Author Topic: Questions for August 22  (Read 6914 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline gamey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2253
    • View Profile
The point is not necessarily that I am asking because I need answers.  It is because I think the question to be a useful one to educate listeners or provide audio clips addressing the issue and as a place to keep track of the questions.   

Actually I sorta plan to ask Dan which questions he'd like to answer.  If someone else wants to ask specific questions they have the chance.  There's a show that needs content, therefore questions for the show are a useful thing.   Although it does help figure out the most valuable questions if they aren't answered. ;)
« Last Edit: August 22, 2014, 01:28:12 pm by gamey »
I speak for myself and only myself.

Offline xeroc

  • Board Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12922
  • ChainSquad GmbH
    • View Profile
    • ChainSquad GmbH
  • BitShares: xeroc
  • GitHub: xeroc
Possible questions so far from this thread -
I can answer some right now if you want.

What does it mean technically to say that a wallet is "unlocked" ?  That the private key is exposed in memory?  Does a locked wallet process transactions ? 
Yes, private key is exposed in memory and has to be as you need it for scanning
TITAN transactions (no scanning if wallet is locked!!) and also for signing
transactions (or blocks if you are a delegate). There is no fancy way to
prevent that, except in-memory encryption.

What happens when a block is missed? Ok, so it is skipped.  Is there anything
put on the blockchain saying that the delegate missed a block?  Is there just a
null block in the chain?   Howzzit work ?
There just is no block .. the transactions that were supposed to go in there
are then stil unconfirmed and the subsequent delegate has to do the job (he has
to do it anyway).

How is voting from a cold wallet being addressed?  Will we see this ?   If it
isn't going to be done, why?   etc.
BM already answered that somewhere. If you send you stake into coldstorage you
vote but that transaction. Period. If you want to change your vote you need to
take your stake out of coldstorage and move them somewhere else.

Can a delegate in Bitshares X frontrun?   What in the network would allow
detection of this type of attack if it exists ?  By this attack I do mean
delegate.  I could frontrun on the block producing level.  In theory, there are
opportunities where a delegate can determine it would be profitable to purchase
an asset themselves and scalp trades.  I was curious about your thoughts on
this ?
Good question!

So now with DPOS we have this new type of miner, the delegate.  At some point
the Bitshares X network becomes more in control by the delegates than by the
dacsunlimited.  So what happens if there is a split in delegates where there is
disagreement on which release to use.  Say 40% did not want to use a new fork
and 60% proceeded to use it.   Thoughts on how this might play out in real life
BM probably will answer sth. along: the market will decide!

Thin clients?  Plans?  placement on roadmap ?
Afaik, planned, probably not upcoming. probably not so high in the todo list.
Would like to know more about that too.



Hope you don't mind that I tried answering some questions. You can sure still
ask them in the hangout. Would be nice to self-check my answers Bingo-like :)

Offline gamey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2253
    • View Profile
BTW I do not necessarily expect to get to every question tomorrow, er today.   There will always be future sessions. 

Possible questions so far from this thread -

When reading NXT forums I see a lot of concern "flash crashes".   Can you explain the latest thoughts on the failsafes included in BTSX ?  What exists currently, and are there current plans to change it ?

What does it mean technically to say that a wallet is "unlocked" ?  That the private key is exposed in memory?  Does a locked wallet process transactions ? 

What happens when a block is missed? Ok, so it is skipped.  Is there anything put on the blockchain saying that the delegate missed a block?  Is there just a null block in the chain?   Howzzit work ?

How is voting from a cold wallet being addressed?  Will we see this ?   If it isn't going to be done, why?   etc.

Can a delegate in Bitshares X frontrun?   What in the network would allow detection of this type of attack if it exists ?  By this attack I do mean delegate.  I could frontrun on the block producing level.  In theory, there are opportunities where a delegate can determine it would be profitable to purchase an asset themselves and scalp trades.  I was curious about your thoughts on this ?

So now with DPOS we have this new type of miner, the delegate.  At some point the Bitshares X network becomes more in control by the delegates than by the dacsunlimited.  So what happens if there is a split in delegates where there is disagreement on which release to use.  Say 40% did not want to use a new fork and 60% proceeded to use it.   Thoughts on how this might play out in real life ?

Thin clients?  Plans?  placement on roadmap ?

See Xeroc's post
Actuall, I thought about this a little and an other question for BM would be:

can you imageing extra features and channels to communicate with the delegates (in particular the upcoming delegate that is to sign your transaction in the block)?

An example: I am a trader .. I see a big sell wall and want to buy it as quickly as possible .. wall street make that easy .. processing within milliseconds .. in DPOS you need to wait for 10 sec to be sure.
But, if you were able to send your transaction directly to the delegate, and if the delegate (the one that supposedly signs your tx) had a channel to communicate with the participant, they could make a side-blockchain deal!

i.e.
- I pay you 1BTSX extra fee if you were to guarantee to put my transaction in the front of your transactions ..
- you get 10 extra btsx for guaranteeing that I can buy that sell wall and no one else does.

sure all this is for bots to be performed inbetween-blocks. Maybe we could come up with sth and use that also for other features.

Just my thoughts .. hope some understand what I want to tell you :)
« Last Edit: August 22, 2014, 11:55:48 am by gamey »
I speak for myself and only myself.

Offline xeroc

  • Board Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12922
  • ChainSquad GmbH
    • View Profile
    • ChainSquad GmbH
  • BitShares: xeroc
  • GitHub: xeroc
Actuall, I thought about this a little and an other question for BM would be:

can you imageing extra features and channels to communicate with the delegates (in particular the upcoming delegate that is to sign your transaction in the block)?

An example: I am a trader .. I see a big sell wall and want to buy it as quickly as possible .. wall street make that easy .. processing within milliseconds .. in DPOS you need to wait for 10 sec to be sure.
But, if you were able to send your transaction directly to the delegate, and if the delegate (the one that supposedly signs your tx) had a channel to communicate with the participant, they could make a side-blockchain deal!

i.e.
- I pay you 1BTSX extra fee if you were to guarantee to put my transaction in the front of your transactions ..
- you get 10 extra btsx for guaranteeing that I can buy that sell wall and no one else does.

sure all this is for bots to be performed inbetween-blocks. Maybe we could come up with sth and use that also for other features.

Just my thoughts .. hope some understand what I want to tell you :)

Offline gamey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2253
    • View Profile

So now with DPOS we have this new type of miner, the delegate.  At some point the network becomes more in control by the delegates than by the dacsunlimited.  So what happens if there is a split in delegates where there is disagreement on which release to use.  Say 40% did not want to use a new fork and 60% proceeded to use it.  Have you ever thought how this might play out in real life ?  Thoughts ?
I speak for myself and only myself.

Offline gamey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2253
    • View Profile
Just for clarity, the get what you pay for order matching algorithm protects against typical market participants front-running.  It does not provide a defense against a delegate reordering transactions.  I was wondering what can be done to protect against that ?   

It is like how banks were caught queuing up charges on bank cards and putting the largest ones first to maximize the number of overcharges.  Weird games can be played like that by being able to order transactions. 
I speak for myself and only myself.

Offline Stan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2908
  • You need to think BIGGER, Pinky...
    • View Profile
    • Cryptonomex
  • BitShares: Stan
Can a delegate in Bitshares X frontrun? 

What in the network would allow detection of this type of attack if it exists ?

I believe this is THE MAIN reason for the 'Get What you asked for' order matching algo. Will be happy to hear Dan confirm/reject that.

Anything said on these forums does not constitute an intent to create a legal obligation or contract of any kind.   These are merely my opinions which I reserve the right to change at any time.

Offline tonyk

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3308
    • View Profile
I would just like to state that even though the question is answered, Dan may very likely be asked anyway. :)

By you or by me?  :)
Lack of arbitrage is the problem, isn't it. And this 'should' solves it.

Offline gamey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2253
    • View Profile
I would just like to state that even though the question is answered, Dan may very likely be asked anyway. :)
I speak for myself and only myself.

Offline xeroc

  • Board Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12922
  • ChainSquad GmbH
    • View Profile
    • ChainSquad GmbH
  • BitShares: xeroc
  • GitHub: xeroc
Can a delegate in Bitshares X frontrun? 

What in the network would allow detection of this type of attack if it exists ?

I believe this is THE MAIN reason for the 'Get What you asked for' order matching algo. Will be happy to hear Dan confirm/reject that.
*confirmed* although i am not BM :P

Offline tonyk

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3308
    • View Profile
Can a delegate in Bitshares X frontrun? 

What in the network would allow detection of this type of attack if it exists ?

I believe this is THE MAIN reason for the 'Get What you asked for' order matching algo. Will be happy to hear Dan confirm/reject that.
Lack of arbitrage is the problem, isn't it. And this 'should' solves it.

Offline gamey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2253
    • View Profile
There was talk of you convincing Vitalik  that nothing-at-stake does not apply to DPOS.  Could you go into what about DPOS vs a standard POS algorithm invalidates Nothing-At-Stake ?
I speak for myself and only myself.

Offline friendsofbitshares

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 21
    • View Profile

How is voting from a cold wallet being addressed?  Will we see this ?   If it isn't going to be done, why?   etc.

Offline fuzzy

Can a delegate in Bitshares X frontrun? 

What in the network would allow detection of this type of attack if it exists ?

Added to reddit.
WhaleShares==DKP; BitShares is our Community! 
ShareBits and WhaleShares = Love :D

Offline gamey

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2253
    • View Profile
Can a delegate in Bitshares X frontrun? 

What in the network would allow detection of this type of attack if it exists ?
I speak for myself and only myself.