Another update on ArkΓ©. Started to add tags, contacts and lightning functionality. It's a mess, but it's progress.
As I've been working on the Ark prototype, I tried to feel out the economic viability of the system, which can be a make or break. One part of is that every ASP is its own separate microcosm. That seems manageable for bitcoin payments, but adds exponential complexity for the advanced stuff in Arkade (lending, swaps, etc). And it seems like a centralizing force that will put intense pressure on ASPs and also invite regulatory scrutiny. - Stablecoins are locked into individual ASPs - how many of those will Tether/etc support? - Will ASPs need to provide liquidity for non-bitcoin assets also? - What if a liquidation cascade depletes ASP liquidity? What if rounds are too slow? - Is there unilateral exit for non-bitcoin assets? - If your app only implements the payments part, are you still exposed to the other dynamics? Do I have an answer, or understand the complexities of all this? Certainly not. If you do, congrats, please share. Intuitively, I prefer simpler systems. How do you think about these things?
A bit more work on ArkΓ©, adding wallet creation/import/deletion/backup.
In my Ark prototype, I added this super handy X-Ray screen. Let's you inspect all the underlying data that drives the wallet. Looks like I need to refresh my VTXOs... image
I tinkered with an Ark wallet prototype (second.tech implementation) to get a feel for the squishy parts of the protocol. Here's a demo video and some questions that came up. Maybe some of you have answers?
Big thing I appreciate about AI assisted coding is that you can keep your brain focused on the architectural level. It really takes care of the small stuff.
So cool to see the Saving Satoshi workshops happen.
Any preference for AI icons? image (Just having fun, these will not go into the icon set)
Pretty amazing what you can do in a day with €0.5 worth of Claude Sonnet 4 credits via Github Copilot in Visual Studio Code. Man do I wish that these workflows were also available for design tasks.
Two more icons from these explorations. image