PEP-14: POKTwatch

Attributes

  • Author(s): @pierre
  • Recipient(s): @pierre
  • Category: Reimbursement
  • Asking Amount: 55,450 POKT

Summary

I am requesting the DAO for funds to support the development and hosting of POKTwatch, a Pocket blockchain explorer with a slick UX and a simplistic UI.

Abstract

​ If the product is the blood of a protocol, then the block explorer is the eyes. Without block explorers, most people can’t see the blockchain in action, view their transactions, or analyze the chain. POKTwatch intends to be the go-to solution for viewing the blockchain and will keep the network more informed, enriched, and productive.

​ POKTwatch uses a database that is always in-sync with a Pocket node which allows users to see and interact with the blockchain in real-time. POKTwatch transforms data from a Pocket node into an efficient and advanced structure which allows for complex interaction and data analysis. To let users interact with this advanced database in an easy and comfortable way, POKTwatch has taken inspiration from other popular block explorers such as Etherscan to create a simple and aesthetic UI.

​ I will open-source and host POKTwatch . Add new features, such as viewing pending transactions and network analytics. This block explorer will strengthen and inform the network, boost its productivity, and attract new users.

Budget

Phase 1 (now): 20,150 POKT to fund a validator that will provide funds for upkeep and new development, and 5000 POKT to sell for current development and server costs.

Phase 2 (by the end of the year): 20,150 POKT for another validator which will provide more funds for future development and 5000 POKT to pay off other development and hosting costs.

Phase 3 (Q1 of 2022): 15,150 POKT for another validator which will continue to support future development and larger server fees as demand grows.

Motivation

​ There are several things that a good block explorer needs, an aesthetic and straightforward UI and a way to easily interpret lots of data. Some solutions already exist, but they lack some of the points listed. I came up with this idea while using current solutions, and I became frustrated as the speed, and lack of data forced me to use my Pocket node directly.

​ I have talked to several POKT users who shared the same frustration that I feel, which motivated me to develop POKTwatch.

Rationale

​ 55,450 POKT may seem like a sizeable asking amount for something as simple as a block explorer, but a block explorer is a fundamental piece of any protocol. What would you do if Etherscan didn’t exist? The block explorer I created will strengthen the network and make it more appealing to new users. There are many upkeep costs with running a block explorer as well. It will cost hundreds of dollars a month to run the indexer and backend, and this cost will only increase as demand grows. I am a student, so paying these costs myself would not be easy or sustainable.

Dissenting Opinions

What about existing solutions?

As I mentioned above, many (including myself) have experienced frustration with the current solutions. Furthermore, my block explorer would be superior because of the following:

  • Speed - Most other solutions are slow and clunky, and pages loading can take 5-10 seconds. POKTwatch has a BrowserStack website speed score of 93 (POKTscan has a score of 69). POKTwatch services requests blisteringly fast.

  • Intuitiveness - The user experience inspiration came from Etherscan, which is the most popular block explorer globally. This means that the user experience will be top-tier and familiar.

  • Details - Currently, no block explorer supports pending transactions, and no block explorers allow you to see inbound and outbound transactions of an address. POKTwatch already supports inbound and outbound transactions of an account, and will soon have support for pending transactions.

If you have any other questions or opinions, please comment or DM me on Telegram (@p1errre). I’m building this for the community, so I want to hear your feedback and if you have any other ideas for features!

Thanks, everyone

Deliverable(s)

Currently available:

To be delivered:

  • Open-source code (MIT):

    • Python/Django frontend build on PostgreSQL database
    • Script which connects to a Pocket node to index the chain and update the database
    • Docs explaining the how to run this locally for a fully trustless solution
  • Features to come (roadmap):

    • Phase 2 (by the end of the year):
      • Faster
      • View and filter through all transactions and blocks
      • Pending transactions (mempool)
      • More details across every aspect of the website (nodes, accounts, blocks, and transactions).
    • Phase 3 (Q1 of 2022):
      • Https API
      • Balance Charts over Time
      • Network Analysis
      • Holder Statistics (Holder count and token distribution)
      • Tax tooling for node rewards

Contributor(s)

@pierre (me). I have been working with Python for several years, and I am the lead developer of the Thunderhead’s OTC site thunderheadotc.com

Copyright

Copyright and related rights waived via CC0 1.

3 Likes

Hey Pierre, this looks awesome. Love what you are doing and much needed. I like they way all the transactions are organized. A real impovement. Not sure how I can support this, or vote for it, but for anyone out there reading, highly support!!

I’m pretty excited about the work you’ve done here @pierre . While POKTscan does a great job of network analytics, I know that viewing pending/past transactions is something that many in the community have a need for and the alpha of POKTwatch improves on this UX significantly.

I’d go so far as to suggest POKTwatch being swapped out with https://explorer.pokt.network as a pending transaction link for official wallets and such. Having a DAO contributor dedicated to this general use case would help to scale Pocket’s aggregate engineering efforts and further our decentralization, which is a worthwhile investment in my eyes. For that reason alone I think this proposal should pass.

1 Like

Would be happy to see more options for people to find information about Pocket. This looks great @pierre. Would vote yes on this proposal.

I could see a harmonious relationship where POKTscan is described more like an on-chain data analytics platform and POKTWatch a user-friendly interface for primary use-cases.

I like to see more published user research cycles involving the community users to guide this, but i don’t think that is limiting this proposal because the ask isn’t huge and you are looking to run nodes to make it self-sustainable (The POKT way too)

This proposal is now up for voting! Snapshot

I support this proposal.

Poktwatch has the potential to be a fantastic resource for the community, and I believe there is significant benefit to rewarding community development of tooling and ecosystem around the protocol.

This proposal has passed!

https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/QmaJuFs35LmVycmY1SDH8gmRGxVocF8VHzeG33noNmoxtH

I believe phase 2 has been completed. PEP-14: POKTwatch Devlog #1