With the week coming to a close, it's time for our weekly progress report! This week, we've got some exciting news to share we're sure you'll love in regards to Particl Desktop 3.2, so let's not waste time and get to it right away!
Particl Desktop Progress Update
This week, we've finally completed the integration of the new messaging system into Particl Marketplace! This new feature lets sellers and buyers (or potential buyers) communicate with each other in a free-flow form.
This new update introduces user messaging in two different ways. On one end, each listing now has a "public chatroom" in which any user can ask questions to the seller. All messages posted in a listing's chatroom are publicly viewable, meaning anyone can see current and past messages sent this way. This function is likely to replace the "Reviews" functionality, although we would love to get your feedback and thoughts on the matter during Particl Desktop 3.2's testnet round.
On the other end, a private chatroom, only accessible and viewable to the seller and the buyer of an item, is opened up when placing an order. Communications initiated this way are entirely end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, and it is impossible for any third-party or middleman to intercept messages. Messages are propagated through the SMSG network and never go through any central server. Private in-order chatrooms are available from the Order section of the Purchases and Sell pages, depending on whether you are the seller or the buyer.
At this time, the messaging system is tied to the marketplace and isn't a standalone feature yet. We plan on isolating that feature moving forward to make it possible to open private chatrooms with individuals without having to use Particl Marketplace.
With the messaging system now ready for the marketplace, we are currently looking at a few minor issues raised within the last few days and, if there's any fix required, they'll be included in Particl Desktop 3.2.
Barring any issue stemming from the current round of internal testing, we'll be ready to release Particl Desktop 3.2 on testnet within the next 24 to 72 hours. Then, if all goes well, we'll be able to release it, on mainnet, a few days after that.
As always, we highly encourage you to come and help us test this new major Particl Desktop release to ensure that no edge case or environment-specific issue is missed by the team. Additionally, as we've mentioned just a bit above, we're also curious about your feedback regarding the deprecation of the Reviews functionality in favor of public chatrooms within listing pages.
Particl Core and BasicSwap Update
New Particl Core Version ✅
particlEarlier this week, we pre-released Particl Core 0.21.2.9, a release focused on network stability, on Github. It includes a variety of SMSG network improvements and also improves the stability of the blockchain's connectivity by banning misbehaving peers more effectively. Follow this link for the full list of changes.
While this is still marked as a pre-release, meaning your cold staking nodes won't update automatically through Partyman, we encourage you to install this new version and report back to the team should you encounter any issues. It will be marked as a full release shortly.
Particl Electrum ✅
tecnovertWe've also pushed a minor cosmetic fix to Particl Electrum mobile which changes the display of staking transactions from a negative fee to a correctly marked staking reward.
To that effect, we pushed, a few hours ago, new mobile builds (.apk) for Android that fix this issue.
Core Codebase Maintenance 🛠️
particlAs usual, various code adaptions and merges have been done as part of our ever-ongoing process of keeping Particl Core up-to-date with Bitcoin's latest version. You can always keep track of those changes by following this link.
As a reminder, while this task may appear "mundane" on the surface, it is vital for the deployment of certain functionalities that are critical to the success of our ecosystem.
For example, Taproot, which is now available on Particl, is poised to become an important feature of the upcoming BasicSwap DEX. By not keeping the Particl Core codebase up-to-date with the ongoing Bitcoin developments, integrating such a major feature would not only be very messy and time-consuming, but it would also potentially be unsafe as it would be missing important dependencies.
What keeping up with the Bitcoin codebase allows Particl to do is to leverage all the new exciting updates, features, and functionalities of Bitcoin and integrate them, when and if needed, into our wider ecosystem in a timely and safe manner.
BasicSwap 📈
We do not have anything in particular to mention this week on BasicSwap other than what was mentioned in last week's report. We are still working on finalizing the DEX's user interface and it is the current main focus of our designer and lead UI/UX, Gerlof van Ek.
Exclusive Episode of the Super Dangerous Club
You're probably already aware of the Super Dangerous Club, the weekly show by Particl advocates Dr. Kap and e-commerce expert Joe Fisher. They talk about various topics touching on technology, geo-politics, futurism, and more.
Last week, they focused their episode on the Particl project and Particl Marketplace. If you're a fan of Particl, then this one is an episode you must not skip.
While the episode itself is not yet released anywhere other than on Clubhouse, we thought of sharing it here in advance for our weekly progress update readers only.
Every week, the show is broadcasted on all your favorite platforms. But to really get into the action, we invite you to come and speak your mind directly with our two wonderful hosts on Clubhouse's live episodes.
To see where the SDC is available, follow the linktree below!
As always, we thank you immensely for your passion and dedication to Particl and what it's working towards achieving. None of it would be possible without you all!
We wish you a great weekend we'll see you all back on Monday! 👋
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