01coin Project Update: March 12, 2019
Since development in the 01coin project over the past two weeks has been focused almost exclusively on 01VPS.net, this will be the all-01VPS-all-the-time episode of the 01coin Project Update. While there are some updates in other areas worth mentioning, we will save those for the next Project Update so as not to muddy the waters. Let's dive right in, shall we?
01VPS.net Updates
So much to say! Where to begin? Let's start with the server architecture...
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were forced to close our Finland server on February 16 and will be forced to close the smaller of our two German servers on March 25. All affected users have been notified and provided with alternative arrangements.
Four of our five remaining servers (France, Poland, Germany and England) have been migrated to newer, SSD-enabled hardware offering a significant performance improvement for our users.
The last remaining server is our Canadian one, which will undergo migration tomorrow. Once complete, all 01VPS.net users will enjoy a vastly improved user experience.
The improved server architecture allows us to now offer more resources per VPS instance. Whereas before, an X-Small plan included only 512MB of RAM and 7GB of disk space (thus causing some problems for even running a single masternode in some cases), it now offers a full 1GB of RAM and 10GB of disk space. Likewise - all other plan levels have scaled up in terms of specs: Small, Medium and Large.
There is a bit of a trade-off associated with the higher specs and better performance: Our two most affordable plans (X-Small and Small6) are now IPv6-enabled only. On the plus side, every plan other than X-Small offers more than one IP address per instance, whereas all plans only offered a single address previously.
We have also introduced two new classes of plans - X-Large and Enterprise - which are ideal for those looking to do more than just run a couple masternodes. These plans come with an entire IPv6 /112 subnet providing 65,536 addresses. In addition, these plans offer users the option to order additional IPv4 addresses and IPv6 subnets on an as-requested / as-needed basis.
Higher performance and better specs across the board
All this was accomplished without raising our base prices (in fact, we actually managed to lower the base price of our Medium and Large packages). How? Well, if you pay 12 months in advance - you get our best prices, starting from €1.00 per month. From there, prices scale up depending on the prepay period: 6 months, 3 months or 1 month, such that those paying month-to-month pay the highest prices.
The one-click masternode setup recipe program is also being given a shot in the arm. The zocteam has setup a dedicated server to host both the wallet binaries and blockchain data for all of our recipe-supported coins on both the IPv4 and IPv6 Internets.
We are leveraging this server by rewriting all of our one-click masternode setup recipes to a) enable IPv6 functionality for masternode coins that support it, and b) download the latest chain data upon first run rather than sync from scratch.
The positive consequences of the recipe rewrite are patently manifest: it helps support our coin partners' networks by modernizing them with IPv6-enabled nodes; it helps 01VPS.net users save money by utilizing the more affordable IPv6 Internet; and it drastically cuts down on the node creation time so that users can have their masternodes up and running and generating income sooner. A process that once could take several hours is now completed in less than 15 minutes in most cases.
The recipe rewrite is ongoing and not all coins have been updated yet. Each recipe contains 600–700 lines of code depending on the unique foibles of the coin. Currently, we are finishing them at a rate of roughly 2–3 per day. At this rate, all recipes should be upgraded within a month.
The coins that have had their recipes upgraded already, as of this writing are:
ABS, AEVO, AGU, ALN, BTDX, DXO, GOSS, MOG, NZL, SPK, XBI, XLN, XLQ, XN, and ZOC
The 01VPS.net coin voting page has finally been integrated directly into our platform. In order for the database calls to work properly, users still have to navigate away - but at least now they don't need a direct link and can get there straight from the website. Hopefully this helps support renewed interest in 01VPS.net among other coin communities. (FYI, this month's leading vote-getter so far is Zixx.)
01VPS.net will soon also start a banner ad pilot project in an effort to investigate whether or not it could provide an additional revenue stream. This will be a custom-built, code-level solution and not outsourced to Google Ads or similar. More information about this pilot project will be provided once it begins in the coming days / weeks.
That's all well and good, but what does it really mean?
The zocteam believes that the combined impact of these changes does many things for the future prospects of 01VPS.net and the 01coin project:
- It puts 01VPS.net back on the road towards profitability, which is good for everyone. It is good because it continues to grow a legitimate use case for ZOC during this pre-governance period, helping to support the demand side of the 01coin ecosystem. It is also good because if 01VPS.net succeeds like we think it will, we will eventually be able to use its profits in a dividend distribution system for all 01coin investors. Our goals for 01VPS.net profitability are as follows:
- Get back to paying for itself
- Actually start turning a profit
- Use future earnings to compensate those who are investing their personal funds to keep 01VPS.net afloat during this transition period
- Once expenses are paid, use earnings to compensate zocteam and chain-of-trust members for their contributions to the project
- Once compensation is paid, distribute excess earnings in the form of dividends among the 01coin community so that everyone benefits from 01VPS.net's success
Although these are not pie-in-the-sky goals, it would be impossible to put a timeline on them as so much depends on the timing of the (hopefully inevitable) BTC recovery. In this way, the interests of 01VPS.net are directly aligned with those of its users, which means we're all in this together, baby.
We believe that over the long haul 01VPS.net will be well positioned to compare favourably and compete successfully against the likes of AWS, OVH, Digital Ocean, Contabo and Vultr. This will be a result of our unique service offering tailored specifically to meet the needs of the crypto and masternode community while offering an industry-leading price/performance ratio, all payable in crypto.