News and insights

The Chia Blog

News, releases, and insights straight from the team.

Blog posts, page 4

  1. 4 min read

    • Build

    Mainnet Year 3

    Three years ago, we officially started our ambitious journey. We launched the Chia blockchain with a vision to change the way the world uses financial technology – lofty, we know. Simply put, we want to change the way people (read: you) access, protect, and use their wealth.  

    We believe we’ve laid the groundwork for a bright future, and today is an opportunity to celebrate the Chia wins. And those…

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  2. 2 min read

    • Build

    Dive Into The Chia Academy

    We released Chia Academy (opens in a new tab) in December 2023 to simplify your entry into the world of the Chia blockchain. We’d like to provide some background on why we think providing education matters and what the Chia Academy can do for you!

    Blockchain education (beyond guides for Solidity) is lacking. We want to provide new developers with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to build the next generation…

    Read more of Dive Into The Chia Academy
  3. 3 min read

    • Blockchain
    • Products and Capabilities

    The Blockchain Trilemma is Real in the Real World

    Numerous projects claim to have overcome the blockchain trilemma. I find that claim dubious at best. I’m also deeply suspicious that they’ve solved it “academically.”  I’m not going to explain all of the ways that they can mislead you – but I am going to apply some cold hard reality of the actual world on various project’s transactions per second (TPS) claims.

    The Trilemma states that a blockchain…

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  4. 2 min read

    • Build
    • Security

    Bug Bounty Program: Moving to HackerOne for Enhanced Security

    We're transitioning our bug bounty program from Bugcrowd to HackerOne (opens in a new tab), a leading bug bounty platform, effective today. This change will allow us to:

    • Expand our reach: Connect with a broader pool of talented security researchers worldwide, increasing the probability of discovering potential vulnerabilities.
    • Streamline the process: Make reporting and tracking more accessible for researchers with…
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  5. 8 min read

    • Build
    • Products and Capabilities

    Version 2.2.1 Release

    Chia Editor's Note [2024-03-06]: We've updated this blog to reflect the release of 2.2.1.

    Version 2.2.1 of the Chia reference client is now available for download! We recommend everyone to upgrade.

    This release comes packed with a number of new features and enhancements, which we have divided into three categories:

    • Farming and Wallet Improvements
    • Network Improvements
    • Developer Tools

    Plotting on Chia has…

    Read more of Version 2.2.1 Release
  6. 4 min read

    • Build
    • Products and Capabilities

    Chia Bridge: Validator Applications Now Open!

    Hello, everyone! I'm yakuhito (opens in a new tab), and I'm super excited to be delivering the latest update on the upcoming Chia bridge.

    During Chia In China's Chia Dragon 2024 AMA (opens in a new tab), Gene revealed that I had been working on a Chia bridge. I have been developing the bridge since earlier this year, with the help of amazing people such as Acevail (opens in a new tab) and the support of the Chia Network Inc. (CNI) team. I'm really proud of the…

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  7. 3 min read

    • Market Insights
    • Products and Capabilities

    Chia Offers: Unlocking Global Peer-to-Peer Markets

    Blockchain smart contract development thus far has occurred in the straight jackets of the Ethereum Account Model and Solidity. These constraints, combined with the abject fear that currently accompanies self-custody on Bitcoin or Ethereum, means that we’ve designed and built things that look like TradFi, are overly centralized, or worse - both.

    It doesn’t have to be this way.

    True peer-to-peer…

    Read more of Chia Offers: Unlocking Global Peer-to-Peer Markets
  8. 5 min read

    • Blockchain

    Chia Blockchain Explainer: The Halvings

    In 2024, the Chia blockchain will undergo two halvings – a block reward reduction and a plot filter reduction. These are separate events, but both are important to Chia’s future. We’ve put this post together to help clarify what is changing, when the events will occur, and what action (if any) is required on your part.

    March 2024

    The block reward reduction was built into the blockchain's emission…

    Read more of Chia Blockchain Explainer: The Halvings
  9. 4 min read

    • Market Insights
    • Products and Capabilities

    Cypherpunks in Sportcoats: Why play Checkers? We're playing Chess.

    People building and disrupting spend all day focused on fixing and building what isn’t working well and what’s not yet finished. It’s easy to forget what has been done - the foundation for the rest of it.

    We set out to lift blockchain adoption from where it is - currently stuck at 20% and often just toys of crypto degens - to the technology everyone can rely on for everyday financial…

    Read more of Cypherpunks in Sportcoats: Why play Checkers? We're playing Chess.
  10. 11 min read

    • Blockchain

    Getting to Know the Mempool and Transaction Fees

    The Chia blockchain is busy! But don’t worry – the network continues to function as designed. A natural fee market is emerging, demonstrating a positive trend of adoption, activity, and use on the Chia blockchain. The network is robust – blocks continue to be made at the same rate, even when the mempool is full. If you want your transaction to be included quickly while the network is busy, you…

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  11. 3 min read

    • Build
    • Products and Capabilities

    Version 2.1.2 Release

    Version 2.1.2 of the Chia reference client is now available for download! This release mostly contains bug fixes, along with a few additional features. This is not a required update, but several beta testers have noted improvements in their farms’ performance when testing this release. We therefore recommend that you install it on your node and harvesters.

    Decentralized Autonomous Organizations…

    Read more of Version 2.1.2 Release
  12. 5 min read

    • Blockchain
    • Products and Capabilities

    We’re Going to Ludicrous Speed.

    Light speed was too slow, so our new ludicrous speed ASIC Timelords will be fully operational by November 9th, 2023! 

    We’re proud of our work to maintain and enhance the Chia blockchain’s network security. While the network has remained safe since launch, we know we must stay vigilant. To that end, we’ve been doing R&D with our research and fabrication partners for over three and a half years on…

    Read more of We’re Going to Ludicrous Speed.
  13. 6 min read

    • Build
    • Products and Capabilities

    Version 2.1.0 Release

    Version 2.1.0 of the Chia reference client is now available for download! This release features farming and user experience improvements, including updates to GPU plotting support, Credential Restricted CATs, and upgraded support for offers, WalletConnect, and DataLayer features.

    Note: Version 2.1.0 includes additional changes originally intended for the 2.0.0 hard fork and is a required update.

    Ver…

    Read more of Version 2.1.0 Release
  14. 5 min read

    • Products and Capabilities

    Happy Roadmap Update Day!

    We updated our Chia Product roadmap (opens in a new tab) earlier this year and are back with the next iteration. It’s a bit later than we’d hoped to share, and you may notice some things have moved around, but we’re energized by our focus on the key themes driving enterprise development and adoption:

    1. Solving Enterprise Challenges
    2. Blockchain and Crypto Infrastructure Technology
    3. Improving the Farming and Plotting…
    Read more of Happy Roadmap Update Day!
  15. 4 min read

    • Blockchain
    • Market Insights
    • Products and Capabilities

    Are You Buying A Genuine Handbag From The Rightful Owner?

    Luxury goods are more than just products; they represent a lifestyle, an aspiration, and an experience. When customers buy a Birkin bag or a Rolex, they’re not just buying the product; they’re buying a promise with an expectation of quality and exclusivity. 

    In an industry where organizations sell their brand promise as much as their product, counterfeiting (opens in a new tab) and retail theft (opens in a new tab) represent the biggest…

    Read more of Are You Buying A Genuine Handbag From The Rightful Owner?
  16. 12 min read

    • Build
    • Products and Capabilities

    Version 2.0.0 Release

    We’re pleased to share the release of version 2.0! This release brings many new features and some significant upgrades that are pivotal to the evolution of the Chia blockchain. From plot compression support and GPU plotting, farming, and harvesting, to soft and hard fork protocol updates, version 2.0 is the next step in our journey to build a better blockchain.

    Read more of Version 2.0.0 Release
  17. 5 min read

    • Blockchain

    Forked Paths: Decoding Blockchain Forks

    Blockchain technology revolutionized trust and transparency in decentralized networks. Blockchains and their underlying consensus mechanisms are subject to “forks” - pivotal moments in the evolution of a network. 

    Forks shape the direction and future development of an ecosystem. Given the regularity but vastly different uses in the industry we thought it’d make sense to demystify the notion of…

    Read more of Forked Paths: Decoding Blockchain Forks
  18. 7 min read

    • Blockchain

    What is Blockchain for “Enterprise”?

    Blockchain uses a distributed ledger technology system designed to drive transparency and trust, which are essential across a number of enterprise business applications. Blockchain solutions enable businesses to process payments and validate digital identities more securely and transparently than legacy technologies.

    Business runs on data, and blockchain technology offers improved methods for data…

    Read more of What is Blockchain for “Enterprise”?
  19. 2 min read

    • Build
    • Security

    Bug Bounty: Self-Hosted Runners

    We’ve always maintained the idea that the community owns the blockchain codebase, and to that end, we’re always looking for ways to balance the ease of community contribution to the Chia codebase while keeping it secure. One of the tools we often use is the bug bounty program. We challenge folks to gain access to our systems, break our tools, and generally mess with our operations in order to find…

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  20. 6 min read

    • Blockchain
    • Products and Capabilities

    Understanding Blockchain Layers

    Blockchain technology garners significant attention for its potential to revolutionize many areas of the economy, from finance to healthcare. However, blockchains are often viewed as one extensive system, when in reality, each blockchain is composed of distinct components or layers (opens in a new tab). In this piece, we explore the importance of a network’s layers and the five most common types across blockchains.

    The…

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  21. 6 min read

    • Blockchain

    Public vs. Private Blockchains: Key Differences

    Public and private networks enable individuals and organizations to harness the power of blockchain for their goals. In the following article, you will learn about the differences between public and private blockchains, use cases, and how organizations can best leverage each to support strategic goals.

    A public blockchain is a permissionless, non-restrictive decentralized digital ledger available…

    Read more of Public vs. Private Blockchains: Key Differences
  22. 6 min read

    • Build
    • Products and Capabilities

    Version 1.8.2 Release

    Version 1.8.2 of the Chia reference client is now available for download! This release features user experience improvements, including updates to transaction level claw back support, support for the Verifiable Credentials primitive, updated DID commands, mempool support for identical spend aggregation, and more improvements to WalletConnect support.

    We’re rolling out a GUI experience for our…

    Read more of Version 1.8.2 Release
  23. 5 min read

    • Market Insights
    • Products and Capabilities

    The First Publicly Verifiable Carbon Offset Transactions and Retirement

    Last year we announced the Carbon Opportunities Fund, a partnership between the IFC, Cultivo, and Chia Network, raising private capital to source, tokenize and sell high-quality, verified carbon credits. And today, we’re thrilled to be announcing the first transactions and retirements using the Chia blockchain and the Climate Action Data Trust. 

    On April 28, 2023, the first auditable and verifiable…

    Read more of The First Publicly Verifiable Carbon Offset Transactions and Retirement
  24. 5 min read

    • Blockchain

    Generative AI and the Future of Blockchain

    Generative AI, a subfield of artificial intelligence, is taking the world by storm. While many people have become familiar with large language models, like Open AI's ChatGPT (opens in a new tab), a form of generative AI that creates new text from scratch, generative AI is also capable of producing other forms of content like images, videos, and music. With its multitude of computer-generated applications, generative…

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