v0.0.5 Tari base layer pre-alpha update

v0.0.5 Tari base layer pre-alpha update

This is a pre-alpha point release of the Tari base layer. The following summary only includes major updates since the
last release.

Note: This is the first point release since 0.0.2.

Blockchain updates

Most of the major pieces of the blockchain implementation are in place, though the wiring between the pieces is still
outstanding.

• Blockchain database API. A backend-agnostic implementation of the Blockchain DB is included inchain_storage
• Tari mempool implementation is included. See base_layer/core/mempoool
• Bulletproof Range proofs
• Benchmarks for bulletproofs
• Basic wallet functionality, including key management and signature capabilities. See base_layer/wallet
• Placeholder Blake2b-based proof-of-work algorithm included. Tari will be merge-mined with Monero, but for testing/
  testnet purposes we have a Blake2b-based PoW implementation.
• A backend-agnostic Merkle Mountain Range implementation; including "mutable" MMRs and MMR checkpoints. The
  merklemountainrange crate has been deprecated.
• A rewrite of the LMDB-backend in infrastructure/storage

Communications stack

Tari is built on a completely server-less, peer-to-peer communications network using distributed hash tables (DHT) and
public key infrastructure (PKI).

• The Tari communication stack is in Alpha. We're currently working on performance and stabilisation improvements.
• DHT service implemented for Tari node discovery and peer-to-peer communication
• Migrating the comms stack to use futures-0.3 is underway.
• A Ping-pong test application. See base_layer/p2p/examples/pingpong.rs.
• CLI text messenger demo application. See applications/console_text_messenger.

Documentation

• Several RFC documents have been put into draft stage. See https://rfc.tari.com.
• Many RFC editing fixes

v0.0.2 Crypto crates point release

This point release updates the tari_crypto crate to v0.0.2.

Major changes

• RFC content updated to latest as of 21/6/201
• New benchmarks, using the criterion library
• Commitments have been refactored to be more general and ergonomic
• The Blake256 type has been added, providing a 256bit Blake2b Hash
• Lots of code reorganisations - putting things where they belong
• A Bulletproof Range Proof service has been added
• Challenge has been deprecated in favour of using Digest directly
• Keys and Signatures now implement the Serialize and Deserialize traits
• Schnorr signatures implement Ord
• General cipher trait and ChaCha20 added
• General MessageFormat trait added, helpful for serialising to hex, json and binary
• ExtendBytes trait added, helpful for serialising to binary

v0.0.1 Development release

v0.0.1

Notice

• This is a development point release. It is made to help developers build towards Tari testnet release.
• Crates for this release are tagged with version v0.0.1
• The first "usable" release of the Tari blockchain will be the testnet release: v0.1.0

Notable features

Crypto crate

• Secret and private key API for Ristretto
• MuSig implementation
• Schnorr Signatures

Datastructures

• Preliminary MMR dtastructure

Persistence

• LMDB API implementation

Base layer

• Basic Mimblewimble transactions
• Key management

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