Today, we are thrilled to release the RSS3 Alpha Mainnet.
If you haven’t read through the RSS3 Mainnet series before, now it’s a good time to catch up:
If you are only looking for core links regarding Alpha Mainnet, check out this linktree.
As the first step toward Production Mainnet, Alpha Mainnet brings so much onto the table. All of these introduced components are essential for constructing this Open Network - we will be covering the most important parts here in this blog and also introducing some useful links to help you better navigate the Alpha Mainnet.
Explorer
One of the best ways to interact with the Alpha Mainnet is through the RSS3 Explorer. To be clear, while the whole explorer here is built by our core developers, this may not, and should not be, the only channel for interacting with the RSS3 Network. We expect community developers to experiment with innovative alternative ways to navigate the RSS3 Network. However, always proceed with caution when using any third-party applications to explore the RSS3 Network.
While the explorer is simple and clear enough, we have prepared a starter guide for you to better interact with it–credit to @songkeys.
Alpha VSL
While major upgrades on the RSS3 Data Sublayer (DSL) are scheduled to happen with the upcoming Beta Mainnet, the RSS3 Value Sublayer (VSL) is now operational. The VSL is now the only EVM Layer 2 focusing on AI and Open Information.
For the Alpha Mainnet, VSL is a Layer 2 built with adjusted OP Stack. It is the environment where the RSS3 Mainnet Tokenomics live, and also the environment for developers to deploy AI and information-related dApps. We expect AI models, prompts, vector databases, training histories, query payments, ownership-driven trading and more to take place on VSL.
To gain an overview of the fundamentals behind VSL and how it is going to evolve with the next stages of the Mainnet, check out our whitepaper.
To view the activities on VSL, see VSL Scan.
Alpha Nodes
Alpha Nodes are now available to all—this means you can choose to start an Alpha Node, delegate to an Alpha Node, or both. Note that during the Alpha Mainnet, Alpha Nodes are rewarded but do not actually contribute to the information network. Contribution will be gradually introduced with the Beta and Production Mainnet.
- To start an Alpha Node, check out the strategy overview here with the example of Alice
- To learn how to set up a node, see node setup manual
- To understand the reward mechanism, see Tokenomics
Delegations
One can now easily delegate $RSS3 to a given Alpha Node. However, note that before the Production Mainnet, you won’t be able to make withdrawals from your delegations. However, you can always trade Chips, which we will explain in the next section.
- To gain a clear sense of how delegation works and how to pick a node to stake, see the example of Bob
- To understand how delegation affects reward allocations, see Tokenomics
Chips
When you stake tokens to a given node, you will be minting Chips - these cute monster Chips are essentially proof of your delegation. Once the Production Mainnet is live, you will be able to burn these Chips to redeem $RSS3. Every node has different frames for its chips, and using your Chip as your PFP on social media can showcase your node to others and allow peers to identify your node and delegate to your node to support it.
Chips, by their nature, almost always appreciate in terms of $RSS3. So, hypothetically, early delegation will likely yield a higher return in $RSS3.
Chips are NFTs and are, therefore, tradable. While there is no NFT marketplace at the moment, we expect this to be built by the community - let us know if you are interested in building on Chips.
Bridge
Of course, to join the Tokenomics for Alpha Mainnet, you will need $RSS3 on VSL. One should find the VSL bridge easy to navigate.
Portfolio
Lastly, if you want to check what you’ve got on the RSS3 VSL, it’s very easy with Portfolio:
Conclusion
It wasn’t easy to build out the RSS3 Mainnet - but the Alpha Mainnet is only the end of the beginning. Now, it’s a new era for RSS3 and Open Information.
Special thanks to our core team, who sacrificed so much to make this happen. Special thanks to our supporters and backers, who’ve been here since day 1. And most importantly, special thanks to our community - yeah, there have been ups and downs, but we’ve come so far.
轻舟已过万重山
(Our light boat has gone by many fold mountains)
–All the best
