Dash Core Group to Update Platform’s ‘Evonet’ Testnet Every Six Weeks

The developers behind major payment-focused cryptocurrency Dash (DASH) announced that they expect to update the project’s “Evonet” test network every roughly six weeks.

According to an April 17 announcement, the Dash Core Group plans to release the first update that follows the new schedule between April 22 and May 5.

The Dash Core Group expects that frequent updates will allow feedback on whether the design choices are appreciated. As a consequence, the developers will be able to change design direction quickly if feedback reveals that it is necessary. The announcement explains:

“Frequent software releases are encouraged as a way of quickly generating feedback. This feedback will uncover any erroneous assumptions made during the design and implementation of software, thereby mitigating the risk of devoting too much time to unneeded or undesired features.”

A fast update process

The developers explain that the updates are released to Evonet because it would be impractical to frequently update a distributed network like the Dash mainnet. Evonet, on the other hand, is nearly exclusively owned by the Dash Core Group so the developers are able to unilaterally push software updates. Furthermore, this approach also decreases the risk of bugs preventing the functioning of the main network.

Dash’s head of product Dana Alibrandi told Cointelegraph that the new process structure allows the core developers to better demonstrate development progress to the community. He hopes that this will allow the coin to appreciate:

“As DCG continues to deliver on our promise to release every 6 weeks, I am hoping that we see a steady price increase due to increased community and investor confidence. Based on the efficient market hypothesis, predictable releases should provide more information to investors, thereby allowing them to better understand the underlying value of Dash, the effectiveness of its governance model, and our organizational capacity to deliver new software.”

Mainnet feature integration still unscheduled

Alibrandi said that while the developers are expected to push regular updates to the Evonet, ”it is difficult to say when features will be integrated into mainnet.” He explained:

“Dash Platform is a pre-mainnet product at this time, so the platform will remain on Evonet as long as necessary to finish features required for a MVP (minimum viable product) release. After our first release to mainnet, we hope to turn Evonet into a proving ground for new experimental features, and the time range for features to graduate to mainnet will fluctuate depending on our ability to collect and analyze performance data and feel confident in the stability of the feature.”

Dash Platform, previously known as Dash Evolution, is a payment metadata layer that would enable decentralized applications to work on the platform. The future features include an on-chain username-based account system. Alibrandi said that these features are the development team's current priority:

“Our most important priorities at the moment are finishing development on Dash Platform and the DashPay mobile wallets, which will introduce an industry-leading user experience to rival any current crypto wallet.”