Telestai 2024 End-of-Year Report

Hello everyone,

I hope this message finds you well! It’s my privilege to share an in-depth look at what Telestai has accomplished in 2024. As one of the key developers, I’ve had the honor of contributing to and shaping our ecosystem alongside a dedicated team and community. This report dives into our milestones, challenges, and vision for the future.

Chain Deployment

On August 4th, 2024, Telestai officially launched its blockchain, a significant milestone announced on Bitcointalk (opens in a new tab). The rollout went exceptionally smoothly, marking the final test of the Meraki algorithm, which has since proven itself to be robust and efficient.

Our initial focus after the chain launch was to establish a basic website. While the first iteration was functional, the site has undergone three major updates, each packing in more information and presenting it with an increasingly minimalist and user-friendly layout. You can see the latest version at https://www.telestai.io/ (opens in a new tab).

Documentation: Empowering Developers and Users

Clear documentation is foundational to any blockchain ecosystem. We’ve built a comprehensive, open-source documentation center at https://docs.telestai.io/ (opens in a new tab) to serve both developers and end-users.

We see documentation as a collaborative effort, and contributions are always welcome. Anyone can fork the repository, make updates, and submit a PR. Valid contributions are rewarded—just include your Telestai address in the PR. This collaborative approach ensures that our documentation evolves alongside our technology.

Wallet Ecosystem: Versatility for Every User

Recognizing that different users have unique needs, we’ve rolled out a range of wallets:

• Paper Wallets: A simple, secure, and offline solution.
• Electrum Wallets: Lightweight and efficient for users seeking balance between security and ease.
• Web Wallet: A streamlined option to onboard new users quickly.
• Core Wallet: The full-featured standard for power users.

All wallets are accessible via our documentation page, with direct links to their respective GitHub repositories.

Lasko: Redefining Decentralized Social Media

The Vision

Lasko is Telestai’s answer to social media platforms like X/Twitter and Reddit. We want to reward meaningful contributions to online discourse while creating a system that’s scalable, decentralized, and secure. However, achieving this vision has brought unique challenges.

Decentralized Node-Based Architecture

At the heart of Lasko is a node-based backend system. Node operators host and manage their own data through open-source Lasko nodes, built with Python, FastAPI, and Cassandra.

Initially, we considered syncing data between nodes, but over time, we saw the value in independent operation. This model empowers node operators to run their nodes as standalone entities, providing control and potential revenue opportunities.

Our challenges lie in balancing decentralization with governance:

• How do we ensure nodes don’t display harmful content?
• How do we incentivize node operators fairly and sustainably?
• How do we provide seamless user experiences across decentralized infrastructure?

These are questions we’ve explored deeply through the development of Lasko v1, v2, and v3.

Frontend Governance

The Lasko frontend is closed-source, a deliberate decision to ensure platform integrity and prevent the proliferation of harmful content. Nodes must go through a public review process via GitHub to be listed. This system acts as a firewall, enabling community-driven moderation.

AI and Community Moderation

• AI Review: Posts are evaluated using open-source AI models. Posts with scores below 25% are blocked to reduce spam and harmful content.
• Community Voting: The backbone of Lasko is its voting system. Users upvote and downvote posts, determining their visibility or removal.

As we look toward v4, our focus will be on revenue-sharing models for creators and mobile optimization to bring Lasko to a broader audience.

Mercatus: Data Transparency on Your Terms

Mercatus is an experimental platform for user-driven data sharing. Unlike traditional platforms, where users are the product, Mercatus gives users full control:

• Optional Participation: Users can toggle data sharing via Zeroa, the Telestai browser extension.
• Streaming Model: Data is streamed, not stored. Only cumulative metrics (e.g., total time spent) are retained.
• Future Monetization: Marketing agencies may eventually pay for licensed access to user data, with rewards distributed to contributors.

While still in its early stages, Mercatus represents our commitment to ethical data practices and user empowerment.

Zeroa: The Identity Layer

Zeroa is the browser extension that ties the ecosystem together. It serves as both:

1. A Wallet: Generate or import Telestai wallets using BIP39.
2. A Data Capture Tool: Track and optionally stream browsing activity for Mercatus.

This extension provides seamless authentication for Telestai platforms, such as Lasko, while giving users full control over their identity and data.

Telestai Creator Bubble OS

The Telestai Creator Bubble OS is designed to be a secure, privacy-focused operating system tailored for creators and developers. Over the past few weeks, significant progress has been made in integrating the OS into the Telestai ecosystem:

• Electrum Wallet Integration: The Electrum Wallet has been successfully incorporated, providing lightweight and secure wallet functionality within the OS.
• Ecosystem Access: Access to key Telestai tools, such as Lasko, the web wallet, and other core utilities, has been seamlessly added, making the OS a centralized hub for interacting with the Telestai ecosystem.
• Documentation Progress: Approximately 75% of the documentation for the OS’s tools and functions has been completed, providing clear guidance for users upon release.
• Repository Setup: The repository for hosting the OS distribution has been created and is now active. Users will be able to easily point their systems to this repository for updates and installations.
• Security Updates: A comprehensive update to the OS’s security packages is planned for January, ensuring the system remains robust and ready for use.
• Release Timeline: With documentation and security updates nearing completion, the first official release is projected for the second half of January 2025.

The Creator Bubble OS not only prioritizes privacy and security through tools like Tor networking but also integrates tightly with the broader Telestai ecosystem, making it a powerful platform for creators to work securely, communicate privately, and engage fully with Telestai’s offerings.

Looking Ahead

2024 has been a year of rapid growth and learning. While we’ve accomplished much, our journey is far from over:

• Scalable Governance: Balancing decentralization and moderation.
• Incentive Models: Rewarding creators, voters, and node operators.
• Mobile Accessibility: Bringing Telestai platforms to smartphones.

We remain agile, focusing on delivering value while adapting to community needs. I’m incredibly grateful to our miners, contributors, and developers for their dedication. Thank you for believing in this vision.

Here’s to an even brighter 2025!

Zachary Price