Ep 63 - A Deeper Look at Building Blockchains, Algorithms and Proofs

LAB Radio

Derek Sorensen, Pyrofex Research Mathematician

Derek Sorensen is a Pyrofex Research Mathematician, has an MSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Oxford and is set to start his PhD this fall at the University of Cambridge, where he will study logic and topology.

"I'm a motivated mathematician who wants to solve new and exciting problems. I thrive in a challenging and changing environment, as a boring routine can seem a bit soul-sucking to me. I have learned programming languages, software programs, organizational structures and spoken languages in the past to solve problems and am willing to learn about anything to address new and changing circumstances I'm placed in. Challenges are exciting to me and I'm always looking for something bigger and better to sink my teeth into." Source

On this episode of LAB Radio, Aaron Mangal asked Derek all kinds of deep math questions like: What are proofs and algorithms? What are they for? What are some non-crypto use cases and of course what are the Crypto uses?

Who is Pyrofex? A Utah-based Blockchain Startup Founded by ex-Googlers

As stated on their website:

"Pyrofex Corporation is Utah Valley’s first blockchain and cryptocurrency startup. Founded in the Spring of 2016 by ex-Googlers Mike Stay and Nash Foster, Pyrofex works hard to create the next generation of blockchain platforms, applications, and development tools. With its headquarters in the Riverwoods area of Provo, UT, Pyrofex has grown from a pair of co-founders to a team of around two dozen professionals. Our focus is on reliably delivering high-quality work and our reputation bears that out. Pyrofex was founded by mathematicians and computer scientists who wanted to build an engineering first company. One that hires special talent, gives them difficult and interesting work, and the tools and support to succeed."

CDelta is a Blockchain built on their custom-made protocol, Cassanova

CDelta is a proof of stake based Blockchain focused on high speed transactions and throughput for financial transactions. They custom built Cassanova, a leaderless optimistic pre-Nakamoto consensus protocol which is what CDelta runs on.

"Pyrofex introduces Casanova, a leaderless optimistic consensus protocol designed for use in the blockchain contexts. Casanova produces blocks in a directed acyclic graph (DAG) rather than in a chain and combines voting rounds with block production by singling out conflicting transactions.

C∆’s physical network achieves unparalleled performance by mirroring the shape of the Internet itself. Using a tiered network architecture, local validators connect to backbone validators with guaranteed priority bandwidth. Using this architecture, C∆ ensures the fastest block propagation and the lowest transaction confirmation latencies.

C∆ is unique among blockchains. Most blockchains are stuck finding a total ordering of all the world’s transactions. This process is very slow because every block requires an expensive consensus-finding protocol. Using Casanova and a simple UTXO transaction model, the C∆ blockchain eliminates this work and finalizes most transactions immediately. Only when a user attempts to double-spend does C∆ perform expensive and slow consensus finding. As a result of this innovation, C∆ confirms most transactions at wire speed. An attacker can only make his own transactions slower, but cannot materially affect the throughput of the rest of the network." Source

Check out this video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmGGJcAdWks

During this episode, you will learn:

• How Derek discovered his interest in Math
• His impressions of Cryptocurrenc from a math perspective
• What proofs are
• What algorithms are and how are they designed
• What consensus mechanisms are and how do they differ from algorithms (Plus Who creates them and how)
• Derek's thoughts on Proof of Work (PoW) algorithms vs Proof of Stake (PoS) and Delegated proof of stake (DPoS)
• His thoughts on Distributed Hash Tables (DHTs) and other Blockchain "alternatives"
• How their "Optimistic Consensus" is different/better than what's already out there
• The algorithm and consensus mechanism behind it
• How their customized Blockchain was built
• How the company plans to tackle adoption with so many other options on the market

For show notes and more visit: https://coinstructive.com/ep63-derek-pyrofex/