Smart on the side

With most of the Data set apart.

Hive Side Chain {HSC}

Is running a Virtual Machine a good idea for the Hive (block)chain? The main principle would be that a compiled program would run at a certain address on Hive. Where an API would be used to communicate with it. Basically it can work in a sense like hive-... type addresses. For this specific reason it could be added to the Hive system as a hsvm-... {Hive Smart Virtual Machine} type address even though it might not even run on the same witness servers as the main chain. Preferably even not, as this could take quite a hit on the performance of the main Hive chain. This idea of running the 'smart' part on a side chain is not uncommon. And it could even be extended to a data storage service, where IPFS gets wrapped in with Hive. But no need to be a Hive main blockchain witness to run a Hive DSS or a Hive SVM {Smart Virtual Machine}.

The smart contract for the HSVM would be stored in a (new) Hive address. Even the script could reside there for everybody to see. Compilation will be done by the side chain computers. On the condition that it was without errors and considered safe. That would add an extra security level. Because there will be attempts to exploit this system. Although this will need extra CPU resources, it might be worth it. Even for the Hive Smart Virtual Machine service to have a separate computer take care of that. And there has to be a certain level of investment. Like the HSVM address being stacked with a certain amount of Hive Power {HP}. Which in return will give SRC {Smart Resource Credits}. In case of the Hive Data Storage Service, this would be DRC {Data Resource Credits} (Also suggesting a separate unique Hive address to handle it.)

Cross my palm with silver

For Hive to become a unique substantive media and application platform {MAP} this could be the next step. Not put it all on the same blockchain, but use a flexible side chain construction. With the idea of data connected to a unique address it is also possible to have certain Hive members, a community, or smart contracts, to only be able to use the data. And this could be connected to a smart contract running on the Hive Smart Virtual Engine. It could even serve video, decentralized, but that might even need another side chain setup. As it needs a lot of computing and network resources. These need not to be run by witnesses, but they could add this to their Hive services they want to offer. All at a certain cost. Because some of these services will weight in heavily.

It might be essential for this to function to add another Token of Resource kind of Credit to the Hive main system. HONEY might be a nice name for that. Besides Hive Power at stake it might need some HONEY to get the Drones (the services running Hive SVM and DSS) offer their services. Or it might be SUGAR, whatever fits the idea. Those could be just names for the type of Resource Credits needed for the SVM and DSS services. SUGAR Tokens for the DSS and HONEY for the SVM. Where HONEY will be much more expensive than SUGAR. Where the goal is that although the staked HP is making sure that there is a certain amount of SUGAR or HONEY RCs available, in times of extra need it can be bought. (Without adding HP, burning Hive in the proces.)

The side chains need to offer some kind of rewarding system for the service providers. And they have to proof their capability {POC}. Meaning their uptime, connection speed and so on have to be checked, automated. Also, to secure the network and the side chains, just pulling out, to drain the system, will block any payout that was not part of the vested Tokens. It might be way more easy to serve as a Drone offering a DSS, but that does not mean it is something like easy in, earn a quick buck and pull out. Therefor data has to be copied among a minimum of DSS Drones. Same goes for the SVM, because if one crashes, or cannot handle a certain script, it needs to be taken over by another Drone. And these services have to get rewarded for it.

The Hive Swarm system

What could be considered the most simple kind of script? No, not 'Hello World', but something like a Random number generator, maybe. Or a simple oracle system. Mainly to run on a testnet and see how the performance goes. Before even thinking about a complete game with its own NFT running on the Hive SVM using the Hive DSS for storage. The Hive main blockchain storing Hashes and Readable Scripts, also functioning as a version controller. To have the main Hive blockchain system run all of that is like using a computer with a single core CPU. While those times are way behind us, so are systems running on a single blockchain construction. And Hive already does have side chained systems. Of which some, if not all, could become a fully integrated part of the Swarm, where the main Hive blockchain is the Queen.

Why even bother? Well, lately I did notice some projects moving over to other platforms. Where some of those use transaction systems that need some kind of 'fuel'. (Which had me curse a lot of times because I am used to the Hive way.) It is perfectly okay to do so. And even if some projects move over completely, like we have seen happen before, that is the way it goes. But, it also might be a signal, something to consider for near future developments. And that might be that Hive is a kind of platform to launch a project perfectly and then move on to other places. Even wanting to stay connected, but at some point that might become too complex for a project to grow. But, what if Hive was to be extended with side chained additions like a Smart Virtual Machine and a Data Storage Service?

That might be a turning point, making it possible for every project to run on Hive completely. As projects that become a huge succes need to be able to handle that and innovate there might be a moment they have to cut the cord. There is room for improvement, but this is too much for one team to handle, I think. So the main chain stuff needs to be moving on towards HF {Hard Fork} 25 I guess. And maybe it is possible to have two other teams work on the SVM and DSS concepts and how to integrate those with the main Hive Blockchain. A lot of work has already been done by the Hive-Engine team, on the Smart part for instance. Maybe it is relatively easy to join the both as part of the Swarm. One thing is for sure, with some stuff like SVM and DSS, the price of HIVE will rocket into deep-space. What do you think?

Have a great one!

Beezzzy Hive Drone Swarms and their Queen.

Artwork cc-by-sa Oaldamster