[See full sized image](https://ergonaut.space/roadmap_nov24.png). References are available below. 

*Please keep in mind that most applications built on top of Ergo are community-run and have no formal connection to the Ergo Foundation.*


## Ergo Foundation Updates

Successful Ergo Foundation votes in the past month
- EF Treasurer Proposal
- US Based Legal Opinion
- Marketing/CM Assistant
- Strategic Marketing Planning Budget
- Youtube/Video Manager
- AMM Kairon Labs
- Bounty Budget for Core Repositories
- Dan Friedman EF Advisor Role
- Hire Android developer as a Full-time engineer
- Proposal to hire part-time Yoroi developer

We also have 2 scala engineers starting a training period.


## Development Update
- [Updated 2021 RoadMap From Kushti youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCMpVRVrHqI&t=128s)
- [Updated 2021 RoadMap From Kushti article](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-13-updated-2021-roadmap-from-kushti/)
- [Ergo protocol research and client development roadmap update, kushti - 25 Oct 2021](https://www.reddit.com/r/ergonauts/comments/qfjhw4/ergo_protocol_research_and_client_development/) 
> Ergo always was intended to be Proof-of-Work cryptocurrency resembling Bitcoin, with simple and conservative design choices whenever possible, but also incorporating years of research to have significant improvements in regards with scalability, light clients, support for financial and crypto-financial applications. 

**Ergo already has proven that it provides rich possibilities for building applications:**

* More than 12,000 tokens have already been issued (mostly NFTs though), while colored coins projects failed
* ErgoMixer was the first non-custodial mixer and is still the only token mixer on the market!
* Ergonauts are supporting charities with ErgoRaffle
* Completely decentralized auctions (with a UI anyone can deploy) are quite unique for the whole space
* Algorithmic stablecoins with SigmaUSD and DexyUSD on the way.
* ErgoDEX already can be used with Yoroi Nightly
* Zero-Knowledge treasury can back multisig-based DAOs with unique zero-knowledge property for multi sigs
* more applications are coming, such as ErgoLend, ErgoTeam etc. 

> Note that Ergo outperforms Bitcoin forks with extended features (Bitcoin Cash, Ravencoin etc). The protocol client is becoming more stable and feature-rich with each release, basic infrastructure is improving.  Now time to go forward! 
 * Research on different **scalability** proposals for Bitcoin, Cardano, Ethereum, such as sidechains (which are also nice for testing new features), commit-chains, rollups, isomorphic state channels, FairSwap etc. For some solutions for Bitcoin new opcodes are needed (so a little chance to see things in the real-world), while Ergo allows for such constructions without forks. 
* **Ergo is going to be not just a chain, but a king of chains (which will improve the crypto-economic security of the protocol as miners will get additional rewards from sidechains).** 
 * On **performance** of the network, the reference protocol client (Ergo node) is getting different performance improvements in the P2P layer.
 * Quick bootstrapping without compromising security using  UTXO set snapshot and NiPoPoWs are in progress
 * The **5.0 soft-fork** is going to be proposed to miners soon, the main change is about switching to just-in-time-costing in ErgoTree evaluation which will provide a  5-6x boost in scripts processing (on real blockchain data)
 * It's now time to consider the **long-term crypto-economic security of the protocol**, discussions already started [here](https://www.ergoforum.org/t/ergo-emission-details-retargeting-via-a-soft-fork/2778/7)




## References

## 2020
- [Headless dApp Framework](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2020-12-08-ergo-headless-dapp-framework-now-available/) | [Understanding Headless dApps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=temmjyKpsEU)
- [Introducing ErgoMixer](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2020_03_20_ergo_mixer/) | [ELI5](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-05-12-ergomixer/)
- [ErgoDex CLI](https://github.com/ergoplatform/ergo-dex) | Latest developments on [ergolabs](https://github.com/ergolabs)
- [EMURGO to Partner with Ergo and Build Blockchain-Based Decentralized Financial Solutions](https://emurgo.io/en/blog/emurgo-to-partner-with-ergo-and-build-blockchain-based-decentralized-financial-solutions)
- [Announcing the Auction House, NFT Marketplace on Ergo](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2020-10-16-announcing-the-auction-house-nft-marketplace-on-ergo/)
- [Ergo & BPSAA: A Shared Vision of the Future](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-28-ergo-bpsaa-a-shared-vision-of-the-future/)
- [ZK Treasury](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2020-09-04-announcing-the-zk-treasury-on-ergo/)
- [AgeUSD](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-02-05-building-ergo-how-the-ageusd-stablecoin-works/)
- [Gravity partnership](https://medium.com/wavesprotocol/waves-partners-with-ergo-to-foster-interoperability-solutions-via-gravity-e184bca91d71)
- [Crowdfunder CLI](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2019_09_06_crowdfund/)

## 2021 Q1-2

- [The 'Hardening' hard fork](https://www.ergoforum.org/t/hardening-hard-fork-post-mortem/599)
- [The Ergo Manifesto](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-04-26-the-ergo-manifesto/)
- [SigmaUSD Launched](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021_02_26-sigmausd-released/)
- [The Bearwhale saga](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-05-13-bearwhale-saga/)
- [SigmaUSD available in ErgoMixer](https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1378985675823976461)
- [Cryptocurrency Checkout partnership](https://twitter.com/crypto_checkout/status/1389972682561638409?s=20)
- [Yoroi dApp connector](https://emurgo.io/blog/emurgo-is-thrilled-to-announce-the-yoroi-dapp-connector)
- [ERGOHACK I](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-06-19-ergohack/)
- [Ergo's first Mobile Wallet](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-29-ergo-for-android-released/)

## 2021 Q3
- [Mixer Hops (Obfuscation)](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-16-ergoutils-a-how-to-guide/)
- [Gravity Backend](https://github.com/ErgoGravity)
- [viawallet](https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1434924605949550602) | iOS wallet **(ERG ONLY - no native assets/NFTs!)**
- [ergnomes.io](https://ergnomes.io/)
- [developer bountries](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-01-grow-ergo/)
- New Exchanges | Kucoin, Changelly (PRO).
- [EIP-017](https://github.com/ergoplatform/eips/blob/master/eip-0017.md)
- [EIP-004](https://github.com/ergoplatform/eips/blob/master/eip-0004.md)
- [UTXO alliance](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-09-26-the-utxo-alliance/)
- [EIP-0019: Cold Wallet](https://github.com/ergoplatform/eips/pull/36)
- [Ergo Raffle](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-09-02-ergo-raffle/)
- [ErgoScanner](https://github.com/ergoplatform/scanner/)

## 2021 Q4
- [Ergofaucet](https://ergofaucet.org/)
- [Zero Knowledge Spending Vaults](http://docs.ergoplatform.org/uses/dao/)
- [ErgoDocs](https://docs.ergoplatform.org)
- [SuSy](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-08-16-ergo-graviton-partnership/)
- [Wormhole](https://wormholebridge.com/#/)
- [ERGOHACK II](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-09-07-ergohack-ii/)
- New Wallets
	- iOS wallet (in Beta)
	- [Minotaur multi-platform development stack wallet](https://www.ergoforum.org/t/multi-platform-development-stack/2874)
  - [JVM Wallet](https://t.me/ChatJavaErgoWallet)
- [EIP-0022: Auction Contract (v2)](https://github.com/ergoplatform/eips/pull/39)
- [Mining Pool decentralisation](https://miningpoolstats.stream/ergo) | Bringing nanopool down to 35% with dozens of new pools added. 
- Ergo v5 JITC
- [ErgoLend](https://www.ergolend.org/#)
- [Blockchain Sync using UTXO set snapshots]() | 
- [Ledger integration]() | Backend complete, Yoroi dev is now working on integration. (See weekly dev updates on Discord)
- [Mixer tokenisation](https://www.ergoforum.org/t/a-solution-for-staking/1057) | Tokenising ErgoMixer to incentivise liquidity in the 3-way ring-signatures. Allows users to 'stake' to earn transaction fees. Contracts in final approval
- [ErgoFund](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2019_09_06_crowdfund/)

## 2022

- Refundable ICOs and other novel token schemes | [An ICO Example On Top of Ergo](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2019_04_10-ico-example/)
- [Light SPV Clients](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2020_05_08_lite_full_nodes/)
- [LETS](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-01-lets-start-the-discussion/)
- Privacy Perserving Voting
- [A focus on Throughput, Scalability and interoperability](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-13-updated-2021-roadmap-from-kushti/)
- [Ergo Pay](https://github.com/ergoplatform/eips/pull/37) | Allows easier payments with QR codes / links which are auto-filled. 
- [ErgoProfitSharingdApp](https://github.com/mhssamadani/ErgoProfitSharingDapp)
- Mining in Log space | [ErgoCast S1E5: NiPoPoWs & Log-Space Mining
](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUjxar1WCmo)
- [EIP-0023 Oracle pool 2.0](https://github.com/ergoplatform/eips/pull/41) | Reduction in inefficiencies
- [AnetaBTC](https://twitter.com/AnetaBTC)
- ErgoSummit - Q1 2022
- [ergopad.io](https://ergopad.io)
- Applications built ontop ErgoMixer Privacy API
- Stealth Pools and mixicles
- [Mining rewards reduction begin](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1c8fa4Qalf49WbdStwNaexLa4qOybwgvDBDiyzrIH9D4/edit#gid=0)
- P2P layer improvements 
- Private Schnorr Swaps with other chains (BTC, Komodo, LTC, Bitcoin Cash, etc)

Roadmap

By popular demand through a vote on their Discord server, Conceal Network (CCX) is building a bridge to Ergo! This bridge will bring the wCCX token, which is 1:1 swappable with CCX, to the Ergo blockchain and the ERG token to Conceal Network. [Read more about the anatomy of Wrapped CCX](https://concealnetwork.medium.com/the-anatomy-of-wrapped-ccx-97b2a8c008d9). 



Privacy-oriented projects are essential and more tools focusing on these projects are needed as we continue towards increased adoption.



In the future, this partnership hopes to collaborate on bringing Ethereum Virtual Machine EVM capabilities to ERG, privacy gateways, trustless swaps using HTLC, and of course, a shared focus on Layer-2 UTXO research. 



Conceal Network is a community-driven decentralized blockchain, free from financial institutions’ involvement and powered by 100% open-source code. It is accessible to anyone in the world regardless of their geographic location or status. 

With this overlap of ideals, a collaboration between Ergo and Conceal Network should come as no surprise. 

Conceal Networks native coin (₡CCX) is based on the Cryptonote protocol and runs on a secure peer-to-peer network technology that operates without a central authority. You control the private keys to your funds.

Conceal Network avoids many concerns around Bitcoin (e.g. technological, environmental impacts, reputation and security) and is an excellent private alternative store of value.

Flagship Features (see the [Conceal Wiki](https://conceal.network/wiki/doku.php?id=about) or [this interview](https://crypto-lowcap.com/exclusive-interview-conceal/) for more)

* Anonymous payments
* Protected Proof of Work
* Private banking via Cold-staking by making use of HTLC
* Fungible
* Scalable
* Dynamic Adaptive Limits
* Unlinkable Transactions
* Private on-chain (self-destructive) encrypted Messages
* Private off-chain p2p encrypted audio- and video calls with Conceal Live

Ergo & CCX: A New Partnership

# The UTXO Alliance

The [utxo-alliance.org](https://utxo-alliance.org/) is an initiative created to kickstart collaboration with individuals and organisations to make the UTXO model more scalable, secure, and interoperable.

Formed between Cardano, Input-Output Global, Ergo Platform, Nervos, and Topl, this alliance will define the future of scalability, programmability, and interoperability. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PJfwhkPs2J4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

UTXO has many advantages over the account-based model used by Ethereum. It provides superior:

* Privacy, as UTXOs are one-time objects making it possible to formalise privacy leaks.
* Scalability, as parallel transaction processing is more straightforward. UTXOs are also more friendly to known stateless client solutions.
* Interoperability, as off-chain and sidechain protocols. One-time objects are simpler to work with from an off-chain point of view.
* Transaction Cost Predictability, where the only on-chain action is validating the smart contracts. As a result, the transaction cost is significantly lower and most importantly, the transaction cost is predictable, eliminating the need for ‘gas.’

At the heart of the UTXO Alliance lies the commitment to solve instrumental questions around how data is transferred between different blockchain environments - the amount of data used, the speed with which data is processed, transaction costs, and energy usage.

Solving these questions will ensure that anyone can safely share digital assets, such as coins, tokens, data, and smart contracts across different blockchains. To achieve this goal, alliance members have a commitment to promote participation, expand use cases, and both educate and inspire mainstream users.

Each of the Founding members has specific strengths and unique tooling that they bring to the UTXO Alliance.

Cardano: Ouroboros, for energy-efficient consensus and throughput

Ergo: Sigma Protocols and Multi-Stage Contracts, for privacy and security

NervOS: UTXO Cell Model, for optimized stage storage

Topl: Impact tracking, for commercial enterprise

# Ergo and eUTXO

[Extended UTXO](https://iohk.io/en/research/library/papers/the-extended-utxo-model/) systems enable [Turing complete](https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.10116) smart contracts. This novel innovation allows us to reclaim the original model that Bitcoin used but with a lot more power.

The Extended UTXO Model (eUTXO) preserves Bitcoin’s structure while adding support for more expressive smart contracts and native assets. Ergo has a similar approach to Cardano’s eUTXO with its own Multi-Stage UTXO model that introduces UTXO chains. 

Multi-Stage Contracts provide an extension to Bitcoin’s UTXO model to facilitate any complex smart contract. Ergo has implemented read-only inputs that allow any unspent output to be used as a read-only input in a transaction. Its Proof of Work consensus algorithm is compatible with the state-of-the-art NiPoPoWs, allowing trustless light mobile nodes, non-interactive parallel computations, and seamless cross-chain interoperability. Learn about data inputs and the genuinely novel innovations they bring to UTXO-based Blockchains by reading the latest [research by Emurgo](https://github.com/Emurgo/Emurgo-Research/blob/master/smart-contracts/Unlocking%20The%20Potential%20Of%20The%20UTXO%20Model.md).

In the coming months, Cardano plans to add data inputs with a hard fork, making the Oracle Pool design outlined below interoperable.

Ergo’s Sigma Protocols, combined with an extended approach to the UTXO ledger model, with read-only inputs and a Turing complete enriched context, can provide near-infinite scalability with robust privacy and security features. Zero-knowledge applications such as collective spending vaults on Ergo’s UTXO are more efficient than a shared mutable state like Ethereum’s.

Ergo is always willing to work with like-minded projects to advance technology for the benefit of ordinary people. We believe in partnership, rather than division, in the blockchain industry. Working together will only accelerate the development and use of the tools we are building.

Ergo and Cardano enjoy a rich history of collaboration. Some background information on this connection is given below, as well as the protocols that were designed and tested in cooperation with Emurgo and IOG.

# Oracles

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/GavnzBX5QakWnKS2CIyP8iWJ2u66_hQL9uCQyDhMabT9LQW_gVqXOIEghgOOA6W5u3Nkm212FXjaBzzMp1p3AuMLbLI2eI7v5EjeuRU_H0TVZmUc5UgOKjLYWPJNNxhro47Ic_j2=s0)

Ergo has previously partnered with Emurgo (a founding partner of Cardano) in its efforts to explore and develop commercial opportunities. From this partnership, we saw integration into the Yoroi wallet and a new design for Oracles. 

The design of Ergo’s oracle pools is more efficient and programmable than using multiple single oracle data points, such as in Chainlink’s oracle design. We build hierarchies of confidence using oracle pools and pools of oracle pools in Ergo. It’s faster, cheaper, and more beneficial to the end-user.

* [Chainlink Oracles vs Ergo Oracle Pools](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-04-27-chainlink-oracles-vs-ergo-oracle-pools/)
* [Emurgo Research: Oracle Pools](https://github.com/Emurgo/Emurgo-Research/blob/master/oracles/Oracle-Pools.md)
* See [this thread on r/cardano](https://www.reddit.com/r/cardano/comments/hgdy1d/emurgo_new_research_released_presenting_a_brand/) for a healthy discussion of the benefits it brings in the comments.

# SigmaUSD 

![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2G2DaB_h6r3NM5Xl4ijvrd1Nwg92sOR4vfL16aQnAW94v9zxuV6cOOrIzucJi0Sl98jJqLFzIvDUOg165E8OCc48M6Yaarq01Cm_AVarnT5-0AgMhHBFGV4LjNfFhAtzw-xgAM48=s0)

Ergo has previously worked alongside Emurgo and IOHK when creating SigmaUSD. This research hoped to lay a foundation upon which a new era of digital finance could be built. 

SigmaUSD.io is the world's first UTXO-based stable coin - an instantiation of the AgeUSD protocol (now [Djed](https://iohk.io/en/blog/posts/2021/08/18/djed-implementing-algorithmic-stablecoins-for-proven-price-stability/)). Its economic model maintains the conservative settings for collateral reserves and avoids the need for liquidations. Along with that, it supports a fully decentralised stablecoin emission setup. Thus, SigmaUSD offers the world a stable, simple, and decentralised stablecoin. From the SigmaUSD launch on Ergo, Cardano was able to learn from the design in real-world scenarios. The resulting changes from SigmaUSD v2 are bundled into the Djed protocol that will be implemented on the Cardano blockchain.

# ErgoDEX

![](/img/uploads/tumblr_486f361b10c52d120dace53312245f71_4adb8900_2048.png)

ErgoDEX is a non-custodial, decentralised exchange that allows a quick, effortless and secure transfer of liquidity between the Ergo and Cardano networks. The eUTXO model gives the unique possibility to have shared liquidity between AMM and Order Book, performing both instant swaps and limit orders from the same liquidity pool. It even enables these features across other UTXO chains!

To make ErgoDEX a safe garden for Initial Coin Offerings (ICO), buy-back orders and partial-filling support will provide extra safety measures for investors. NIPoPoWs and/or ErgoMixer integration with ErgoDEX will help make it a cross-chain and privacy-enhanced decentralized exchange.

To see the current roadmap and check progress, please visit https://ergodex.io/

# Background

Alexander Chepurnoy (aka Kushti) is a core developer of Ergo Platform and he has been active in blockchain development and smart contracts since 2011. He was a core developer for NXT (first pure PoS), started smartcontract.com (now Chainlink) in 2014 with Sergey Nazarov, and is an IOHK researcher with over 20 academic papers to his name. When working on NXT, he started an ‘utterly simple blockchain framework,’ ScoreX. This project was used to build real-work blockchains like Waves and garnered the attention of Charles Hoskinson, Cardano and Ethereum co-founder.

Using the knowledge he amassed across these projects, Alex shifted his focus from IOHK and Cardano to designing a truly fair PoW that would be uniquely useful as contractual money. Read [The Ergo Manifesto](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-04-26-the-ergo-manifesto/) for more information.

The UTXO Alliance

 We're pleased to announce that the ErgoDEX team have launched their first beta!

To access the beta, you’ll need to follow the steps below and install Yoroi Nightly, the dApp connector - and get your hands on some test tokens. 

The ErgoDEX Team has put function first for this initial beta. However, there is a beautiful interface already designed which is being implemented - stay tuned!

### dApp Connector

To interact with the ErgoDEX Beta UI you will need to install the following two extensions which are available on either Google Chrome, Brave or Sidekick. The Chrome versions can be found below;

* [Yoroi Nightly](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/yoroi-nightly/poonlenmfdfbjfeeballhiibknlknepo) - Yoroi wallet’s test environment
* [Yoroi-Ergo dApp Connector Nightly](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/yoroi-ergo-dapp-connector/chifollcalpmjdiokipacefnpmbgjnle) - Enables the ErgoDEX UI to connect to your wallet

Once these extensions are installed, create a new ERG wallet within the freshly installed Yoroi Nightly extension and send a small amount of ERG (~1) to cover protocol fees from your current wallet. 

### Tokens

In order to test the tokens, there’s a faucet available at this address that provides *WT_ERG* and *WT_ADA*. Simply replace *YOUR_ADDRESS* with your ERG address in this link. 

[mint.ergodex.io](https://mint.ergodex.io)

This will provide 10k WT_ERG and 10k WT_ADA tokens (one request per address). These are test tokens and do not have any monetary value

Congratulations! You are now completely ready to start testing the beta interface available at [beta.ergodex.io](https://beta.ergodex.io/)

### But wait… there’s more. 

In order to give the initial system a good test, we’ve partnered with the esteemed Erdoge token which is tradeable on ErgoDEX under an ERDOGE/KUSHTI liquidity pair. These are Ergo native tokens (with no real value) and are available for free from members throughout the Ergo Community chats. (That's if I don't get them first).

![ErgoDEX and ERDOGE best partnership logos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PeWh8JR8_AMyX5o4twZmBMfKD10dfd710qbtuWfNChl1WxTU7m65FJedNvSyupDZQohuoKqa4Af5l_68xH0BN9TflH2hRvM5mpWmtH9a3rTo-7q-p-YNP8sgi9S_IU4HTsNEUi1n)

### Next Steps

Once there has been some testing with the existing native tokens outlined above, the tokens from SigmaUSD (SigUSD/SigRSV) can be added -- freeing them from the constraints and limitations of their existing contract.

Please open an issue on the ErgoDEX [Front-End Github page](https://github.com/ergolabs/ergo-dex-frontend) with any comments or suggestions!

ErgoDEX Beta - Everything you need to know

ERG/USDT and ERG/BTC pairs are now open for trading on Bitcoin.com Exchange!  Armeanio, Ergo’s Business Manager expressed his enthusiasm when listing the ERG token on the exchange, by stating: “Ergo is excited to join the Bitcoin.com Exchange family. It is our honor to collaborate with Bitcoin.com Exchange as it has a history of being a good actor in the crypto space. They offer a wide variety of crypto products, services, educational content and user tools. We are looking forward to a long and prosperous partnership.”

ERG is listed on Bitcoin.com!

This resource serves as a starting point for anyone interested in learning more about the Ergo community. For more detailed information, please consult the most comprehensive handbook on the Ergo Ecosystem,[ergonaut.space](http://ergonaut.space).

## Ergo Blockchain

Ergo is an Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) based Proof of Work blockchain for Smart Contracts that is built with its own unique language, ErgoScript. The language is built with Sigma Protocols, allowing for the use of a secure and flexible sub-class of zero knowledge proofs. Ergo’s approach to UTXO (called Multi-Stage Contracts) introduces time-weighted data, read-only inputs and the implementation of Non-Interactive Proofs of Proof of Work (NIPoPoWs) - enabling light clients and cross chain interoperability. The mission for Ergo is to develop all the necessary tools for a decentralized finance ecosystem. Ergo is a partner of Cardano and Emurgo and a member of the Blockchain Privacy, Security & Adoption Alliance.

The lead developer of Ergo, Alex (Kushti) Chepurnoy, has been in the blockchain sector since 2011. He has built various projects such as smartcontract.com (old Chainlink), NXT, Scorex and he is a researcher of IOHK with over 20 papers under his name. Academia and peer-reviewed research are paramount to Ergo’s success in building a robust blockchain.

## Ergo Tokenomics

Ergo’s Proof of Work is based on the Autolykos v2 consensus algorithm which is a GPU mineable cryptocurrency. Ergo did not hold any ICO in the launch and the genesis block started fairly without any VC funding. Ergo first went live on Waves and was mineable as the Ergo First Year Token (EFYT).

There were no pre-mined coins reserved for the Ergo Foundation. Ergo’s ecosystem is funded through a distribution model that designates  10% of the mining rewards to the Ergo Treasury until the [end of 2nd year](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-07-2nd-ergoversary-wrap-up/) (of the mainnet launch). From this point onwards, the Treasury allocation will be halved every month for 6 months, afterwhich the Treasury will cease to receive any further allotment from the protocol. At the end of the distribution schedule, the Treasury funds represent only 4.37% of the total ERG supply. This model helps to build full decentralization.

The total coin supply is hard-capped at 97 million ERGs with an emission schedule of 8 years. This timetable, which is contrary to Bitcoin’s never-ending emission schedule, might seem very brief. However, Bitcoin is programmed to distribute 75% of its supply during the first 8 years, so Ergo’s emission design is not too far-off from Bitcoin’s. Rather than develop a protocol that continually mints coins as rewards for building the blockchain, Ergo has adopted a new and novel incentive for miners in the form of [Storage Rent](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-09-cryptocurrency-fees-a-solution-to-unreasonable-state-growth/).

Token emission graphic can be seen below.

![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Bmru3HhP0QFKYnZQdxKHp8OZ8BsssasgVRlpcdLZ7MzB5D6rqANR9MjVUAvFHtbGM0Y3-H77QemWqrONKxpygBkpE6sZ8eLcU5dD9ljiwU6iVrRamgIDfeimYx7ZLdfQP8vOBnHH)

The ERG coin is the base layer currency for building and using smart contracts. 

Every type of transaction such as NFT minting, smart contract deployment, and swaps will essentially be signed with ERGs. The circulation of coins therefore will be boosted even with other ecosystems choosing to use the Ergo Blockchain. With more DeFi services such as cross-chain DEX and oracle pools, the future sustainability of Ergo tokenomics will be secured.

## Ergo Ecosystem

**Sigmaverse:** [sigmaverse.io](http://sigmaverse.io) is the decentralized applications hub of the Ergo Ecosystem.

**Oracle Pools:** Oracles are the messengers of blockchain networks. They connect off-chain and on-chain data and create the backbone of DeFi systems. Ergo has an UTXO based approach to oracles with [oracle pools](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-04-27-chainlink-oracles-vs-ergo-oracle-pools/) that will be cheaper and easier to access for decentralized information.

**SigUSD:** [Ergo’s algorithmic stable coin](https://sigmausd.io/#/) application is based on the AgeUSD protocol. Smart contracts secure SigUSD’s peg to the US dollar by backing it with SigRSV reserve coins.

**ErgoMixer:** UTXO based systems have strong privacy features and [ErgoMixer](https://github.com/ergoMixer/ergoMixBack) is a tool for people who want to protect their digital anonymity.

**Ergo Auction House:** Ergo’s NFT marketplace can be accessed at [ergoauctions.org](http://ergoauctions.org). Users can trade visual and audio NFTs easily with a non-custodial wallet.

**ErgoUtils:** Community made multi-purpose tool [ergoutils.org](http://ergoutils.org) is where users can mint NFTs, create custom tokens and use mixer-hops for privacy needs.

**Zero-Knowledge Treasury:** Ergo’s [zero-knowledge vaults](https://github.com/anon-real/DistributedSigsServer) are for mutual expenditure and multi-signature wallets; it's a decentralized on-chain version of a collective bank, or an organization.

**ErgoNFTs**: A community made NFT display application where you can [check](https://ergonfts.org/) your own NFTs.

**NIPoPoWs**: Non-Interactive Proofs of Proof of Work provide side-chains with light clients and enable cross-chain computations. Ergo.Meta, which is a cookbook for sidechains, will be soon published by Kushti.

## Wallets that are endorsed by Ergo:

[Ergo Full Node Wallet](https://github.com/ergoplatform/ergo/wiki/Set-up-a-full-node)

[Yoroi Web Wallet](https://yoroi-wallet.com/#/)

[Android Wallet](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-29-ergo-for-android-released/) (a mobile wallet on [Google Play Store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ergoplatform.android))

## Roadmap

Alex Chepurnoy’s [latest update](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-07-13-updated-2021-roadmap-from-kushti/) offers insights into ongoing developments on the Ergo Platform.

Readers can also refer to the following infographic about Ergo Platform’s Roadmap.

![](/img/uploads/screenshot-2021-08-04-at-17.01.57.png)

After the overwhelming success of our very first hackathon, [ErgoHack](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-06-19-ergohack/), we are pleased to announce that plans are underway to organize a second one very soon. 

## Exchanges

ERG is currently listed on gate.io, coinex, bitcoin.com, waves.exchange, swop.fi, biki TradeOgre, HotBit, and KuCoin. ErgoDex will be launching very soon and the Ergo team is continuing to work on additional listings with other exchanges.

#### Useful Links:

<https://www.ergoforum.org/>

<https://ergoplatform.org/discover/#Documents/>

<https://github.com/ergoplatform/ergo/wiki>

<https://discord.gg/kj7s7nb>

<https://t.me/ergoplatform>

The Ergonaut Handbook


We’re pleased to announce the release of Ergo’s first mobile wallet! This app was built on top of [Ergo Appkit](https://github.com/aslesarenko/ergo-appkit) - Ergo’s official SDK - and has been [audited by the Ergo team](https://twitter.com/ergoplatformorg/status/1417039106576633857). If you still hesitate to add your secrets to it: you can also use it without giving your mnemonic. You won't be able to send funds then, but you can track your balance.

Just this past weekend the Ergo Foundation approved a one-time grant to Benjamin Schulte (aka MrStahlfelge - [Github](https://github.com/MrStahlfelge)) as a recognition of his development of Ergo Wallet for Android application.

He will also join the ergo dev team (as a part-time developer) starting from August to further develop the Android wallet and work on "Ergo on Android" related tech.

Features:

* generating wallets, restoring wallets in a way compatible with Yoroi and Ergo node (only the first address can be seen at the moment)
* you can add read-only wallets without entering your secrets to watch balance
* no need to make full sync, this is a lightweight client
* Requesting payments by showing QR code or sharing a link
* Sending payments, manually or by scanning a QR code
* Your secrets are stored password-encrypted or authentication-protected
* Show wallet balance, configurable comparison fiat currency

Available on the [Google Play store](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.ergoplatform.android) below, or directly via a [GitHub](https://github.com/MrStahlfelge/ergo-wallet-android) APK. Please join the [Ergo Discord](https://discord.gg/kj7s7nb) for feedback or support.

Ergo for Android Released

Generate wallets and restore wallets (compatible to node wallets) - Add read-only wallets without entering your secrets - No need to make a full sync, this is a lightweight client - Request ERGs by showing QR code or sharing a link - Send ERGs manually or by scanning a QR code - Show wallet balance denominated in fiat curency.  Your secrets are stored password-encrypted or authentication-protected and never leave your device.  This app does not log any information, does not track you and does not profile you.

Happy to announce that an Android wallet is now available on the Google Play store!

Ergo has been a proud member of the **Blockchain Privacy, Security & Adoption Alliance (BPSAA)** for more than a year. We consider it a privilege to be a part of this dedicated community that works for the future of blockchain. 



The BPSAA envisions a world where cryptocurrencies achieve mass adoption to build a decentralized world, where individuals are not victimized by institutions. The focus of the Alliance is to promote the diffusion of cryptocurrencies without sacrificing the fundamental [cypherpunk ideology](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-04-26-the-ergo-manifesto/). The BPSAA’s vision is to facilitate continuous dynamic collaboration and integrate novel innovations into everyday life.



The BPSAA was born out of a group chat initiated by several members of Pirate Chain (Draeth, Lootz, Wookie, +DreamTim, Ph0enix and Cryptofist) and Wolf from Turtle Network. After those initial conversations, the BPSAA was formed from a partnership between Pirate Chain, Turtle Network, Sentinel and Etho Protocol. 



Although partnerships in crypto space are generally underused relationships, the BPSAA sustains a collaborative framework with its members and aims to grow through grassroots movements.



BPSAA [wants to establish](https://bpsaa.vision/news/q2-update-2020) a functional decentralized community through the framework of a non-profit organization. From there, the Alliance will be able to transmit innovations to wider masses by operating as a regulated entity.



The Blockchain Privacy, Security & Adoption Alliance ([bpsaa.vision](http://bpsaa.vision)) stands for:



* Privacy
* Security
* Cryptocurrency Adoption
* Decentralization
* Interoperability
* Open Source
* Fairness
* Transparency



We are proud to be a member of such a hardworking and creative community. 



We aim to deepen our ties with the BPSAA’s existing members by building bridges, welcoming new creative members and promoting the adoption and credibility that crypto deserves!\
\
For more information on the BPSAA, please see their [members](https://bpsaa.vision/members) and [partners](https://bpsaa.vision/partners-sponsors). You can also stay up to date on the latest news from the Alliance on [twitter](https://twitter.com/BPSAA_Official?s=20).

Ergo & BPSAA: A Shared Vision of the Future

Unlike many other projects, Ergo was born out of a true fair start and every effort has been made to ensure the ERG token will be fairly distributed. There was no private pre-mine, private sales, no initial coin offering, or venture capital funding. The Ergo Foundation receives a modest 4.43% of the total supply and is completed in just two and a half years from genesis. This means we need to be smart about where we spend funds on marketing, and support Ergo with grassroots methods where ever possible.

Ergo was launched with an aggressive [emission schedule](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2019_05_20-curve/), with all coins to be fully mined in eight years. To stabilise miners income after emission ends, they will be able to reclaim a very small amount (~.13 erg every 4 years) from otherwise lost, frozen or forgotten erg in the form of [storage rent](https://fc18.ifca.ai/bitcoin/papers/bitcoin18-final18.pdf). This will be enabled before emission, to allow the community to gauge the appropriate level it needs to be going forward. This approach ensures robust tokenomics; however, in line with the principles from [The Ergo Manifesto](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-04-26-the-ergo-manifesto/) for creating grassroots finance, we must grow from within to encourage others to develop on top of this bedrock of tooling Ergo is supplying.  

Ergo’s Zero-Knowledge Schnorr Signatures allow unique applications using sigma protocols on top of ergo which are being used to build trustless [crowd funders](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2019_09_06_crowdfund/), [simple collective spending approaches](https://www.ergoforum.org/t/a-simpler-collective-spending-approach-for-everyone/476), reversible ICOs, and much more. These systems will assist the community in guiding and vote for the future development of Ergo. 

### Education

After the [great success of the initial ErgoHack](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-06-19-ergohack/) a few weeks ago, two more are on their way to you this year helping us build up the structuring, documentation, and pathways for developers into the world of eUTxO. 

The [Ergo Foundation](https://ergoplatform.org/community/#Foundation/) is actively looking for a director of education. Ergo offers a variety of tools for decentralized finance, one way to maximize their use is to increase the amount of documentation, and offer tutorials to developers new to ErgoScipt and the extended UTxO model.

The Ergo Foundation is also in the process of working to create partnerships with educational non-profits to offer workshops and courses to teach incubators for adolescents and college students. 

To make Ergo truly understandable to everyone, this must also come from the community. To get us started, Mrs Glasgow has kindly kickstarted the new Ergo Community BitTube with ['Ergo for Eejits' -- A brief overview of the manifesto and values behind Ergo](https://bittube.tv/post/f1f55780-6365-433a-add1-1e33049c2f8f). 

### Incubator

We are launching a Hackathon Incubator. The first ErgoHack event was launched on relatively short notice, yet the community involvement in proposing ideas to the first Hackathon Incubator was very impressive. A special thank you to each and every community member who offered suggestions, ideas and support.\
\
The next two Hackathons will be focused on privacy tools and tools for social good. Users have a unique perspective based on the use cases that would improve their experience and livelihood, so we are planning to launch 2 new Hackathon Incubators to get community-driven feedback. All ideas are welcome.\
\
One lucky team will receive weekly payments, reporting progress during the weekly development chat on Discord. 

### Grow Ergo!

At the moment there are already some existing funds you can apply for, [DarkFund0](https://www.ergoforum.org/t/darkfund0-zk-fund-for-privacy-applications/398) is a privacy-focused fund aiming to build up privacy and security within Ergo. The first applicant for this has recently been granted and will be announced soon.

Those of you who remember the [Bearwhale Saga](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-05-13-bearwhale-saga/) will know that as a result of this one of the ‘Goodwhales’ who filled the SigmaUSD bank to minimise the risk to SigRSV holders is generously putting up $20,000 SigUSD for development. 

A wild [‘grow-ergo’ repository](https://github.com/ergoplatform/grow-ergo/issues) has appeared on GitHub, providing the framework for a central resource where bounties can be categorised and made accessible to all within the community. Bounties are a wonderful way to attract developer talent as well as advertising marketing and other tasks that anyone can get involved with to help grow Ergo. This may look a bit barren at the moment while we’re setting it up, however; we can announce The Ergo Foundation is assigning a special monthly operations budget of up to $20,000 per month for bounties, contests, tips and anything else that can help Ergo grow.

So join us on the [Ergo Community Based Marketing Telegram](https://t.me/ErgoSocials), and let's create true grassroots finance!

\
*Header image sourced from: [poorguycrypto.com](https://www.poorguycrypto.com/)*

Grow Ergo

A local exchange trading system --- or ‘LETS’ for short --- facilitates exchange between members by providing a local currency and a directory of offers and needs. LETS allows people to create value within their community, and barter collectively - exchanging their skills and services in return for skills and services they would have otherwise paid for. 

LETS can be thought of as a mechanism to facilitate the velocity of trade, goods, and services out-with the existing monetary system, allowing us to create sustainable local economies. To give a tangible example; one member may offer a couple of hours of tech support and use those tokens gained to buy a piece of art listed by another member. 

LETS have historically become popular during times of crisis. One of the first LETS' was founded by Michael Linton in a Canadian town stuck in depression back in 1981. LETS were also popular during the 1998-2002 Argentine Great Depression. Most LETS groups are small and consist of maybe 50 to 250 members, usually with paper-based credit notes and ledgers maintained by a committee. Similar systems have arisen in recent months amidst the pandemic --- [Tenino, Washington, started printing wooden money to facilitate trade between its residents](https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/20/us/tenino-washington-wooden-money-trnd/index.html). However, these analogue systems are inherently prone to counterfeit notes, dishonest activity by administrators, and, perhaps most importantly - human error. 

As lockdowns across the world effectively shut down whole sectors and a large part of the economy, we are entering a new era at a breakneck pace. Technology like Ergo can efficiently address this problem, building bridges between local economies without commercial or central banks. These separated communities could still be connected via gateways, allowing liquidity to move between them and avoiding exposure to toxic debt, creating a system that is immune from both inflation and depressions. Many variations of LETS could exist for individuals and small businesses, with varying participation criteria, credit limits, collateralisation requirements. 

Additionally, thanks to Ergo’s [sigma protocols](https://ergonaut.space/en/sigma-protocols), creating a ‘[Trustless LETS](https://github.com/ergoplatform/ergo/wiki/A-Trustless-Local-Exchange-Trading-System)’ on top of Ergo is also possible. A Trustless LETS has no membership record, therefore, no management committee is needed for enrolment allowing it to operate with full autonomy. This will be discussed in more detail in an upcoming article. 

If the ideas discussed here interest you, LETS start the discussion! Join us on the [\#lets](https://discord.gg/BVpT8vRUMa) channel on Discord -- or on [Ergo’s Agora](https://t.me/ErgoAgora), a Telegram group chat used to facilitate open discussions around privacy, anonymity, trust, economics and related topics.

The need to reform the global financial system has been evident since the last crisis in 2008. Now, COVID-19 has forced our hands. We cannot delay, and the best way to start is from the grassroots. 

Cryptocurrency should provide tools to enrich ordinary people. Their small businesses providing no much above making ends meet, not depersonalized big financial capital. This is what inspired me. This is my dream.

* [The Ergo Manifesto](https://ergoplatform.org/blog/2021-04-26-the-ergo-manifesto/)

LETS start the discussion

**Ergo, a community-centered proof-of-work protocol is launching its first-ever hackathon next week, ERGOHACK.** 

It is our goal at Ergo to create a network for the people, censorship-resistant, resilient, open and free. It is our goal to build a system that creates smart contracts for the people, to put tooling in the hands of those that need it the most.  

The hackathon will run June 11-13th with crypto prizes for the top three slots and all presenters. 

Submissions must be filed by June 8th with the deadline for submitting solutions set for June 14th. 

Ergo is looking for solutions from teams that want to “hack for change” surrounding topics like tokenization schemes, visual tools for constructing multi-signatures, stealth address pool implementations, tools for NFTs and many more.  The winning teams will be announced on June 21st, with the following prizes up for grabs:

**1st Place**: 5,000 SigmaUSD\
**2nd Place**: 2,500 SigmaUSD\
**3rd Place**: 1,000 SigmaUSD\
*All presenters will receive 100 SigmaUSD.*

Additionally, All Hackathon participants will receive a commemorative **@ERGnomes** non-fungible token, the '**[HackaGnome](https://twitter.com/ERGnomes/status/1397206492433027089?s=20)**'

![ergonome-nft](/img/uploads/2021-06-04-17.07.57.jpg)

Submissions will be judged on the quality, implementation, and potential impact of the idea by the esteemed judges 

**Aleksei Pupyshev**\
Founder of Graviton, co-founder of Neutrino protocol and Gravity protocol

**Robert Kornacki**\
*CSO at dcSpark*\
Former Head of Research at Emurgo\
Ergo Foundation Member

**Alexander Chepurnoy AKA Kushti**\
*Ergo Core Developer* \
Co-founder of smartcontract.com\
Core developer at NXT\
Research Fellow at IOHK

**Bruno Woltzenlogel Paleo**\
*Technical Project Director*\
Author of Scientific Papers on chimeric ledgers, UTXO with scripts, multi-currencies, as well as the formal specifications in Haskell and Scala for these papers.

Need some background info on the languages, tooling, and frameworks used for Ergo?
Check out our community-driven content on [ergonaut.space](https://ergonaut.space/en/hackathon), and there’s a hidden treasure trove of information stashed across the [ergo forum](https://www.ergoforum.org/c/research-and-development/7?order=views). For some inspiration of what’s possible under Ergo, check out our [Hackathon Idea Incubator ](https://www.reddit.com/r/ergonauts/comments/nmof7c/hackathon_idea_incubator/)on Reddit. 

Join the event on our official [Discord server](https://discord.gg/kj7s7nb) and register your interest in the #Hackathon channel. 
We in the Ergo community look forward to seeing the unique and forward-thinking proposals from participants.