Colosseum Codex: Solana v1.18, Bond Loyalty, Fuse Wallet

Wallets, wallets everywhere...

Nearly every action a user takes requires interaction with a wallet: storing and transferring digital assets, authenticating with dApps, and signing transactions.

One roadblock for onboarding new users into Web3 is wallet complexity. This experience can be intimidating and wallets need to simplify this to onboard the next billion users.

On that note, there was some big news from Solana wallet providers this week!

First up Squads released Fuse wallet, which uses 2FA methods to keep users secure.

Next is TipLink, who's wallet uses Google login instead of seed phrases or extensions.

And not to be outdone, Circle, which had announced Web3 Services integration with Solana a while back, has launched Phase 1 which includes support for Programmable Wallets.

It was also a big month for Phantom with the Bitski acquisition, and Backpack was updated with a bunch of features and improvements including support for the Metaplex Core NFT standard.

These improvements to Solana wallets will help onboard new users into Web3 by making it easier for non-technical users to get started and help keep them safe.

Check out the details below along with a roundup of all the latest news for Solana builders!

🚀 Solana v1.18 Update

The Solana 1.18 update marks a significant advancement in Solana's performance, reliability, and efficiency.

The biggest change in Solana 1.18 is the introduction of an optimized Central Transaction Scheduler. This scheduler replaces the previous model of four independent banking threads, each responsible for its own transaction prioritization and processing.

Other key features and improvements in this update include:

Transaction Prioritization

Previously, prioritization was based primarily on compute budget priority, which could lead to suboptimal compute unit pricing. The new model takes into account the base fees collected, making resources appropriately priced.

Improved Program Deployments

Significant improvements have been made to program deployments in terms of reliability and execution efficiency.

Epoch Transition Adjustments addresses an issue where programs deployed in the last slot of an epoch did not correctly apply the runtime environment changes planned for the subsequent epoch.

Now, programs deployed during this transition period will use the upcoming epoch's runtime environment, ensuring consistency and reliability.

Handling Congestion

Referred to as "The Congestion Patch" this update addresses Solana's recent congestion issues:

• QUIC Protocol Adjustments: QUIC now treats low-staked peers as unstaked peers in Stake-Weighted Quality of Service (SWQoS), preventing spam by nodes with minimal stake.
• Improved Metrics: New metrics have been added for better visibility of packets sent from staked versus non-staked nodes.
• Optimized Packet Handling: Replacing instances of vec with smallvec saves an allocation per packet, optimizing how packet chunks are handled.

The update also includes improvements to translation support for Solana's official documentation.

These improvements in Solana 1.18 are expected to significantly enhance the network's overall performance, making it more efficient and reliable for both developers and users.

All You Need to Know About Solana's v1.18 Update

💯 Bond Loyalty Platform

Bond is a new platform and API by Solana Labs, that enables brands to use blockchain technology to create personalized loyalty programs.

Bond enables engagement programs and digital activations where customers can connect and interact with the brand with custom privacy settings for company and customer data.

Bond's API is user-friendly and well-documented, making it easy for brands to understand and implement without prior blockchain experience, and can be easily integrated into current systems.

Bond: Transform Buyer Relationships Into Lifetime Bonds

👛 Fuse Wallet

Fuse, designed by Squads Labs, leverages smart accounts to offer a secure and programmable experience for users. Fuse is designed to address the limitations of traditional wallets, eliminating the need for seed phrases and centralized exchanges.

Fuse uses a dual-layered security mechanism, which includes a Device Key stored locally on your phone and protected by Apple's biometric authentication, and a 2FA Key set to iCloud by default, with an option to upgrade to a Ledger.

Recovery mechanisms in Fuse are also more sophisticated. Users can add up to three Recovery Keys, allowing for wallet recovery without compromising security. Even if you lose your phone or 2FA Key, you can still regain access to your wallet.

In addition to security, Fuse offers spending limits that enable users to define transaction limits for specific tokens and timeframes.

Developers can implement custom logic and rules for onchain interactions, providing greater flexibility for their applications.

After months of testing, Fuse is now available on iOS via Apple TestFlight. An Android version is planned for release soon.

Fuse: Solana’s First Smart Wallet

🧙‍♀️ SolanaFM Explorer 2.0

SolanaFM has release v2.0, which includes significant performance improvements and a host of new features designed to enhance their experience.

Performance Improvements - SolanaFM has significantly enhanced its search responsiveness. Transactions for wallets, tokens, and programs now load 150% to 250% faster.

Tagging and Labelling - Users can manage their own tags and labels within their profiles. This feature allows you to track whales and traders, edit your own tags and labels, and remove inactive wallets.

Transaction Calendar - The Transaction Calendar tool lets you view the earliest transactions of any wallet, token, or program and jump to any date seamlessly.

Introducing Explorer 2.0.0

⭕ Circle's Web3 Services

Circle has announced the initial support for Web3 Services on Solana is now available.

Starting with Programmable Wallets and Gas Station on Solana, this expansion enables developers to embed secure wallets seamlessly.

Programmable Wallets offers a set of APIs and SDKs designed to help developers embed wallets in apps, even if they’re not familiar with blockchain infrastructure.

Programmable Wallets abstracts away technical complexities like managing private key security, node infrastructure, transaction fees, onboarding, and authentication flows so that developers can focus on building and scaling their applications and business.

Rollout for Solana support around Circle’s Web3 Services will take place in phases:

Phase 1: Enabling support for Programmable Wallets and Gas Station on Solana with API support for fungible token transfers with the ability to sponsor transaction fees on behalf of users.

Future Phases: Support for NFTs and program interactions through Smart Contract Platform. These updates will unlock additional use cases such as NFT integration for brand loyalty and gaming, and the ability to interact and deploy your own programs on Solana.

Developers can check out Circle's Interactive Tutorials to learn how to deploy wallets on Solana usiing Web3 Services.

Empowering the Solana Ecosystem: Circle's Web3 Services is Now Available on Solana

🔌 Tiplink Wallet

TipLink has introduced the TipLink Wallet adapter, a self-custody crypto wallet that uses Google login instead of seed phrases or extensions. The wallet also enables seamless access across desktop and mobile.

Tiplink Pro enables projects to distribute assets at scale with Campaign dashboards, customizable links, and dispenser codes provide powerful tools to onboard communities. Users can create campaigns, mint new assets, and distribute them to a large audience with various customization options.

TipLink has also implemented a security feature where only verified dApps are able to connect and sign transactions with the TipLink Wallet.

This is a security measure to prevent users from inadvertently connecting their TipLink Wallet to malicious or unverified dApps, which could lead to their funds being drained or stolen.

TipLink Unveils User-Friendly Wallet Aiming to Accelerate Mass Adoption on Solana

💎 Developer News

Bridge to Turbin3 Bootcamp
Rise In and the Web3 Builders Alliance (WBA), with support from the Solana Foundation, have launched the "Bridge to Turbin3 Bootcamp," a free online program aimed at equipping participants with basic skills in Solana, TypeScript, and Rust to prepare developers for the Turbin3 Solana Developer Cohorts. The first cohort starts on June 25, 2024.

JetBrains RustRover Rust IDE Released
Eight months after its public preview, JetBrains has officially launched RustRover, a dedicated IDE for Rust development. This new release features numerous bug fixes and introduces a new licensing model, which includes a free plan for non-commercial use.

Gameshift Releases Two New Features
GameShift announced the launch of two new features: In-Game Token Support and Developer Wallets. The in-game token support allows games to import existing SPL tokens as game currencies. The new developer wallets are non-custodial and API-controlled, allowing game developers to manage item inventories, support on-chain economies, and enhance player engagement.

Koh Solana
IslandDAO has announced that after Breakpoint, Solana builders will have a new place for a month of connecting, coworking, learning, teaching, shipping, and fun together on Koh Samui, Thailand. The Koh Solana villa will be open from September 25th to October 25th.

QuickNode Builder's Guide
The Builder’s Guide is a tool designed to empower developers creating common web3 types, organized by the solutions and critical layers that support them. Each solution lays the definitions and parameters to keep in mind, then suggests the tools you need to bring your project to life. While most of the tooling mentioned is EVM focused, the guide provides a lot of useful info about what developers should consider for each project type regardless of the blockchain they decide to build on.

💸 Funding

Squads Labs announced a $10M Series A led by Electric Capital, with Coinbase Ventures, Placeholder VC, and Mert Mumtaz, co-founder and CEO of Helius participating in the round. This brings Squads' total funding to $22.5 million.

⚙️ Tools & Resources

roadmap.sh is a community-driven initiative that creates roadmaps, guides, and other educational content to help developers choose their learning paths and guide their education.

Spiderswap V1 API is now open to the public, enabling developers to integrate the SpiderSwap aggregator into their own dApps.

⚡ Quick Hits

Overview of Real World Assets on Solana Report - Reflexivity Research

3 part series to get started with Solana development - @daglihet

Optimizing Stockpile: Understanding pitfalls and optimizations in Stockpile v2 - Joey Meere

Metaplex May Roundup - @metaplex

Phantom Wallet May Recap - @phantom

Backpack Wallet just got a big update - @Backpack

Tips to rewrite EVM contracts to support Solana - @meltedblocks

Solana Summit APAC schedule released - @SolanaSummitOrg

MagicEden adds support for Metaplex Core NFT standard - @MagicEden

🎧 Listen to This

Lightspeed

Austin Federa joins Lightspeed for a discussion on the current state of Solana & the most exciting developments happening in crypto with a deep dive into the current state of Firedancer, how to build community within crypto & attracting developers to Solana.

The State Of Solana In 2024 | Austin Federa

Bonus Episodes

Bringing Solana back from the dead with Bonk founder Nom - Midcurve

This video is a conversation with Nom, the founder of Bonk, with an overview of Bonk's marketing strategies and why he started Bonk. Nom shares insights on the early efforts that helped build the Bonk community, his readiness to face challenges head-on, and his vision for the continued growth of the Solana community.

Solana's Crypto Native Next-Gen CEX | Armani Ferrante - Empire

In this episode, Armani, the founder of Backpack, dives into the technical and regulatory hurdles of running an exchange, the vision behind Backpack's product offerings, and the valuable lessons learned from the rise and fall of FTX. He discusses the importance of focusing on the Solana ecosystem, the challenges of expanding into Japan, and the keys to long-term success in crypto.

Fastest blockchain payments on Solana with Sphere Pay (feat. Arnold, co-founder) - Solfate

Arnold, the co-founder of Sphere, shares his background and early experiences with crypto, including his journey to building Sphere on the Solana blockchain. He discusses the benefits of using Sphere to simplify crypto payments and integrations. Arnold also emphasizes the importance of understanding history in the context of blockchain.

Ariel Seidman, CEO of Hivemapper, on DePIN, Decentralized Maps, and AI in Crypto - Cryptonews

In a wide-ranging interview, Ariel Seidman, CEO and co-founder of Hivemapper, discusses what led him from Yahoo to creating ‘the freshest’ map of the world where mappers get rewarded. He talked about the differences between Google Maps and Hivemapper and how the latter works to surpass the tech giant.

Follow @mikehale on X or Warpcast!

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