AMA Recap: September 7 2018

🔗Question 1:

Elaborate on the possible second round of founding node lottery. What is the reason behind it? Is there a need for a quick controlled growth of the DADI network due to high load? Or simply to satisfy the unlucky ones from first round?

Joseph Denne:
This is mainly about the large volume of applicants versus the initial number of devices we had allocated to give away. At sign off of the pre-production units we had an opportunity to extend the production run a little, so we took it – and that gives us more devices to give to our (hugely supportive and very lovely) community. Plus, of course, the more devices connected to the network, the better.

🔗Question 2:

Does DADI Store spread out files to hosts? Does that mean that it would be beneficial to have a lot of disk space on my hosts?

James Lambie:
In the first iteration of Store, when files are added they will be spread out amongst a selection of trusted nodes and then when requested by a consumer they will be transferred from the closest of those nodes that has the data, potentially passing through a series of closer nodes where the data will be cached along the way. The amount of storage space on a node given over to the capacity requirements of Store will be configurable.

🔗Question 3:

Is it likely that the minimum specs for Hosts/Gateway/Stargates might become higher in the future? Context: for those of us looking to acquire hardware.

Arthur Mingard:
In the long term, specs will naturally increase in line with more demanding dApps. If you’re looking to support the network with spare computational capacity with a personal laptop or desktop, it’s more likely that you’ll upgrade the machine long before there’s a significant reduction in earning potential.

🔗Question 4:

The global distribution plan gives me hope. Will you be giving a breakdown of how many nodes allocated per region? I am particularly interested in Middle East.

Paul Regan:
Yes, a full explorer is being built into the platform. But for now, you can see an indication of spread for Founding Nodes applications here: https://dadi.cloud/en/updates/announcements/founding-node-lottery-update/ – it gives a promising insight into how well distributed interest is for our project. TL;DR we are super-optimistic. 🙂

🔗Question 5:

Is there a plan to launch branded hardware which can be loaded with DADI tokens to act as Nodes or specialized devices to do advanced processing?

Joseph Denne:
Yes. We’re pretty advanced in our planning on this front, both in terms of design and in terms of processing approach. I’ll go as far as saying that we are working with an OEM for the production of custom boards, and that we have a test bed for our next device in hand.

🔗Question 6:

Will Store be available on various devices (Windows, MacOS, iPhone, Android) so one can access his/her files from everywhere? Similar to Microsoft OneDrive?

James Lambie:
Yes, this is the intention. Timing is still TBC, but we’re working on the basis of this happening in 2019.

🔗Question 7:

Please also explain your plan for security of data on DADI Store. Thanks.

James Lambie:
Store’s first iteration is much like a Dropbox alternative. Your data is chunked and stored and put back together when you request it. A future iteration may allow you to give others access to view the data. In terms of security of the data on the Hosts themselves, the same is true for Store as it is for the other dApps running in the network - data is encrypted, with relevant security keys stored in allocate private regions, or secure enclaves.

🔗Question 8:

Can I use DADI Store as a Dropbox alternative? Will my data be safe and private? What about pricing?

James Lambie:
For the first part, see previous question! Pricing information for using Store will be released in due course, but will vary based on whether it is used as a standalone service or in conjunction with other dApps.

🔗Question 9:

Will GPUs be used in nodes? If so, only in hosts or other nodes as well?

Arthur Mingard:
Yes, depending on the applications that have been deployed to the Host machine. dApps that require more GPU power will prioritize distribution to machines that meet their requirements.

🔗Question 10:

What are your estimates for node numbers, (Stargate, Gateways and Hosts) during the controlled onboarding Beta phase?

Arthur Mingard:
21 Stargates in the backbone, 21 Gateways, 250 staking Hosts and 300 non-staking.

🔗Question 11:

Lots of SaaS vendors don’t allow integration with premise applications. Will DADI help bridge the gap and allow integration and make this easier?

Adam Dean:
This depends on the third-party software. Apps running on DADI will appear the same as apps running on another provider such as Heroku. If you can integrate with these via the web, then you will be able to integrate with them on the DADI network.

🔗Question 12:

Are there any plans for DADI technology to be used as a game server? Would it even work with a decentralized model?

Arthur Mingard:
Game servers are a great example of a decentralized network use-case. An increased availability of geographically distributed points-of-presence is key in latency reduction and resilient failover.

Paul Regan:
Plus… we are in active discussion with an online multiplayer VR startup. 🙂

🔗Question 13:

Do you plan to have funding to incentivize developers that want to build more apps on top of the Network?

Joseph Denne:
We’re actively exploring this, but it will be tied to the availability of the marketplace, enabling new dApps to be launched and monetized by third parties. For the time being we are working with partners to build out new dApps, supporting the work through commitments of time and co-marketing.

🔗Question 14:

How is it going with building up the sales team? Status, progress, new partners? How can we as token holders help to invite businesses and website owners to move to DADI services?

Joseph Denne:
Very well! Definition around our channel strategy is complete and we are well advanced in spinning up our supporting functions. Referral programmes for the crypto, developer and agency communities will be coming online soon. This is in support of both customer and contributor referrals.

🔗Question 15:

Why are we sending tokens to the smart contract and not using private wallets on the DADI network instead where we can retain control over our tokens even though we are staking?

James Lambie:
The DADI network needs a level of commitment above “traditional” POS networks. Nodes need to be online for a significant amount of time to ensure performance. To help with this we are locking tokens, meaning that once you have staked, you cannot withdraw them for a period of time. We can only lock your tokens in a wallet that you don’t have direct control over.

The process of staking sends staked tokens back to the originating contract. This has the effect of reducing circulating supply - updated on CoinMarketCap and elsewhere. And reduction in available supply is a central pillar of the tokenomics of the platform.

🔗Question 16:

Please elaborate on how DADI is powered by blockchain technology. It is clear that payments, rewards and staking is done with the DADI ERC-20 token but what else is there? Is the DADI mainnet having some kind of blockchain internally?

James Lambie:
The core to the platform is the creation of a marketplace that enables a radically localised network, built using spare capacity on commodity devices. Without the blockchain there would be no network: the technology is at the heart of DADI. We are also using the blockchain for specific functionality in the delivery and tracking of content in the network.

🔗Question 17:

Is there any specific reason for the order in which the DADI dApps are being released?

Joseph Denne:
We factor a diverse range of factors in our roadmap planning, from market entry ease (CDN is an easier market to enter than APIs for example), to technology complexity to existing customer demand.

🔗Question 18:

What type of hardware would be needed to support AI computation in the network in the future when a partner like Agorai launches its marketplace on the network? I assume a Raspberry Pi wouldn’t be the most optimal choice.

Arthur Mingard:
It depends on the specific use case. In general, deep learning requires high specification GPU resource. As more complex and resource intensive applications are deployed into the network we’ll be introducing benchmarking tools to identify the optimum purpose of service hardware. As requirements evolve, so too will the incentive to contribute computational power in support of them.

🔗Question 19:

If DADI changes the staking requirements in the future due to token price increase or supply issues, will excess POS be unlocked for withdraw by existing node holders?

James Lambie:
Yes, this is a likely scenario.

🔗Question 20:

It’s been several months now since DADI listed on a new exchange. Is there any update with LBX? Why aren’t we applying for the Binance community vote?

James Lambie:
The bottom line here is that of you want to purchase DADI, there are channels through which you can do so. So, there’s no rush to new exchanges. However, we do have an exchange relationship manager and we do have a number of channels of communication open.

🔗Question 21:

Is DADI Store still on track for release by the end of this quarter? Do you have any clients lined up to use it once it goes live?

James Lambie:
Yes. Store works with other DADI dApps, meaning that it will be supporting CDN early in its lifecycle. We have customers in place for this production use case.

🔗Question 22:

How is DADI planning to compete against the economy of scale that AWS and Azure have that makes them so cheap? How are we certain that DADI is going to be cheaper, with price being a true selling proposition?

Arthur Mingard:
Whenever possible, the DADI network swaps dedicated hardware for redundancy. Spare computational power has a negligible cost, so rather than paying for infrastructure in expensive and often remote locations, we’re challenging the traditional cloud model with a much smarter appropriation of resources, with better reach, availability and resilience.

It’s also important to remember that DADI radically localizes the Cloud - it’s really not directly comparable with AWS form a network perspective. AWS doesn’t have a single point of presence in Africa for example, whereas we already do.

🔗Question 23:

I would like to know if the winners of the Founding Nodes also receive the software which you can use to deploy on VPS or others – just to make sure that we have fallback nodes.

Arthur Mingard:
The Founding Nodes come pre-installed with everything you need and will update automatically. We will therefore not be providing this software separately, however we will be providing the software installer ahead of public rollout.

🔗Question 24:

What is the status of the Agorai implementation? And what will the difference be comparing to other AI projects such as SONM?

Joseph Denne:
Well, Agorai is an advanced AI business with significant funding and the backing of public bodies, including the UK government. They are a very serious business, something that sets them apart from just about everyone else purporting to be working on AI in crypto. Their work is ongoing and they will be reporting to market to their own schedule, but from what I’ve seen, they are making great strides.

🔗Question 25:

May we ask financial standing on DADI? What happened to funds raised in ICO, are they still in ETH or converted to fiat? If converted, how much %?

Joseph Denne:
I’m ideologically aligned with CZ on this one (read: https://twitter.com/cz_binance/status/1036896571764293632). The vast majority of our funds are in crypto. We convert OTC for the payment of items that we have to pay in fiat as and when we need to.

🔗Question 26:

Do Founding Nodes come with enough storage? Or do we need to add an additional hard drive?

Adam Dean:
Yes, they come with everything they need on board. You won’t need to install anything. Plug & play.

🔗Question 27:

Would an occasional change in IP address of my host node be a problem? Will using pfSense firewall create issues for hosts? Do you recommend connecting directly to the internet?

Adam Dean:
For Host nodes, a dynamic IP address will not present any issues. So long as your firewall is configured to allow outbound connections, and your machine has access to the internet, there should be no problems.

🔗Question 28:

How many host nodes can one household/individual run at a time?

Arthur Mingard:
There are no strict limitations, however a higher latency or lower performing node will lead to a drop in perceived value so it’s important to get the right balance. We’ll be introducing tools to help make this sort of decision.

🔗Question 29

Node earnings are calculated as return on stake. Is this the key factor in pricing for Customers? Why and how does pricing for Customers change?

James Lambie:
Customer pricing is pegged to USD and benchmarked against the wider marketplace.

🔗Question 30:

Where are we on collaborating with virtual masternode hosting websites like WireHive or using VPS for nodes?

James Lambie:
Efforts on this front are ongoing. We have working nodes for all of the major VPS providers and will be providing how-to articles in due course.