As we approach the end of the launch phase at the Hemis project, we’re excited to share some key updates and enhancements that are part of our Q2 2024 development roadmap. Each step we take is a reflection of our commitment to our community and our mission to lower barriers to entry in blockchain gaming.
Here’s what we are working on and why these updates are crucial for our project.
Minor Wallet Release with Dedicated Node in Africa
This week, we are pleased to announce an upcoming minor release of the Hemis wallet. This update is directly inspired by the feedback we received about the slower synchronization times experienced by our users in Africa. To address this, we are setting up a dedicated Hemis wallet node in a data center located in Lagos, Nigeria. This strategic addition aims to significantly improve service for our West African users.
Plans are also in place to establish another node in Cape Town to better serve our Southern African community. While we are eager to expand similar support to East Africa, we are currently exploring viable hosting options in the region. These steps are vital as they enhance user experience and ensure that our platform remains robust and accessible, especially in areas with high community engagement but potentially lower technological infrastructure.
Poor Hemis wallet performance in your region? Let us know! If we can put a Hemis node there, we will!
Electrum Wallet Infrastructure and Trezor Support
By the end of Q2, we anticipate substantial progress in our wallet infrastructure. The Electrum SPV (Simplified Payment Verification) infrastructure is already configured and operational, paving the way for the integration of future technologies including mobile wallets, Trezor, and gaming applications.
An SPV wallet is a wallet that can transact tokens without having a full copy of the blockchain stored locally. This development is particularly important for members of our community who may not have access to a PC, allowing them to manage their HMS tokens without needing to rely on exchanges. Having a working SPV wallet infrastructure also brings us one step closer to being able to offer our blockchain gaming features via mobile app.
Additionally, our desktop lite wallet has been tested and is fully functional, which will be especially beneficial for users with lower-spec PCs that have limited storage capacity. This development ensures that more individuals can securely send and receive HMS tokens with minimal hardware requirements.
We are also integrating support for Trezor hardware wallets, enhancing security for long-term holders of HMS tokens.
While not previously announced, we are excited about a surprise release planned for later in Q2 or early Q3 that will support our goals of enhancing accessibility and convenience. This forthcoming addition underscores our commitment to our core mission of reducing barriers to entry and improving user experience across the board.
We would like to say thank you to @ahmedbodi who helped us get past a particularly complicated issue that we experienced. If you are interested in how he solved the problem, Ahmed has written this excellent blog post about his efforts. https://it4f.co.uk/2024/05/05/porting-electrum-to-hemis/
Hemis Discord Tipbot
With a huge thank you to @oneofdev for his hard work, the Hemis Discord tipbot was designed, coded and released a few weeks ago and has been a big success, distributing thousands of HMS tokens within our community and helping drive engagement.
Public Testnet and Community Empowerment
Looking forward, we are preparing to announce our public testnet soon. This platform is critical as we gear up for the release of our Gamemaster nodes in Q3. The testnet will not only allow us to fine-tune our system with larger scale testing but will also enable our community to become well-versed in Hemis blockchain operations, equipping community members to truly engage and participate on a technical level in the future.
Our objective is to cultivate a community of experts who are empowered with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively run games and applications on our platform. We believe that by investing in our community’s expertise, we can foster an environment full of development opportunities.