The State of Sia, November 2024

Development Highlights

The past two months have seen significant improvements across various Sia components, with major updates aimed at refining user experiences and enhancing developer tools.

renterd saw several architectural refinements to its host scanning and pricing mechanisms and an improved download algorithm that ensures sectors are downloaded from all contracted hosts, not just the latest. Significant API and endpoint restructuring also helped lay the groundwork for upcoming V2 enhancements, such as the recent addition of RHP4 support. The renterd UI also improved user experience by introducing multiple file selections, batch deletion, command menus, and advanced file management options.

The recent stable release of renterd v1.1.0 also marks a critical step towards the V2 launch. It includes substantial backend changes and optimizations requiring a full resync of renterd to the blockchain. One significant change involves transitioning the consensus.db to the new blockchain.db structure, introducing a more robust and streamlined way to manage consensus data.

Other key highlights from the renterd v1.1.0 changelog include:

• Introduction of SQL-based implementations for chain synchronization, peer storage, and transaction handling.
• Removal of the siad dependency, consolidating renterd as a self-contained application.
• Enhanced ephemeral account handling to improve drift and resilience in decentralized setups.
• Major refactoring and raw SQL migrations across critical subsystems, reducing dependency on GORM for increased efficiency and maintainability.

These changes will bring improved stability, enhanced data integrity, and more efficient database operations. However, users should anticipate that a full blockchain resync will be necessary after updating.

Development on hostd v2.0.0 continues to progress and saw the release of hostd v2.0.0-alpha.4. In this latest beta release, the RHP2 and RPH3 settings have been moved into the config manager to remain consistent with the implementation of RHP4. Users choosing to test this latest alpha release should be aware that these are breaking changes and will require a complete blockchain resync. This can be achieved by first stopping hostd and deleting the consensus.db. Additional updates have been made to the hostd UI, which includes streamlined cmd+k command palette functionality for MacOS and Ctrl+K command window access for Windows and Linux setups.

Updates to walletd included enhanced wallet balance refresh rates and refined address generation processes. While explored saw the addition of V2 transaction support, host announcements, and robust API testing, among other critical backend features.

Grants Program Updates

The Sia Grants Program has introduced some essential policy and guideline changes that current and potential grantees should be aware of. These changes will help ensure Sia remains compliant with international regulations and improve our review process by weeding out ineligible grants earlier.

Policy and Guideline Updates:

1. Country Restrictions: A public list of restricted countries has been added to ensure compliance with international regulations. Residents of these countries or those holding payment accounts there are not eligible for grants. Previously, this restriction was identified only after grant reviews were completed, leading to inefficiencies. The updated proposal format now requires applicants to affirm their eligibility upfront by confirming they are not subject to these restrictions.
2. Distinction Between Standard and Large Grants: Grant categories now include a monthly payment cap to distinguish between Standard Grants and Large Grants. While the total grant amount was the sole factor previously, some projects requested large sums over short periods, blurring the distinction. This update ensures more explicit categorization, aligning review processes and expectations.
3. Proposal Templates: Proposal templates now include an explicit requirement for applicants to acknowledge country restrictions. This change streamlines the review process and reduces delays caused by discovering ineligible applicants after the fact.
4. Progress Report and Milestone Template Enhancements: Updates to progress report templates now highlight the need for pre-funded accounts or credentials, ensuring that projects can integrate with the Sia network seamlessly. This guidance helps grantees prepare for smooth project onboarding and delivery.
5. Projects We Don’t Fund: A new FAQ section outlines project types that are not eligible for funding. Based on historical data, these projects have been found to yield poor results. This transparency helps applicants understand the Foundation’s priorities and focus their proposals on impactful, feasible ideas.

In addition to these policy and guideline updates, the Grants Program has also undergone substantial growth with the approval of several new grants. Progress on our active grants continues to march forward, further expanding the Sia ecosystem and improving compatibility among existing technologies.

Newly Approved Grants:

• Lume Web 2025: Lume Web takes a multi-pronged approach to integrating decentralized storage with privacy-focused and community-driven web hosting. The project plans to deliver plugins for integrating protocols like Bluesky, Nostr, and LBRY, alongside cloud import capabilities and anti-abuse features. The ultimate goal is a public portal that offers users free and fair decentralized storage while promoting data ownership and access.
• DartSia V2: DartSia’s second iteration focuses on expanding its mobile application for Sia. Enhancements include encryption, backup functionality akin to Google Drive, file viewers for multiple formats, and notifications for user activity. This update aims to bridge the accessibility gap, allowing users to interact with renterd directly from their phones.
• SiaQL: SiaQL introduces a GraphQL interface that simplifies developer interactions with Sia’s renterd, hostd, and walletd. This layer enables efficient querying and integration by reducing the complexity of working with individual REST APIs, making Sia more developer-friendly and encouraging ecosystem growth.
• Sia Virtual Block Device: The Sia Virtual Block Device enables users to create virtual block devices with features like snapshots, branching, and deduplication, fully backed by Sia’s decentralized storage. These virtual disks can be mounted and used like traditional storage, opening up new use cases for businesses and developers.

Grant Progress Highlights:

• Siagraph: The Siagraph project has added a public explored node and expanded its blockchain information dashboards. While visualization of renter statistics has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances, data collection efforts remain on schedule.
• Proxmox Backup Cloud Extension: This project is advancing its middleware layer to integrate the Proxmox Backup Server with Sia’s decentralized storage. Enhanced API connections, beta testing, and improved error handling bring the extension closer to release.
• Passkey Holder v0.1.0: This browser extension now fully integrates with renterd, enabling decentralized passkey backups. By removing Node.js dependencies, the project has reduced its bundle size while improving performance. Future updates will focus on enhancing sync functionality.
• Tiri Vault: Focusing on replicating local file structures to Sia storage, Tiri Vault has implemented tree-model synchronization. While encountering some technical setbacks, the team is on track to finalize file synchronization and change tracking features.
• Sia SMB Mounts: Nearing completion, this project introduces SMB support for Sia, enabling seamless reads, writes, and directory management. The v1.0 release will address remaining bugs and lay the foundation for future updates, including protocol enhancements.
• S5 Network: S5’s rebranding and hiring a professional designer have accelerated its development. A new blobsum utility simplifies file CID calculations, while ongoing work on the UI and library aims to improve user experience and system capabilities.

Overall, these past two months have been focused on preparations for the V2 launch and enhancements to user experience. Reaffirming Sia’s ongoing commitment to refining the ecosystem, improving ease of use, and supporting innovative projects. These updates reinforce the Foundation’s vision for a decentralized and user-focused future.

That’s all folks!

Thanks for your continued support and dedication as we build the foundation of the decentralized future.

Take care, and see you next month.

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The State of Sia, November 2024 was originally published in The Sia Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.