Deploy preview for PR 130 🛫

pr-preview/pr-130/blog/04_testnet_update.html

@@ -183,16 +183,52 @@ <h1 class="menu-title">Walrus</h1>
                 <div id="content" class="content">
                     <main>
                         <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/katex.min.css">
-<h1 id="2024-10-17-testnet-update"><a class="header" href="#2024-10-17-testnet-update">2024-10-17 Testnet Update</a></h1>
+<h1 id="2024-10-17-announcing-testnet"><a class="header" href="#2024-10-17-announcing-testnet">2024-10-17 Announcing Testnet</a></h1>
 <!-- TODO write this section -->
-<ul>
-<li>Deletable blobs and reclaiming storage</li>
-<li>External Storage nodes</li>
-<li>WAL Token used for payments and WAL &lt;&gt; SUI faucet</li>
-<li>Staking and Unstaking with Staking App</li>
-<li>Epoch change and shard migration</li>
-<li>Explorer</li>
-</ul>
+<p>Today, a community of storage node operators launches the first public Testnet employing the Walrus
+Storage protocol. This is an important milestone in validating the operation of Walrus by a set of
+independent operators, that change over time through a delegated proof of stake mechanism. The
+Testnet also brings functionality updates relating to governance, epochs, system events, and blob
+deletion.</p>
+<h2 id="blob-deletion"><a class="header" href="#blob-deletion">Blob deletion</a></h2>
+<p>The most important blob-facing new feature is optional blob deletion. The uploader of a blob can
+optionally indicate a blob is "deletable". This information is stored in the Sui blob meta-data
+object, and is also included in the event denoting when the blob is certified. Subsequently, the
+owner of the Sui blob meta-data object can "delete" it. As a result storage for the remaining
+period is reclaimed and can be used by subsequent blob storage operations.</p>
+<p>Blob deletion allows more fine grained storage cost management: smart contracts that wrap blob
+meta-data objects can define logic that stores blobs and delete them to minimize costs, and reclaim
+storage space before Walrus epochs end.</p>
+<p>However, blob deletion is not an effective privacy
+mechanism: copies of the blob may exist outside Walrus storage nodes on caches and end-user stores
+or devices. Furthermore, if the identical blob is stored by multiple Walrus users, the blob will
+still be available on Walrus until no copy exists. Thus deleting your own copy of a blob cannot
+guarantee that it is deleted from Walrus as a whole.</p>
+<h2 id="epochs"><a class="header" href="#epochs">Epochs</a></h2>
+<p>Walrus Testnet enables multiple epochs. Initially an epoch is a single day to ensure the logic of
+epoch change is thoroughly tested. At Mainnet epochs may be multiple weeks long.</p>
+<p>Now stored blob expiry epoch is meaningful, and blobs may become unavailable after their expiry
+epoch. The store command can be used for a blob that are not expired to extend their expiry epoch.
+This operation is efficient and only affects payments and meta-data, and does not re-upload blob
+contents.</p>
+<h2 id="wal-and-the-testnet-wal-faucet"><a class="header" href="#wal-and-the-testnet-wal-faucet">WAL and the Testnet WAL faucet</a></h2>
+<p>Payments for blob storage and extending blob expiry epochs are denominated in Testnet WAL, a
+Walrus token issued on the Sui Testnet. Testnet WAL has no value, and an unlimited supply - so no
+need to covet or hoard it - its just for testing purposes and only issued on Sui Testnet.</p>
+<p>To make Testnet WAL available to all who want to experiment with the Walrus Testnet we provide a
+utility and smart contract to convert Testnet SUI (which also has no value) into Testnet WAL using
+a one-to-one exchange rate. This is chosen arbitrarily, and generally one should not read too much
+into the actual WAL denominated costs of storage on Testnet. They have been chosen arbitrarily.</p>
+<h2 id="decentralization-through-staking--unstaking"><a class="header" href="#decentralization-through-staking--unstaking">Decentralization through Staking &amp; Unstaking</a></h2>
+<p>The WAL token may also be used to stake with storage operators. Staked WAL can be unstaked and
+re-staked with other operators or used to purchase storage.</p>
+<p>Each epoch storage nodes are selected and allocated storage shards according to their delegated
+stake. At the end of each epoch payments for storing blobs for the epoch are distributed to storage
+nodes and those that delegate stake to them. Furthermore, important network parameters - such as
+total available storage and storage price - are set by the selected storage operators each epoch
+according to their stake weight.</p>
+<p>A staking web dapps is provided to experiment with this functionality. Community members have also
+created explorers that can be used to view storage nodes when considering who to stake with.</p>
 
                     </main>
 

pr-preview/pr-130/print.html

@@ -494,16 +494,52 @@ <h1 id="announcing-the-official-walrus-whitepaper"><a class="header" href="#anno
 <li><a href="blog/../walrus-sites/intro.html">Publish a Walrus Site</a> and share it</li>
 </ul>
 <div style="break-before: page; page-break-before: always;"></div><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/katex.min.css">
-<h1 id="2024-10-17-testnet-update"><a class="header" href="#2024-10-17-testnet-update">2024-10-17 Testnet Update</a></h1>
+<h1 id="2024-10-17-announcing-testnet"><a class="header" href="#2024-10-17-announcing-testnet">2024-10-17 Announcing Testnet</a></h1>
 <!-- TODO write this section -->
-<ul>
-<li>Deletable blobs and reclaiming storage</li>
-<li>External Storage nodes</li>
-<li>WAL Token used for payments and WAL &lt;&gt; SUI faucet</li>
-<li>Staking and Unstaking with Staking App</li>
-<li>Epoch change and shard migration</li>
-<li>Explorer</li>
-</ul>
+<p>Today, a community of storage node operators launches the first public Testnet employing the Walrus
+Storage protocol. This is an important milestone in validating the operation of Walrus by a set of
+independent operators, that change over time through a delegated proof of stake mechanism. The
+Testnet also brings functionality updates relating to governance, epochs, system events, and blob
+deletion.</p>
+<h2 id="blob-deletion"><a class="header" href="#blob-deletion">Blob deletion</a></h2>
+<p>The most important blob-facing new feature is optional blob deletion. The uploader of a blob can
+optionally indicate a blob is "deletable". This information is stored in the Sui blob meta-data
+object, and is also included in the event denoting when the blob is certified. Subsequently, the
+owner of the Sui blob meta-data object can "delete" it. As a result storage for the remaining
+period is reclaimed and can be used by subsequent blob storage operations.</p>
+<p>Blob deletion allows more fine grained storage cost management: smart contracts that wrap blob
+meta-data objects can define logic that stores blobs and delete them to minimize costs, and reclaim
+storage space before Walrus epochs end.</p>
+<p>However, blob deletion is not an effective privacy
+mechanism: copies of the blob may exist outside Walrus storage nodes on caches and end-user stores
+or devices. Furthermore, if the identical blob is stored by multiple Walrus users, the blob will
+still be available on Walrus until no copy exists. Thus deleting your own copy of a blob cannot
+guarantee that it is deleted from Walrus as a whole.</p>
+<h2 id="epochs"><a class="header" href="#epochs">Epochs</a></h2>
+<p>Walrus Testnet enables multiple epochs. Initially an epoch is a single day to ensure the logic of
+epoch change is thoroughly tested. At Mainnet epochs may be multiple weeks long.</p>
+<p>Now stored blob expiry epoch is meaningful, and blobs may become unavailable after their expiry
+epoch. The store command can be used for a blob that are not expired to extend their expiry epoch.
+This operation is efficient and only affects payments and meta-data, and does not re-upload blob
+contents.</p>
+<h2 id="wal-and-the-testnet-wal-faucet"><a class="header" href="#wal-and-the-testnet-wal-faucet">WAL and the Testnet WAL faucet</a></h2>
+<p>Payments for blob storage and extending blob expiry epochs are denominated in Testnet WAL, a
+Walrus token issued on the Sui Testnet. Testnet WAL has no value, and an unlimited supply - so no
+need to covet or hoard it - its just for testing purposes and only issued on Sui Testnet.</p>
+<p>To make Testnet WAL available to all who want to experiment with the Walrus Testnet we provide a
+utility and smart contract to convert Testnet SUI (which also has no value) into Testnet WAL using
+a one-to-one exchange rate. This is chosen arbitrarily, and generally one should not read too much
+into the actual WAL denominated costs of storage on Testnet. They have been chosen arbitrarily.</p>
+<h2 id="decentralization-through-staking--unstaking"><a class="header" href="#decentralization-through-staking--unstaking">Decentralization through Staking &amp; Unstaking</a></h2>
+<p>The WAL token may also be used to stake with storage operators. Staked WAL can be unstaked and
+re-staked with other operators or used to purchase storage.</p>
+<p>Each epoch storage nodes are selected and allocated storage shards according to their delegated
+stake. At the end of each epoch payments for storing blobs for the epoch are distributed to storage
+nodes and those that delegate stake to them. Furthermore, important network parameters - such as
+total available storage and storage price - are set by the selected storage operators each epoch
+according to their stake weight.</p>
+<p>A staking web dapps is provided to experiment with this functionality. Community members have also
+created explorers that can be used to view storage nodes when considering who to stake with.</p>
 <div style="break-before: page; page-break-before: always;"></div><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/katex.min.css">
 <h1 id="objectives-and-use-cases"><a class="header" href="#objectives-and-use-cases">Objectives and use cases</a></h1>
 <p>Walrus supports operations to store and read blobs, and to prove and verify their availability.