Nebulas Technical White Paper Review

Whitepaper version: 1.0 September, 2017.

Built on ground-breaking innovation, Nebulas brings blockchain technology into the 3rd generation.

Nebulas offers two different white papers; while the first is a basic overview, the second is technical.

The technical white paper describes the specifics of the project, and with each part broken down into details, it is not only quite long, it is also considered one of the most technical white paper of any blockchain technology to date. Although detailed information provides transparency and answers questions, many people are finding it difficult to comprehend.

No doubt, most investors are looking for the next hot coin that will provide a good pay day! While I believe that Nebulas can provide just that, I also feel that it is always important to understand what you are investing in. If you take the time to read everything carefully, Nebulas’ technical white paper shows the entire system in its final glory!

Therefore, the comments below compile my analysis of the technical white paper (in combination with other reliable sources). I will also do my best to include the page where you can find these facts in the technical white paper. Therefore, I suggest that rather than taking my word for it, read it for yourself.

Based on pros and cons, let’s break down the primary elements of Nebulas:

Nebulas Rank (NR)

Nebulas Rank (NR) will be the first to integrate search engine capability into blockchain. In other words, Nebulas Rank is the protocol responsible for making search engine a viable element in the blockchain. Right off the bat, let’s address an important question, "What good is a ranking system inside a blockchain?"

Currently, there is no way to search the blockchain for meaningful data (other than simple transactions), and, therefore, it’s impossible to find dApps or locate smart contracts. If this doesn’t sound like a big deal, imagine trying to search the internet without google or some other search engine – it would be impossible!

Just as the first internet search engine evolved the internet into what it is today, the first blockchain search engine will inevitably evolve blockchain. Not only a stepping stone for the future of blockchain, we’re talking about a new foundation for blockchain technology.

By providing a blockchain search engine, the Nebulas Ranking system will allow users to locate quality dApps (decentralized apps) and smart contracts. For example, let’s say that you are looking for a dApp like CryptoKitties. No doubt, there could be dozens of similar apps. So, based on multiple data resources, such as blockchain activity, github activity, and even google search history, the ranking algorithm (NR) orders similar apps, and then lists them in a manner that the user can evaluate and select.

Now, can you see why Nebulas is being compared to google?

But, this is only the beginning…. Nebulas Rank is also interwoven into the Developer Incentive Protocol (DIP) and the Proof of Devotion (PoD) Consensus Algorithm. Without Nebulas Rank, these other two elements could not operate as the white paper states.

Based on the current white paper, let’s spotlight some potential negatives about the Nebulas Rank(NR) protocol. However, also keep in mind that these potential issues could be completely eliminated as the project develops (thanks to Nebulas Force – more on this later).

Now the potential negative:

• The search engine will be centralized.[i] While I would prefer a decentralized system to search data, there is a huge technological barrier to accomplish this task presently. Due to databases and data feeds, web pages are constantly changing, and even ads randomly change, and this makes a decentralized search engine a huge undertaking. Imagine if multiple computers have to search all data points and agree on specific data. Not only would it be impossible to form a consensus, it would also take incredible power and bandwidth.
• The search engine will update weekly and be placed into the blockchain.[ii] You may not realize it, but most pages on google are not indexed daily or even weekly. Only the most active pages are crawled often – some are even crawled every few minutes. I know you might think, "Hey, it’s 2018 and I want real time information," but technology is just not there yet. If search data was consistently updated in the Nebulas blockchain, the blockchain would be extremely bloated, and, therefore, real time data is technically illogical at this time.

However, while the white paper describes the search engine being centralized, it also says "In current stage..." Thereby indicating that Nebulas developers have a better solution in the long run. Perhaps a sidechain just for searching? The white paper also states that "the complete code for searching backend is available to the community and third-party developers can create their own searching services on this basis." Hopefully, this will keep the ranking honest.

Since the Nebulas blockchain is based on the Nebulas Rank (NR) system, now that we have highlighted the most important aspects of Nebulas Rank (NR), we can dive deeper into specific functions.

Proof of Devotion (PoD) Consensus Algorithm

In the cryptocurrency world, Proof of work (PoW) means mining. While damaging to the environment, few can argue that this is a terrible waste of natural resources. As an alternative, the cryptocurrency world also has Proof of Stake (PoS). Proof of Stake allows token/coin holders to stake (aka hold un-spendable tokens), and to be rewarded with more tokens when they create a new block. For example, if there are 100 people staking and there are 100 new blocks per hour, every stake will, on average, receive one block reward per hour.

While better for the environment, Proof of Stake creates an imbalance where major coin holders (aka whales) are rewarded with even more coins, and this allows "whales" to stake even more coins (this means that there could be a potential to monopolize the system).

Now, Nebulas brings us Proof of Devotion (PoD)[iii]. As far as I know, there is currently nothing like this in blockchain technology (nor ready to be released). Proof of Devotion essentially awards developers who make awesome things (such as dApps) on the Nebulas blockchain.

If you develop an dApp that’s performing well on the Nebulas network, you will have the option to be a validator (aka validate submitted transactions), and, in return, receive token rewards from the blockchain. To be a validator, you will need to stake (deposit) X amount of tokens. Then, multiple validators (per transaction) will have to agree on the result[iv], and, each will be rewarded 1.5x the amount staked.

The generation of new blocks[v] will be carried out by "highly important" accounts that Nebulas Rank (NR) calculates. As stated in the whitepaper, "PoD empowers the selected accounts to have the bookkeeping right with equal probability to participate in new block generation in order to prevent tilted probability that may bring about monopoly".

The bottom line... when it comes to Proof of Devotion, why use Ethereum to create a dApp when you can create the same dApp on Nebulas and make a profit? Needless to say, this is a huge incentive for developers to make dApps on the Nebulas network, and, consequently, it will increase the value of the network. Furthermore, since Nebulas will provide developer tools, it will be easier to create dApps.

Now the potential negative:

• Although Proof of Devotion gives new developers the potential to profit greatly, it also favors top developers. For example, Gifto[vi] just announced that they will launch on the Nebulas network. At least in the beginning, Gifto will be a powerful contender for other dApp creators.

Because it inspires developers to create awesome dApps, and, at the same time, profit directly from blockchain, I personally love this idea! No longer will dApp creators require insane ICO’s nor will they need some other stream of revenue. However, participating in PoD does not stop developers from benefiting from other income streams. Truly groundbreaking!

Developer Incentive Protocol (DIP)

Not only can Proof of Devotion give incentive to developers, quality developers will also receive extra coins/tokens for their hard work. Based on Nebulas Rank(NR), Nebulas will use an algorithm for reward distribution[vii]. The rewards will be automatically distributed to the smart contract cash-out address every 7 days.

There is really nothing negative to add to this. It’s truly a powerful incentive!

Nebulas Force (NF)

Who needs hard forks? Nebulas Force will allow developers to introduce new features/protocols into the Nebulas blockchain without a fork. The Nebulas white paper calls it "Self-evolving blockchain technology" but I don’t believe this is quite correct. Rather than being self-evolving, it is actually community driven! Because this will build the blockchain community, in my opinion, this is even better!

With other blockchains for example, if a developer has an awesome idea for a dApp but it needs a new protocol that does not exist on any blockchain, the developer would have to centralize the dApp or chuck it altogether.

With Nebulas, new ideas can be developed, and if they provide positive contribution, the Nebulas community (Nebulas token holders) can vote on and approve changes to the network protocol. Once approved, Nebulas developers can add the new protocol into the Nebulas blockchain. Perhaps, further in the development, sub-chains will also support new protocols for full implementation.

Upgradable Smart Contracts

Revolutionary for blockchain, Nebulas Force will include upgradable smart contracts[viii]. Why is this important? Well, due to bugs in smart contracts, investors can lose funds in any blockchain network that uses smart contracts. Once submitted to the blockchain, nothing can be done to fix the bugs, and, as a result, tens of millions of dollars have already been lost.

Nebulas plans to overcome this problem through the implementation of upgradable smart contracts. In a nutshell, token holders will vote on proposed changes (to fix specific bugs), and when the overall vote is affirmative, bugs can be eliminated at any time. By saving investors millions, it will restore lost confidence!

Now the potential negative:

• The Nebulas protocol is only modifiable by the Nebulas core developers. Although this is not really a negative, I would not call it "self-evolving". If you look at Bitcoin, there is a handful of developers responsible for source code, and, subsequently, the source code for all alt coins that use Bitcoin core in some capacity (such as LTC, BCC, BTG, DOGE, etc…)
• The protocol updates will be applied via a hard coded signature into the genesis block[ix] and this means that there is a potential for network compromise.
• Although there are some ethical issues with modifying smart contracts, overall, it is a great idea! Since token holders will have to vote on any changes, there could be an issue with whales (monopoly owners) controlling contracts.

Even with the negatives, this is a powerful feature.

The above includes Nebulas’ most innovative features, and although these features stand out, there is even more to Nebulas:

Anti-cheating algorithms[x]

To ensure fairness, the above protocols contain anti-cheating algorithms that are manipulation resistant, and, if someone is found trying to cheat, there are penalties.

Smart contracts almost anyone can write![xi]

Nebulas will support smart contracts written in Javascript, Python, Java and more! And this means that any coder can create a logical contract!

Full voting protocol[xii]

Since Nebulas includes a full voting protocol in the blockchain, you and I, as token holders, can help decide the direction of Nebulas. As an example, the coin "Decred[xiii]" also has a voting system; giving end-users a voice keeps them engaged.

Domain Name Service[xiv]

Although blockchain users are accustomed to "please send funds to: 0x488B2630CEdB5Bfd5e02c33A3653227170743357", it’s simply not logical. If you miss a letter, change a number, or simply enter an address incompletely, funds are sent into the abyss - forever. To correct this inherent problem, Nebulas will implement the use of "meaningful names." For instance, using a meaningful name, your Nebulas address could be "Rick_Sanchez.me." Users will have the opportunity to bid for requested names, and renew yearly - just like a web based domain name.

Lightning Network[xv]

As many of you probably already know, bitcoin can now use a Lightning Network. This will allow multiple small transactions to be signed without clogging up the blockchain and memory pool. It keeps an open ledger between two entities and can be closed at any time by either party, resulting in one transaction on the network instead of potentially dozens or hundreds.If the Bitcoin network started with the Lightning Network, it would currently be able to handle all transactions per second without any problems. Without the Lightening Network, Bitcoin can only handle 7~ transactions per second (and usually less). With the Lightening Network initially in place, the Nebulas network will be able to handle the required transactions and close the lightning ledgers when requested by users. It would also not cost $20.00++ to send $5.00 nor would it take an hour. I won’t get into the ludicrous prices of Bitcoin transactions fees and how we got here, but if you don’t know much about it, you should learn more. As an important feature of Nebulas, the Lightning Network will provide quick and cheap transactions.

High Strength Encryption

Nebulas uses SHA3-256 encryption. Although you won’t find this in the white paper, SHA3-256 is Highly Quantum Resistant[xvi] - research it yourself. Why is this so important? Well, as an inevitable evolution of quantum computing, previous generations of encryption will be rendered inadequate, and, consequently, susceptible to decryption of private keys. Basically, this means that once quantum computers are developed, you can lose your money in a non-quantum resistant blockchain. Since Quantum Resistance is a very important feature, many new coins (such as the QRL coin[xvii]) are being intentionally created for this purpose.

So, what role does the NAS token play in the network?

Directly from the white paper[xviii]; "The Nebulas network has its own built-in token, NAS. NAS plays two roles in the network. First, as the original money in the network, NAS provides asset liquidity among users, and functions as the incentive token for PoD bookkeepers and DIP. Second, NAS will be charged as the calculation fee for running smart contracts. The minimum unit of NAS is 10−18 NAS." If interested, the white paper goes into detail. If you question the purpose of NAS, simply ask yourself, "What role does ETHER play in the Ethereum network?" As of this writing, ETHER’s current price is $1098.00USD – and that’s not even it’s high. I believe that common sense indicates the potential value of the NAS coin!

Nebulas will have a maximum of 100,000,000 tokens

Many of the top 10 cryptocurrencies will distribute coins/tokens in the tens of billions, and, in fact, Ethereum will have an indefinite amount (albeit, they will taper off in time). However, when there are significantly less coins/tokens, the value of each increases. Treasure each NAS token!

A web-based playground for developer tools[xix]

To help developers create smart contracts easier and faster, Nebulas will offer developer tools. Nebulas will also support multiple IDE’s.Although the list of features and functions goes on, this should give you an overview of what the Nebulas network can do, how it can evolve blockchain technology, and why it will be a very attractive option for future dApps. Having said all this, please be clear, it is not financial advice.Also, keep in mind that the above statements are based on my analysis of the white paper (version: 1.0 September, 2017), but this is not to say that the developers don’t have a different perspective. With that being said, Nebulas staff and co-founder, Robin Zhong, actively responds to questions in their Slack channel. This leads us to a review of the Nebulas team.

The Nebulas Team

When looking at a new, and yet to be released, project, it’s not only important to understand the innovation, it’s also important to understand the team behind the innovation. Although not the largest team, the developers are highly educated with real blockchain experience. In fact, many have worked at Google, IBM, Alibaba, Alibaba financial, Airbnb, etc… Additionally, two Nebulas founders previously co-founded the NEO coin (formerly Antshares) which on January 20, 2018 trades at $140.00 (not even its high) per coin/token.

No doubt, the team is influential in past, current and future blockchain innovation. In fact, playing a huge part in bringing blockchain to China, Hitters Xu created Bitsclub, and many other team members started blockchain communities. If you have not yet learned about the team, I strongly suggest you do. Check out their LinkedIn pages and also look at the developers Githubs.

Full disclosure:

  As a fellow investor and fan of blockchain technology, I got into the crypto world in 2012. Since then, I have mined, traded, and even created an arbitrary trading system. My portfolio includes dozens of different types of tokens/coins. My focus is on innovation rather than "rinse and repeat." As a baseline, the majority of my investments are based on “tech evolution.” I look for developers and concepts that can evolve blockchain technology and optimally improve the world in some way.

I first learned about Nebulas in the beginning of January 2018. After reading the technical white paper multiple times and fully understanding Nebulas (what it is and what it’s not), I confidentially purchased NAS (ERC-20) tokens. As with any great blockchain, Nebulas will not be the last, but it is a crucial step to the next generation of blockchain innovation! Without doubt, I see the true potential of blockchain technology, and, if you ask me, Nebulas is an amazing short, medium and long term project, and I’m excited about the future! 

To quote a Nebulas founder, "Ask not what blockchain can do for you, ask what you can do for blockchain..." - Hitters Xu 

To all readers, if you know of any lesser-known coins that evolve blockchain technology or optimally improve the world in some way, please let me know, and if it looks interesting, I’ll provide a technical review.    

To learn more about Nebulas, visit https://nebulas.io/

References

View Technical Whitepaper at https://nebulas.io/docs/NebulasTechnicalWhitepaper.pdf

i: Tech White Paper Page 41 – 6.2

ii: Tech White Paper Page 24 – Last bullet point

iii: Tech White Paper Page 34 - 5.3.1

iv: Tech White Paper Page 35 – 3.3.3

v: Tech White Paper Page 34 – 5.3.1

vi: Visit https://gifto.io/ for more info – Watch the video for an example of what Nebulas will do.

vii: Tech White Paper Page 30 – 4.2

viii: Tech White Paper Page 27 – 3.3.2

ix: Tech White Paper Page 26 – Paragraph2

x: Many locations in the tech whitepaper – There are many parts of the white paper that talk about anti-cheating in different capacities.

xi: Tech White Paper Page 26 – 3.3.1

xii: Many locations in the tech whitepaper – There are many parts of the white paper that talk about voting in different capacities.

xiii: Visit https://decred.org/ for more information. For full disclosure, I do own DCR and stake them.

xiv: Tech White Paper Page 45 – 7.1

xv: Tech White Paper Page 45 – 7.2

xvi: Visit https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/18/sha3256_good_for_beelions_of_years_say_boffins/ for more information.

xvii: Visit https://www.theqrl.org for more information. And yes, for full disclosure, I like this project as well, and have invested post ICO.

xviii: Tech White Paper Page 47 - 8

xix: Tech White Paper Page 46 – 7.3