Cartesi (CTSI)

1. What is Cartesi (CTSI)?

• Cartesi - The Blockchain OS is a decentralized Layer-2 infrastructure that supports Linux and mainstream software components. For the first time, developers can code scalable smart contracts with rich software tools, libraries, and the services they're used to, bridging the gap between mainstream software and blockchain.

• Cartesi is enabling millions of new startups and their developers to use The Blockchain OS and bring Linux applications on board. With a groundbreaking virtual machine, optimistic rollups, and side-chains, Cartesi paves the way for developers of all kinds, to build the next generation of blockchain apps.

2. Components of The Blockchain OS

• Cartesi Machine: As a virtual machine, it was designed to bring mainstream scalability to DApps and mainstream productivity to DApp developers.

• Cartesi Rollups: Allow smart contracts to run off-chain on Cartesi Machines. Since these support Linux, developers have the option to dispense with Solidity and the limitations of the EVM to create smart contracts with myriad mainstream software stacks, toolchains, standard libraries, file systems, and other OS resources.

• Noether: A high-performance side chain for data availability which will act as The Blockchain OS’ storage and memory.

  • The Noether side chain is designed for temporary data availability, allowing DApps to achieve high throughput and storage of large files with reduced fees.
  • Noether's Proof of Stake system is currently live and running. Users can stake their CTSI and earn mine rewards to participate in Cartesi's growing network of validators.
  • Cartesi also has a design of a novel staking system that will later be implemented.

3. Existing DApps and Cartesi Labs

3.1 Cartesi Labs

Cartesi Labs is a program run by the Cartesi Foundation to fund research and to develop a decentralized system with our technology stack with The Blockchain OS. From the tech pioneer to the daring developer, Cartesi grants aim to foster the adoption of developers, grow the The Blockchain OS ecosystem, and support our community.

3.2 Cartesi’s Computational Oracle

Cartesi's computational oracle (previously called Descartes) is a decentralized computational oracle for Ethereum which will be migrated to become a feature of Cartesi Rollups.

Cartesi’s computational oracle executes massive computational tasks off-chain, on a Linux virtual machine fully specified by a smart contract. The results of the computations are fully verifiable and enforceable on-chain, preserving the strong security guarantees of the underlying blockchain.

3.3 Genesis apps on The Blockchain OS

Cartesi’s genesis DApps were built on top of early showcases of Cartesi’s technology or Cartesi’s computational oracle (previously known as Descartes).

• Creepts: Creepts is a decentralized tower defense game built by Cartesi to showcase an early version of Cartesi's core technology.

• Creol: An IoT commercial building control system that carbon offsets itself in realtime to be a carbon-neutral building control system. Creol is implementing Cartesi in their IoT devices to ensure that building stats measurements and computations are verifiable and securely inserted on Ethereum. Integrating Cartesi with their hardware is rendering their IoT system more resilient and fraud-proof.

• SimThunder: Working to make sim racing more fun and realistic with NFTs and a marketplace, including private content sharing. SimThunder is using Cartesi as a way to ensure a marketplace for NFTs while maintaining privacy for items that have been shared. With the Descartes SDK, the SimThunder marketplace allows parties to securely trade NFTs and valuable contents.

• Carti: An infrastructure project that aims to bring a packaging technology to life on Cartesi. The objective is to allow developers to have programmatic access to retrieve Cartesi Machines, leading to a better development experience.

• Texas HODL’em: Texas HODL’em brings back safety to the online poker table. It is the first fully decentralized heads up poker game, built with mainstream cryptographic algorithms and software stacks.

4. Token sales and economics

4.1 Key metrics

4.2 Token supply distribution

• Launchpad Sale tokens comprise 10.00% of the total token supply.
• Seed Sale tokens comprise 2.00% of the total token supply.
• Private Sale tokens comprise 5.00% of the total token supply.
• Strategic Sale tokens comprise 0.67% of the total token supply.
• Team tokens comprise 15.00% of the total token supply.
• Advisors tokens comprise 2.11% of the total token supply.
• Foundation Reserve tokens comprise 40.22% of the total token supply.
• Mining Reserve tokens comprise 25.00% of the total token supply.

CTSI token distribution (%)

4.3 Token governance and use of funds

The Cartesi team releases regular transparency reports that include details on the foundation unlocks and where the CTSI is spent or allocated for governance purposes. The reports can be viewed via the transparency section on their blog here.

The Cartesi team also plans to introduce token inflation for staking rewards in the future, which is yet to be finalized, and not presented in the following chart. More details on the CTSI macroeconomy article can be reviewed here. CTSI will have no inflation until the mine reserve is completely depleted, which will happen no earlier than 2023.

CTSI token release schedule

4.4 CTSI token overview and use-cases

The token for The Blockchain OS has been designed to overcome the problems of scalability and inconvenience of blockchain applications. CTSI is the fuel of the network. When you use and stake CTSI, you collaborate with decentralization, security, and convenience for The Blockchain OS.

• CTSI is a utility token that functions as a crypto-fuel for Noether:
  • Stakers receive CTSI rewards by staking their tokens and participating in the network.
  • Node runners are selected randomly according to a PoS system, and gain the right to create the next block.
  • Users of the network pay fees in CTSI tokens to insert data on the side-chain.
• CTSI also plays a role with Descartes Rollups.
  • Validators will receive CTSI from applications and users when they provide their service for Cartesi Rollups applications.
  • Read here for the team's documentation on the Cartesi Network and CTSI Token.

5. Project team

Please refer to the official site for the full list of team members.

6. Roadmap, updates, and business development

6.1 Original roadmap and achievements

6.2 Updated roadmap

• Cartesi has released an updated roadmap for 2022, which can be read in depth here.

6.3 Commercial partnerships and business development progress

A full list of updates on the current status of contributors can be seen via Cartesi’s website.

Recent and significant partnerships include:

• Avalanche: Cartesi is integrating its layer-2 infrastructure with Avalanche (AVAX), enabling a Linux environment for smart contracts and higher computational scalability. Upon completion, developers building on Avalanche can implement contracts using mainstream software stacks supported by Linux. Software developers will be able to build smart contracts with uncountable software components supported by Linux.
• Binance Smart Chain: Cartesi partnered with Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to allow advanced smart contract capabilities and massive computation for dApps atop the Binance Smart Chain. Binance Smart Chain is a highly scalable blockchain that supports smart contracts and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) programmability, featuring high TPS (transactions per second), and fast decentralized trading with low fees.
• Elrond: Cartesi partnered with Elrond Network to integrate optimistic rollups for high computational scalability and enabling a Linux runtime for smart contracts. Cartesi will expand the array of possibilities for smart contract developers building on Elrond, who will be able to use mainstream software stacks supported by Linux. Besides the advantages of higher productivity given by the vast software ecosystem of the world’s prevailing OS, smart contracts on Elrond will be complemented by massive off-chain computational throughput.
• Polygon (Previously Matic Network) : Cartesi partnered with Polygon to enable greater responsiveness, faster transaction processing and lower transaction fees for dApps created on Cartesi. As part of Cartesi’s ongoing plan to have Cartesi dApps provide a seamless user and developer experience, Cartesi was also pleased to announce that their Creepts dApp was successfully tested on Polygon’s testnet. Polygon will also be exploring using Cartesi for their Plasma exits.

Community and social channels

Twitter (English)
Discord
Telegram (English)
Telegram Announcement (English)
Reddit (English)
Facebook (English)
Linkedin (English)
YouTube (English)

International channels

Telegram (Arabic)
Telegram (Brazil)
Telegram (Chinese)
Telegram (Indian)
Telegram (Indonesian)
Telegram (Japanese)
Telegram (Korean)
Telegram (Phillipines)
Telegram (Russian)
Telegram (Turkish)
Telegram (Ukrainian)
Telegram (Vietnamese)

7. Appendix

Documents

• Website
• Medium
• Github
• Cartesi Explorer
• Documentation