Casper Network Overview

This site contains a summary of the Casper Network based on publicly available information. Please visit https://docs.casperlabs.io/en/latest/ for official Casper Network documentation. 👏
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Summary

The Casper Network is a fully decentralized (permissionless), scalable, and highly secure Proof-of-Stake layer 1 blockchain. Casper has solved the layer 1 trilemma; it is secure, fully decentralized, and scalable/fast.
Powered by Highway, an innovative, correct-by-construction (CBC) Casper-based Proof-of-Stake consensus protocol, Casper is leveraging popular workflows, innovative developer tools and multiple programming languages. Casper makes blockchain services easier to use, more upgradable and more predictable, thus removing barriers to mainstream adoption.
Developers can build on Casper utilizing common languages, plus Casper has built a Solidity Compiler which allows those developing currently on Ethereum using Solidity to quickly migrate to Casper in two easy steps so that they can start to build and test their applications on the future of Ethereum today, instead of waiting 4 to 5 years from now.
Key Highlights
CBC Casper: Early Ethereum developers designed CBC Casper to bring finality and flexibility to blockchain-based consensus protocols. Finality increases security as it guarantees past decisions are irreversible and makes decisions deterministic rather than probabilistic. Furthermore, Casper is flexible and block times can adjust based on network conditions. These benefits make transaction settlement faster and improves users’ confidence in the protocol’s data output.
Casper Exceeds the Goals of Ethereum 3.0 - Faster, And We Enable a Seamless Transition from Ethereum
Enterprise Grade: The protocol is designed for enterprise adoption with focuses on flexible privacy permissions, low latency, and security. Casper allows enterprises to choose between public, permissioned, and private network iterations depending on their confidentiality preferences without sacrificing security or performance. This has attracted multiple enterprise and Web3 teams to develop partnerships with Casper.
Future Proof: Casper is built to withstand changing business and developer preferences. Upgradeable contracts ensure devs and enterprises can improve their applications over time; Stable/predictable gas fees ensure apps remain performant even when network activity spikes; WebAssembly support ensures non-crypto devs can onboard quickly; On-chain governance mechanisms ensure governance based on network contribution and reputation.

Technology Overview

  • Started with Vlad Zamfir’s 2017 CBC Casper whitepaper, but the Casper team then finished the architecture (mathematical liveness proof) and actually coded the future of Ethereum 3.0, today.
  • Began coding in Nov. 2018, launched Alpha Testnet in March 2020, currently in the final stage of Testnet (Delta TestNet).
  • Currently, 120+ validators (incl. staking providers such as HashQuark, SNZ Pool, Stake.Fish, Stake.US, etc.).
  • Consensus algorithms code audit by Trail of Bits recently completed with no major items to correct.
  • Currently integrating with BitGo (more on this below) and undergoing smart contract audit and soon pressure testing of network by Cardinal Cryptography.
  • MainNet launch on track for early March 2021.
With the ​Delta Testnet​, our network is now “permissionless” which means validators can join and leave the network independently. The Testnet currently has 100 slots available for validators. Through this stage of Testnet, we will gradually increase the number of validator slots to approximately 200 by the time of Mainnet launch.

Funding History

  • $900K Equity Founders Round (Oct. 2018)
  • $14.5M equity Series A (July 2019) * Investors include: Acuitas Group Holdings, Hyundai Digital Asset Company (HDAC), RockTree Capital, Distributed Global, Blockchange Ventures, Arrington XRP Capital, OneBoat Capital, HashKey Capital, SNZ Holding, Consensus Capital, Digital Strategies, Woodstock Fund, and Noris Capital.
  • $14M private validator token sale (Sep. 2020) * Notable Private Token Sale Participants: HashKey Capital, RockTree Capital, Chain Capital, Consensus Capital, Cluster Capital, AU21 Capital, Blockchange Ventures, GSR, Stake.Fish, Sora Ventures, ZB Global, Gate.io, Wavemaker, Ropart Asset Management, Waterdrip Capital, AGE Fund, Woodstock Fund, Oasis Capital.

Partnerships

  • Public Token Sale :: CoinList :: Signed with CoinList to assist in the launch off our first public token sale which is expected shortly after Mainnet launch (Mid-March 2021)
  • Custody :: BitGo:: Signed with BitGo as a custodial solution for hot wallet, cold storage
    wallet and stalking support.
  • Liquidity Providers :: GSR & Jump Trading :: principal market makers for all tier-1 and
    several tier-2 exchanges to ensure price stability, appreciation and supply management
    from the launch of the Casper network onwards.
  • Staking Provider :: Huobi Pool ::

Adoption

Casper's Ecosystem - Update Jane 22th
Casper is heavily focused on enterprise adoption with MOU’s signed with several notable enterprises. Due to NDAs we cannot disclose the names of a few of these partners yet, here are some of the businesses we’re working with:
  • Hera - Gold backed asset token (Anthem Gold) utilizing the casper network
  • PlasmaPay - A decentralized financial services and infrastructure platform.
  • Actus -
  • IPwe - Intellectual Property - top provider for IP rights management migrating from IBM’s
    hyperledger.
  • Broadleaf Commerce - Employee Benefits - leading provider in human resources
    solutions for businesses.
  • Music Royalties - world leader in performance royalties, advocacy and service for music
    creators.
  • Supply Chain - an industry leader in aerospace and automotive parts manufacturing and
    distribution.
  • Cloud Services - A top 10 Fortune 500 company offering Casper as one of three
    featured blockchain service providers to their enterprise clients.
  • Business Insights - a leading blockchain data querying service
We’ve also just recently signed a partnership agreement with BSN as one of their public chain partners to increase awareness and achieve more engagement from the blockchain and application development community in China.
Along with these larger institutions we’re also working with several startups, Dapp developers and projects that are currently interacting with our network. Our current version of testnet has over 60 participants with 100 slots available for validators. Through this stage of Testnet, we will gradually increase the number of validator slots to approximately 200 by the time of Mainnet launch.

Q1-2021 Roadmap

  • Mid Jan: Partnership & Projects (who are building on Casper) Announcements
  • Starting late Jan: GitCoin Hackathon
  • Feb 2: Announcement of the CoinList Public Token Sale (to happen in late March)
  • Mid-Feb: Final Whitepaper, BitGo partnership, Jump & GSR partnerships
  • Early March: Mainnet Launch
  • Mid-Late March: China Roadshow
  • March 23-26: Community Token Sale on CoinList
  • March 30 & 31: Institutional/VIP Token Sale on CoinList
  • April 1: CSPR token live and in circulation

Team

  • CEO :: Mrinal Manohar :: Technology and finance leader previously with Microsoft, Bain, and Bain Capital. He ran the TMT sector of a $1B+ hedge fund, and became an early investor in Ethereum, Blockstack, etc.
  • CTO :: Medha Parlikar :: Product and engineering leader with decades of experience delivering production software at marquee companies such as Adobe, Omniture, Avalara, MP3.com and DivX.
  • COO :: Clifford Sarkin :: Entrepreneur and former VP of Business Development at DNA.Fund, a leading crypto fund. He led VideoSurf’s $80M sale to Microsoft. He holds a BA from University of California Berkeley and JD from Harvard Law School.
  • CFO :: Daniel Marfurt :: Tech-oriented finance and management expert. Previously he led finance at Status.im, a crypto company with $100M+ market cap. He holds a double MA in Economics and International Management.
  • Marketing Lead :: Amanda Cassatt :: Former Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of ConsenSys and co-creator of the Ethereal Summit.
  • Core Developers ::
    • Senior Software Engineer & Scientist :: Matthew Doty:: primary creator of the
      Ethereum mining algorithm.Worked at SimSpace, Nosqui Aerospace, and OpinionLab. He holds a MS in Computer Science and a MS in Logic (concentration in mathematics).
    • Software Engineer & Scientist :: Andreas Fackler :: Experienced Rust engineer and mathematician, held roles at Google, MaidSafe, 49nord and POA. He has his PhD in Mathematics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität.

China & Asia Focus

From day 1, Casper has appreciated the importance of the Chinese market. In addition to dozens of visits to mainland China, the team is heavily focused on community development and engagement in China. With over 10,000 community members through WeChat and the Lichang platform, Casper continues to expand its reach in China through their strategic partnerships with notable advisors, investors and partners such as: Huobi Pool, Hashkey Capital, NovaClub, Rocktree Capital, QCP/QSN, Consensus Lab, WaterDrip Capital, Chain Capital, Jinse/Mars Finance and Oasis capital. In addition to global investors, many retail and institutional investors from China purchased CSPR in the private round, providing distributed community involvement and liquidity for the token when it trades.
Casper will hire a China Country Manager (anticipated prior to Spring Festival), which is a ​new position​ on the Casper business team and will be working directly with our China based advisors and investors to develop a massive China-focused marketing Campaign prior to launch.

Developer Growth

Casper is planning a Hackathon & Casper Building Incentives campaign co-hosted with Gitcoin, planned for early 2021. Casper will activate a month-long campaign in late February / beginning of March focused on our Mainnet launch and showcasing several aspects of our core value prop to Web3 builders.