability, and efficiency across the network.
Do you have a validator voting framework and process?
Yes, we have a validator voting framework and process.
First and foremost, the Governance and Protocol team monitors proposals and discussions, coordinating the process by conducting Governance meetings every two days.
The team discusses the potential outcomes of active proposals to determine the best course of action.
Decisions are made based on three main factors:
The contribution the proposal will make to the network.
The potential benefits it will bring to the ecosystem overall.
Node101’s and delegators’ overall vision and alignment with the ecosystem’s perspective.
Based on these criteria, decisions on governance proposals are made with the participation of team members.
Are you planning to play any additional roles in the dYdX ecosystem (e.g. market maker, trader, indexer, front-end, other)?
For the past 8 months, we have been co-managing dYdX’s YouTube account for Turkey in coordination with the dYdX Turkey team, and we plan to continue managing it in the future.
Our developer team is willing to produce products that can bring new use cases and address specific problems on the dYdX chain. They are in the planning phase to achieve this goal.
Are there other products or services you want to highlight that could be relevant for dYdX?
We have a product called Klein, which could be relevant for dYdX. With Klein, we have developed an interface where you can set up nodes and perform various network-related features such as relayers, light clients, RPC, and API setups, allowing dYdX validators and users to efficiently manage their infrastructure. Klein provides a user-friendly validator and infrastructure management portal, eliminating the need for complex terminal commands by offering an intuitive interface. Moreover, Klein is committed to enhancing its utility for validators within the dYdX ecosystem by planning to integrate a voting interface, streamlining their participation in governance decisions.
Notably, Klein operates as a fully decentralized interface and prioritizes data privacy, ensuring that no user data is stored. It offers a seamless and secure experience, connecting users to the terminal and enabling them to perform various actions without requiring technical expertise. This makes it accessible to a wide range of users, including those without a technical background. While currently available for a limited number of networks, Klein.run is poised to expand its integration with additional networks in Q4, further enhancing its versatility and utility.
Any notable contributions in other ecosystems that you would like to highlight for the community?
Certainly! Here are some notable contributions in other ecosystems that we would like to highlight for the community:
Cosmic Turks: Before Cosmoverse, we collaborated with Cosmos Native contributors to increase awareness of the Cosmos ecosystem in Turkey. We organized various events and community gatherings in Turkey to promote the Cosmos ecosystem.
Moda Palas: We regularly host gatherings in Moda, Kadıköy, for blockchain-native individuals in Turkey and potential talents interested in working in the blockchain space. These gatherings aim to build a vibrant crypto-native community within the Turkish ecosystem, removing location barriers and welcoming individuals from various blockchain ecosystems.
Mina Protocol: Our team received 3 grants from Mina Protocol to develop an on chain zk voting application, a provable maths library working on SnarkyJS, and a developer tracker tool for Mina product team. More on the technical side, we think these products give a good insight into the technical expertise of our developer team.
Photon Bridge: Recently, we developed a solution for Mina Protocol’s off-chain data storage problem by utilizing Celestia’s DA Layer. This project aims to introduce a modular design to Mina, expanding the scope for further development and creating a use case for Celestia to test its own DA Layer service. Our project achieved first place in the main track of the LambdaClass ZK Hackathon and Mina Protocol’s dedicated track. For more detailed information about the project, you can refer to Yunus’ tweet! https://twitter.com/yunusguerlek/status/1686291811650633728
CryptIst: We organized Turkey’s first zk-focused Summit, CryptIst, to raise awareness about zero-knowledge technologies in the country. Hosting more than 200 people, CryptIst brought the ZK ecosystem to the Turkish community. https://www.cryptist.org
Sui Move Workshop: We conducted the Sui Move Workshop in collaboration with Sui Foundation, aiming to teach the Move language to blockchain developers in Turkey.
Aleo Tour of Turkiye: To spread awareness about zero-knowledge technology to a broader audience in Turkey, we initiated the Aleo Tour of Turkiye with Aleo team.
NYM Community Gathering: We arranged the NYM Community Gathering, serving as a platform to connect with Turkey’s vibrant blockchain community with NYM representatives.
For further information you can kindly apply the link below!
These contributions showcase our dedication to fostering community engagement, promoting blockchain technology, and offering user-friendly solutions for infrastructure setup across various networks.
