IOTA Upgrades to Chrysalis 1.5, Inches Closer to Complete Decentralization

The IOTA development team has completed the Chrysalis Phase 1 update as per a tweet posted on Aug 19. Because of changes made to the Coordinator’s main address, users are now urged to restart the desktop version of the Trinity Wallet and the Hornet 0.5.0 using the –overwriteCooAddress command. 

Chrysalis 1.5 Upgrade

This is a colossal move and a step in the right direction for IOTA. It has been under fire in recent times, heavily criticized for running a centralized coordinator, four years after launching. 

Although the team and David Sønstebø had previously said the deactivation of the coordinator (Coordicide) was their main objective, it demands a meticulous approach given how vital it is to the IOTA network. 

Chrysalis, or IOTA 1.5, is just the first step that will now build the launching pad for a smooth transition to IOTA 2.0, or Coordicide.

Changes Made

Before today’s activation, Chrysalis components had been implemented in the Hornet node and deployed to the Comnet network. 

From preliminary stress test results, the network could process over 1,500 TPS with over 1,000 CTPS. Transactions posted on the Comnet network could also be confirmed after 10 seconds. 

Notably, there are various changes made concerning the APIs of the Hornet nodes. These tweaks are the sole reasons why full node operators ought to upgrade to smoothly access the network. 

For instance, the checkConsistency API call has been removed while the attachToTangle “mwm” parameter is now optional. There is also a new getTipInfo that returns whether a transaction is confirmed, conflicting, should be promoted, or reattached as per the latest update published on Aug 13.

Getting Closer to Coordicide and IOTA Decentralization

Today’s activation is, therefore, a huge milestone for IOTA and its attempts to systematically upgrade. 

The decentralization — split into three phases: Pollen, Nectar, and Honey, will eventually culminate into Coordicide which is padded by Chrysalis, an intermediate phase setting the ball rolling. 

Even though the team has activated Chrysalis 1.5, work on version 2 is ongoing. Developers are currently working on wallet updates, network specifications, and implementations with the team urging participation. 

Crucially, their RFC will go a long way acting as initial protocol specifications for the expected changes set for 2021.

Ahead of today’s upgrade, BTCManager reported that EDAG’s CityBot will use IOTA coins for payments