On the heels of the recent strategic alliance between Google Cloud and Zilliqa, Google Cloud Head of Web3 James Tromans sat down with Zilliqa CEO Matt Dyer for an AMA session on the collaboration.

The pair discussed everything from interoperability and enterprise Web3 solutions to mainstream adoption and how the alliance between Google Cloud and Zilliqa will boost the data availability and resilience of the network.

Check out the full highlights from the AMA below: https://blog.zilliqa.com/ama-highlights-zilliqa-groups-strategic-alliance-with-google-cloud/

Zilliqa CEO Matt Dyer is joined by Head of Research Zoltan Fazekas to discuss the new features coming in Zilliqa 2.0, including improved cross-chain communication and a new approach to sharding.

Don't miss our next AMA, tune in today at 14:00 UTC!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eaj7ZeEl6M

Dear community,

We are writing to inform you of a critical situation currently impacting the Zilliqa blockchain network.

The network is presently experiencing a technical issue that has resulted in an interruption to block production. This unexpected challenge is our top priority and our technical team is working to identify and resolve the problem.

While we work to resolve the issue, we strongly advise all partners to temporarily halt any deposits or withdrawals on the network.

We understand the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience and support as we work through this challenge.

Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter and for your ongoing support of the Zilliqa network.

Note - Funds are SAFU. If you can't see funds in your wallet, You can always check it on-chain by going to https://viewblock.io/zilliqa, add your Zil address in search box & hit enter.

Regards,
Zilliqa Core Team

🚨 Zilliqa Network Update

Our team has identified the cause of the issue currently affecting the network and we are actively working to fix the issue.

We anticipate having the issue resolved within the next few hours.

Please note that transactions may not process during this time, but funds are SAFU.

Thank you for your patience and stay tuned for further updates.

Zilfam!

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

We are pleased to inform you that the network is now fully operational. In due course, we'll provide more information on the issue we encountered.

As always we appreciate your continued support during these challenging moments! 🙏

Regards,
The Zilliqa Team

Zilfam! Matt Dyer, the CEO of Zilliqa blockchain and Roll1ng Thund3rz, will join the conversation with MarioNawfal - a famous showman, founder of The Round Table show and IBC group.

🎙Join us at this exciting discussion with the most remarkable minds of this century to talk about Crypto, Gaming, and WEB3WAR.

📅 WHEN: 12 pm EST, December 28
📍 WHERE: X Spaces on Mario Nawfal X Account.

https://twitter.com/web3war_game/status/1739654441723125912

Zilfam - thank you for all of your support this year.

We wish you the very best for 2024, and we're excited to show you what we've been working on! 💙

In case you missed it, you can check out our CEO Matt Dyer's run through of 2023 highlights for Zilliqa here:

https://x.com/zilliqa/status/1741522532572725431?s=20

We're thrilled to announce that the v9.3.0 mainnet upgrade is on the horizon and is set to go live today (January 3, 2024, 09:00 UTC). This significant network upgrade embodies our continuous effort to enhance the Zilliqa network's capabilities and efficiency. The network upgrade will take around 24 hours to implement, starting from 09:00 UTC.

Update Overview:

- Migration to Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- GP008 (active reward control) via the implementation in ZIP-24 (https://github.com/Zilliqa/ZIP/blob/master/zips/zip-24.md)
- CODEHASH now only hashes the contract code, not the initialization parameters
- Errors in EVM->Scilla calls are now reflected in the transaction receipt (documented in https://github.com/Zilliqa/ZIP/blob/master/zips/zip-21.md)
- Support EVM transaction types 0x01 and 0x02
- Implement header hash parameter to improve mining efficiency
- Various performance improvements and bug fixes

For detailed information on this upgrade, please see the official release notes:

Zilliqa v9.3.0: https://github.com/Zilliqa/Zilliqa/releases/tag/v9.3.0
Scilla v0.13.4: https://github.com/Zilliqa/scilla/releases/tag/v0.13.4

Kindly note the following:

During the network upgrade, transactions will not be processed on the network beginning from 09:00 UTC on January 3, 2024 until the upgrade is completed. Once the upgrade is completed, we will notify everyone.

We appreciate your continuous support and patience.

Regards
Zilliqa team

Network upgrade v9.3.0 has begun deploying from 09:00 UTC. The network upgrade will take around 24 hours to implement and we will notify everyone once it is completed.

Note that funds remain safe. If you cannot see funds in your wallet during the upgrade, you can check your ZIL balance on-chain by navigating to https://viewblock.io/zilliqa and searching for your ZIL address.

The Zilliqa mainnet upgrade to v9.3.0 has been completed.

Thank you for your patience #Zilfam!

Note - Exchange will need some time to reopen Zil deposit & withdrawals.

On December 18, 2023 the Zilliqa network experienced a disruption to block production which resulted in several hours of downtime.

The infrastructure team has subsequently analysed the cause of this incident and outlined how future improvements aim to address these issues.

We would like to once again apologise for the inconvenience this disruption caused and thank the Zilliqa community for your continued support as we worked to resolve this issue.

For a summary of the incident which resulted in downtime for the Zilliqa network, read the blog below: https://blog.zilliqa.com/zilliqa-network-downtime-on-18-december-2023/

Network update following Tuesday's v9.3.0 upgrade: https://blog.zilliqa.com/zilliqa-network-update-post-v9-3-0/

Zilliqa v9.3.0 is officially live on mainnet, bringing several important improvements to the network. This update is aimed at improving the reliability and efficiency of Zilliqa, while also implementing new features as part of the roadmap for Zilliqa 2.0.

Highlights include EVM compatibility improvements, desharding, active reward control, and more.

Learn more about what's new in Zilliqa v9.3.0 below: https://blog.zilliqa.com/whats-new-in-zilliqa-v9-3-0/

December marked the end of an exciting year for Zilliqa, replete with landmark achievements and important milestones.

From the the announcement of a token sale for WEB3WAR's in-game currency to new partnerships in the digital asset trading industry, it has been a busy and productive month for the ecosystem.

"The strides we made last year not only underscore our unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence but also set the stage for what promises to be a groundbreaking 2024 - a year filled with potential for Zilliqa and our expansive ecosystem," says Zilliqa Blockchain CEO Matt Dyer.

Check out the highlights from December 2023 below: blog.zilliqa.com/zilliqa-monthly-newsletter-dec-2023/

The share of total rewards allocated to SSNs on Zilliqa will be reduced from 40% to 34% on Tuesday, 16 January.

This adjustment is in line with a proposal passed through governance last year that aims to reduce inflation on the network and improving the ZIL token's long-term sustainability.

The staking reward share will continue to be reduced at a rate of 1% per month until it reaches 25%.

Read the blog below for a full breakdown of this scheduled adjustment and what this means for staking APR: https://blog.zilliqa.com/zilliqa-staking-rewards-adjusted-to-reduce-inflation/

Zilliqa has officially launched a new Rust SDK, allowing developers to build dApps on the Zilliqa network using the Rust programming language.

The SDK brings greater flexibility and accessibility to the Zilliqa ecosystem and offers a number of useful features, including support for all Zilliqa API endpoints, a transaction builder, data type conversion, and more.

Read more about the new Rust SDK for Zilliqa below:

https://blog.zilliqa.com/zilliqa-launches-rust-sdk/

Zilliqa v9.3.0 recently rolled out to the mainnet, implementing desharding as part of a migration to an improved sharding architecture with Zilliqa 2.0.

An analysis conducted by the Zilliqa team has found that following this upgrade, individual miners enjoy the same competitive rewards they earned previously based on their hashpower.

For a detailed breakdown of mining rewards in Zilliqa v9.3.0, read the blog post below:

https://blog.zilliqa.com/state-of-mining-rewards-after-zilliqa-v9-3-0/

From a high-profile strategic alliance with Google Cloud to the rollout of EVM compatibility and launch of new Web3 gaming and loyalty solutions, 2023 was a landmark year for Zilliqa.

The last year was packed with major announcements, technical achievements, and new partnerships, and we continued to make progress on delivering a faster, more flexible network architecture with Zilliqa 2.0.

As we ramp up for a landmark year ahead, let's take a look back at Zilliqa's biggest achievements in 2023: https://blog.zilliqa.com/a-look-back-at-zilliqas-biggest-achievements-in-2023/

Zilliqa kickstarted 2024 with major technical upgrades and exciting ecosystem announcements, setting the tone for a productive year ahead. From a network upgrade to v9.3.0 to the launch of the $FPS in-game currency for Web3War, January was a busy and exciting month for Zilliqa.

"As we embark on another year together, I am inspired by the growing potential offered by the Zilliqa ecosystem and network," says Zilliqa Blockchain CEO Matt Dyer."

The development of applications like PlunderSwap, Web3War, Ionise, and Avely’s liquid staking make Zilliqa a more exciting space than ever before. I’d like to invite our community, both old and new, to get involved with these new features and applications, and to actively participate in governance."

Read the full monthly newsletter for January 2024 below: https://blog.zilliqa.com/zilliqa-monthly-newsletter-jan-2024/

Skill2Earn, an innovative new model for Web3 gaming and entertainment, is transforming the industry by offering an exciting new approach to gameplay rewards.

Traditional Play2Earn games reward gamers for the simple act of playing, but they often struggle with sustainability or lacklustre gameplay.

Skill2Earn challenges this model by prioritising fun and skill. Players in a Skill2Earn game earn rewards for how well they play, not just on time spent playing. This encourages healthy competition, and a sustainable rewards structure.

But Skill2Earn isn't just for gaming. The Winners Circle, an exclusive club for horse racing fans, will use Skill2Earn to reward engagement for viewers of Racing League competitions.

Read more about how Skill2Earn can drive growth on the Zilliqa blockchain:

https://blog.zilliqa.com/zilliqa-poised-for-growth-with-new-skill2earn-approach-to-web3-gaming/