---
title: 2023-12-11 Nomos weekly
tags:
  - nomos-updates
date: 2023-12-11
lastmod: 2023-12-11
draft: false
description: Weekly update of Nomos
---
## `network privacy and mixnet`

### `research`

- [Crypsinous over Mixnet](https://www.notion.so/Crypsinous-over-Mixnet-dc05e9ad601a4cdfb1ac7823fd51cff6)  contains the summarization of investigation into how Crypsinous will work in combination with the Mixnet
- In the development section below, we will go into further into details in terms of how this researched affected the specification. 
- The discussions are still open and the specification is still prone to change.
### `development`

- Updated the [Mixnet Specification](https://www.notion.so/Mixnet-Specification-807b624444a54a4b88afa1cc80e100c2) according to the new research and analysis in the [Crypsinous over Mixnet](https://www.notion.so/Crypsinous-over-Mixnet-dc05e9ad601a4cdfb1ac7823fd51cff6) document. The gist of the document update is that every node emits real/cover packets with a rate in a Poisson distribution. 
	- A slot leader publishes 3 block proposals and several drop cover packets within a slot (a slot is published every 20s)
	- At that time, all of the other nodes emit only drop cover packets ("decoys") within a slot.
	- The target mean packet delay is 2s.
	- Based on this:
		- [Defined a packet emission mechanism](https://www.notion.so/Mixnet-Specification-807b624444a54a4b88afa1cc80e100c2?pvs=4#b0c91c5a8fb84414870df8998891f3b4)
		- [Refined a packet delay calculation](https://www.notion.so/Mixnet-Specification-807b624444a54a4b88afa1cc80e100c2?pvs=4#3ae7e03fcbad461ab8d6b57e5c0e88fe) 
		- [Defined a cover traffic strategy](https://www.notion.so/Mixnet-Specification-807b624444a54a4b88afa1cc80e100c2?pvs=4#1bab0f5bf46543c5924bcf5132437943)
## `testnet`

### `development`

- No updates

## `private PoS`

### `research`

- Researching on a [potential problem of wealth concentration](https://www.notion.so/Does-Crypsinous-Leader-Election-Function-lead-to-wealth-concentration-in-PoS-b81f07a791b745438443f51f00ac258f) in the token engineering model that was reported by DarkFi since it contradicts the results we have calculated in the [Validation Rewards](https://www.notion.so/Delegation-and-Validation-Rewards-d4af3f87a0b240739ff99b15af11cb3f#42ba98cb3e104b1fb36bc15b4b935cc5) 
- Performed additional research in terms of feasibility of learning total stake: the problem here is that we cannot compute relative stake based on what is the Crypsinous paper. 
	- Therefore we came up with [Dynamic Lottery Function Difficulty adjustment](https://www.notion.so/Dynamic-Lottery-Function-Difficulty-Adjustment-65f5ed5522b64c36b625652023318d88)
- Refined rigorous lower and upper bounds on the probability of stake greater than some threshold, i.e. “confidence”. The details can be seen in [Notes on mathematical and statistical aspects of proof of stake consensus mechanisms](https://www.overleaf.com/project/6557131d1ddd181051255009)
	- The upper bound was only available for prob. 0.9 and higher and a new version also allows for lower prob. 
	- The latter is needed for a more accurate estimation of the number of layers in the mixnet. 
	- The asymptotic result for the same probability also can be used only for higher values and extending this result for lower values is currently in progress

## `data availability`

### `research`

- Writing of the [new protocol specification](https://www.notion.so/Data-Availability-Solution-4dd57aa0a212490c82b09d22bd2b9c30) complete - it is still open for discussion - comments and proposals with valid reasoning can still adjust the specification - anyone can comment.
- For the historical records, the trail of thoughts, scenarios and improvements can be seen [here](https://www.notion.so/New-Idea-cddf055558f84137ba19f01ea8fe15c7).
- The new specification was also looked at by the Nescience team - it has no cryptographical weaknesses.
- Implementation expected to start at the beginning of January.
- In the future, we will evaluate additional Data Availability structures (based on internal literature) to see how they compare to what we have.
- the DA node read/write API implementation is in progress - we have reviewed and reevaluated the initial plan to implement DA data dissemination and retrieval flows and created an action plan based on that.


### `development`

- We have performed simulations to confirm there will be no "flatness" issues with Carnot implementation.
- We are currently in the process of finalizing the Carnot paper - the simulations action plan will also be shown there.
- Found additional proofs that simulations and rust Carnot implementation acts as expected in varying committee overlays - more info on Discord.