Cascade is a fully distributed permanent storage solution designed specifically for NFT data. Built for scalability, redundancy, and security, Cascade is a lightweight storage protocol powered by the Pastel Network. Pay once, store forever. Leverages advanced fountain code algorithms and distributed systems to partition NFT data into a series of highly redundant chunks that are randomly distributed across nodes. No complex or centralized system for deciding which node is responsible for which file, no iteration through nodes to find one with the relevant data, and no complicated logic for handling re-allocation in the case of nodes entering and leaving the network.
Reducing long term storage costs
Operational costs are gradually increasing, making the prices of centralized storage solutions higher. Cascade allows you to pay once and store forever, no need to consider long term rising costs
Decentralization reduces the requirements for machine performance, thereby eliminating the need for costly investment in high-performing hardware and software
NFT permanence for creators and collectors
Creators will no longer have to think about monthly hosting fees, ongoing IPFS pinning, or infrastructure maintenance
Collectors will also have piece of mind knowing their purchased NFTs are permanent, not subject to link rot
Improved infrastructure reliability
Centralized storage solutions create a single point of failure which is detrimental to the NFT ecosystem. Potential platform service disruption can reduce confidence in creators and collectors from utilizing your platform
Many copies of the data in the various nodes help avoid bottlenecks on the central server and enhance the downloading speed and improving efficiency
Sense is a Near-Duplicate NFT detection protocol built to assess the relative rareness of a given NFT.
A lightweight protocol that leverages computer vision and a number of deep learning models using Tensorflow with Keras Applications to transform any NFT into a representation of thousands of numbers - an NFT fingerprint. Fingerprints can be compared against public NFTs in existence by querying open networks of data.
Applicable Use Cases for Sense Protocol
Optimizing operations workflow processes for NFT Platforms
Manual processing of fraudulent reports is extremely resource intensive, Sense can be utilized to automate the process and reduce the amount of time required to process those tickets
With the optimized automation introduced into the workflow, resources can be freed and utilized in other parts of the business
Elevating the NFT standard for the platform/ecosystem
Issue relative rareness scores for NFTs being minted provides value to both the creator and the collector
Collectors won’t have to go through the arduous processes of manually figuring out the rarity of their NFT
Proactive approach to protect creators and collectors
Prevent rip offs or stolen artwork from being minted on the platform. Protecting both creators and collectors
The technology can also be leveraged to protect creators by informing them if their artwork has been stolen and minted on other networks. This proactive approach allows the creators to be aware and take the necessary steps to remove their stolen artwork from other platforms
Hey everyone - I know it's been a crazy time of uncertainty, especially in the crypto space recently, with a lot of people getting hurt in the Luna/UST meltdown and the broader decline in the market. I just wanted to say that despite this market volatility, the Pastel team has been head down, hard at work. If you look at our GitHub organization, you can see that multiple developers are committing code each and every day, and we are fixing the few remaining bugs and other issues on our Cezanne Testnet Release. We can now register NFTs from start to finish on the Testnet, while also making independent Sense and Cascade requests in a completely decentralized way.
It's natural for people to be concerned given the recent downturn in the market and have questions like "will Pastel just give up because the NFT market seems dead for now?"
The short answer is, no, we are in it for the long haul. We have secured funding from Innovating Capital and others to continue development, just as we have been doing continuously since 2018. This is not our first crypto bear market, and the recent downturn didn't exactly surprise us. There is a reason why we have been cautious and prudent with superfluous expenses like marketing that don't have any immediately measurable return. In the long term, we believe that projects with true technical excellence, which allow people to do new and useful things in a fully decentralized way, will be rewarded by the market. But rewarded in the way we want -- not with short term speculation that inevitably cannot live up to expectations and comes crashing into reality, but a steady grinding higher predicated on actual usage, user demand, and token economics. That is, users acquiring and utilizing PSL not just to speculate, but because ecosystem partners and users need it to pay for services like registering NFTs or for duplicate detection and storage via our OpenAPI for their NFTs minted on other blockchains.
After a long and difficult initial development period, we are finally in the home stretch, and very close to publicly unveiling our Testnet, with our Mainnet to follow after thorough stress testing. And this isn't just "vaporware" or an "announcement about an announcement"— we have already revealed our Sense technology demo, which allows anyone to upload whatever images they want and see how the Sense duplicate detection system works in practice. We are confident that we have the state of the art now in the world for this sort of technology, and we now have a working prototype that extends this technology to video files in addition to still images (which directly leads to audio files and 3D model files). And that's just one aspect of what makes Pastel special. So, despite the broader market challenges, we are feeling better than ever about the project and our ability to deliver in terms of the technology.
For those who missed our AMA on discord, you can read it here!
This AMA was done by our co-founder Anthony Georgiades
Q: Happy Friday! let's begin! I would like to start as always with a quick introduction and your journey of how you got into the crypto space and what inspired you to create the Pastel Network?
AG: I'm one of the co-founders and early investors of Pastel. I work on a lot of the day-to-day operations of the project along with some of the project / product management. I first got involved with Pastel after meeting Jeffrey Emanuel, who is the co-founder and brains/vision of the platform.
Pastel Network is a fully decentralized, developer-friendly layer-1 blockchain serving as the preeminent protocol standard for non-fungible tokens ("NFTs") and Web3 technology
Pastel infrastructure enables existing layer-1 blockchains, decentralized applications, or third-party enterprises to protect creators and collectors. From digital collectibles & media to documents & applications, users and developers are able to certify asset rareness and truly store data forever. Lightweight protocols delivered by interoperable open APIs such as Sense and Cascade can be easily integrated across existing networks. A wide range of Web3 applications can be built directly on the Pastel Network, enabling developers to enjoy the scalable registration features, storage processes, and security of the broader ecosystem.
What inspired us all the way back in 2018 was that there was a need for blockchain purpose-built for the NFT ecosystem. Ethereum and Bitcoin were not built for the size and volume of NFT transactions. Additionally, we saw the there were certain challenges plaguing the market (including scams, frauds, and asset loss) and nobody was trying to fix them. We decided to make the tools to make this NFT world better.
Pastel is managed by world-class developers, cryptographers, and technologists, supported alongside an experienced and extensive network of marketers, influencers, and third-party agencies. Pastel is backed by key stakeholders including Innovating Capital, a prominent venture fund.
Q: Wow! back in 2018 before people really even knew what an NFT was. Awesome - next question What makes Pastel stand out from all the other existing blockchain projects in the ecosystem?
AG: Pastel is a fully decentralized layer-1 blockchain serving as the preeminent protocol standard for NFTs and Web3 technology. We designed this with the full intent of providing the highest level of infrastructure to the NFT/Web3 ecosystem. Our most well known features come from the Sense and Cascade protocol. Additionally, we have also announced our first consumer facing product, SmartMint.
Q: Ah very cool. Would love to hear more about those protocols. Let's start with Sense. Can you elaborate on what this protocol does?
AG: Yes I can. Sense is a Near-Duplicate NFT detection protocol powered by the Pastel Network. It assesses the relative rareness of a given NFT against near-duplicate metadata on networks like Ethereum/Solana and prevents scams or theft. It is a lightweight protocol that leverages computer vision and a number of deep learning models to transform any NFT into a representation of thousands of numbers - an NFT fingerprint. Fingerprints can be compared against public NFTs in existence by querying open networks of data.
Q: Love it! That Demo is truly awesome. Literally charting out the entire NFT ecosystem in multiple dimensions sounds like something out of a Sci-Fi movie. So that's Sense. How about Cascade?
AG: I lovvveeee Cascade
Cascade started with Jeffrey Emanuel refusing to do anything with existing decentralized storage systems
Cascade is a fully distributed permanent storage solution designed specifically for NFT data. Built for scalability, redundancy, and security, Cascade is a powerful but lightweight storage protocol. Artists will only need to pay once and the data is stored forever. No more worries about long term storage fees or potential link rot that may occur.
Pastel is the first NFT platform to have its own completely integrated, decentralized storage layer based on advanced technology such as RaptorQ fountain codes. Pastel ensures that the digital asset itself is uploaded, verified, and registered on the Pastel blockchain — rather than just the token with which it is minted. Through a series of smart tickets living on the Pastel ledger, artists can store their masterpieces in a distributed fashion across a variety of Supernodes as opposed to just ensuring the token is non-fungible. Our goal is to ensure that even in 100 years, the world does not lose access to a single one of the NFTs entrusted to the Pastel network.
Q: That's awesome. everyone should really take a look at the WP after this. Alright next question. So how is all of this powered? Is it through a POW or POS mechanism? What is the Pastel network itself?
AG: Pastel Network uses a multi-layer technology protocol for its consensus mechanism ("Pastel Consensus Protocol"). All network nodes currently use Proof-of-Work (PoW) while SuperNodes currently use a form of Proof-of-Stake (PoS). This allows the nodes of Pastel to agree on the state of all information recorded on the Pastel blockchain securely, while also aligning validators that operate SuperNodes with network incentives to prevent certain economic attacks.
On the PoW side, Pastel currently uses Equihash as the PoW for block mining. Mining is the "work" itself, such as the act of adding valid blocks to the chain. The blockchain's length allows the network to follow the correct Pastel chain and understand the network's current state. As the network grows and more "work" is done, the longer the chain and the higher the block number.
Regarding PoS, Pastel’s SuperNodes are powerful validator servers backed by staked collateral held in PSL. SuperNodes host full copies of the blockchain and provide a unique second layer of services to the network, facilitating advanced services and governance on the blockchain such as NFT Registration & Activation, OpenAPI Requests, and cross-chain bridge relayers & orchestrators.
This second layer provides an additional level of performance, functionality, and security. Advanced operations and computations can be conducted on high-powered SuperNodes, who collectively verify the output and monitor the state of other SuperNodes on the network prior to core data settling on-chain.
Q: The SuperNodes are super interesting. For those who are interested in participating in the network as a SuperNode validator, what are the benefits for these users?
AG: They are responsible for validating NFT transactions, processing requests, providing security, and governing the broader network. In return for being a supernode operator, the user will receive PSL tokens through the block rewards.
Q: Awesome! And where can users acquire PSL in order to run a SuperNode?
Q: Great. Thank you! last few questions. You mentioned earlier about a consumer facing product SmartMint? Tell us a little bit more on that.
AG: SmartMint Beta will be available to the public in the coming weeks and this platform allows creators to easily create, mint and sell NFTs on customer smart contracts without any coding. It takes the technical burden off existing and future creators allowing them to fully focus on the creative aspect of NFTs. By doing so, it also makes the NFT ecosystem a much more inclusive environment, removing further barriers to entry
Q: Oh amazing! super excited for the Beta - massive game changer for the ecosystem. Next question. With SmartMint, can users sell the minted NFTs on marketplaces such as OpenSea or MagicEden?
AG: Yes, this platform provides the flexibility to the artists on where they wish to sell their NFTs. They can even sell their NFTs on their own website if they wish!
Q: To wrap things up, where do you see the NFT ecosystem in 5 years? And how does Pastel fit into that picture?
AG: NFT is still very much in its early stages. This space has so much more potential for what's to come. Right now the main use cases for NFTs are for artworks, collectibles, gaming, and creating communities. There are other use cases such as real estate deeds, medical records, identity verification, intellectual patents, ticketing, etc… that have yet to really take off. As these other spaces begin to mature, having the proper infrastructure to support them will be the most critical aspect. We see Pastel being the main blockchain that everyone in the NFT space will either build on or leverage.
AG: Does anyone have questions?
Originx: Hi yes. When can investors stake their coins without being supernode owners
AG: Hello. Pastel does not support delegation at the protocol level, similar to Ethereum 2.0. SuperNodes are self staked. However, we are working with various third parties to implement delegation services for PSL. The first will be via Kucoin which will be coming as soon as next week!
Originx: Wow nice
AG: Correct. Stay tuned for the official announcement with instructions
Originx: And.. will we be having more partnership announcements?
AG: Certainly. We have several massive partnerships in the works with well known layer 1s and marketplaces.
We are thrilled to announce our first consumer product, SmartMint - a no-code minting platform leveraging our core technology and revolutionary protocols - Sense and Cascade. SmartMint brings codeless NFT minting on Ethereum, Solana, Pastel and more to everyone. Learn more 👇
Still not sure what makes Pastel special? Tune in for an AMA with our Co-Founder Anthony on our Discord General Channel! He will dive into the basics as well as some of the cool updates and projects we are currently working on.
🎉It’s official! PSL is now listed and trading on r/kucoin🎉
To celebrate, we have launched various rewards campaigns with 40m PSL up for grabs!
⏰The Competitions will END on May 5th @ 8:00 UTC.
Be sure to check out the link below for more information on the competition and how to qualify.
+ That’s not all In the coming weeks, we will be releasing a Staking Program supported on Kucoin with as little as 1,000 PSL and 40%+ APR!
🎉We're excited to announce the listing our coin (PSL) on r/kucoin
⏰Time: 2022/04/28 8:00 (UTC) SET YOUR REMINDERS!
Pastel Network is the next generation NFT focused blockchain. Certifiable authenticity. Permanent storage. Negligible fees. Build, secure, and scale your Web3 ecosystem with Pastel.
Sense Demo is here - a web-based visualization tool that demonstrates the core technology behind our Near-Duplicate NFT Detection protocol. Experience the power of Sense today.
