FAQ
Answers to frequently asked questions about Archway.
What is Archway?
Archway is an incentivized smart contract chain for the Cosmos ecosystem that allows developers to deploy high-performance dapps and get rewarded for the value they contribute to the network. You can learn more about Archway here.
Why Archway?
When developers build and launch impactful dapps that generate usage on Archway, they can earn a proportional share of network fees and rewards.
This shared earning model enables developers to potentially access recurring rewards and participate in the upside of the underlying protocol.
Along with a more inclusive rewards model, Archway’s technical design is optimized for a seamless developer experience.
The protocol provides a full WebAssembly (Wasm) implementation for cross-language support, a Web3-compatible API, and native bridges that connect to other networks for cross-chain communication and asset transfers.
How does the Archway reward system work and how are they shared amongst participants?
Archway offers 3 types of rewards and each one is shared differently:
1) Gas Rebates - What makes Archway unique to other networks is that gas fees are shared between dapp developers and validators. At the launch, these fees are split evenly at 50% but can be adjusted over time through the governance of the network.
2) Inflation - Archway follows the model of the Cosmos Hub where token supply increases between 7% to 20% annually. Like gas fees, these new tokens are also split between dapp developers and validators. At genesis this split will be 25% to dapps and 75% to validators.
3) Smart Contract Fees - While traditional gas fees cover the computational costs of a smart contract, there are additional costs like distributed storage and off-chain processing that need to be covered. Archway allows dapp developers to create custom fees within their smart contracts to pay for these costs. These fees are viewed as the total network fee to users and can also be changed even after the contract has been deployed.
What can developers do with their rewards?
On Archway, developers have the complete power to choose what they want to do with their rewards. Here are just some suggestions that might benefit your projects:
Subsidize Gas Fees - Gas fees can be a major challenge to both the adoption and user experience of a dapp. Dapp developers have the power to cover all or a portion of the gas fees paid by users using their gas rebates from the network. This can be helpful in both growing and retaining a user base through a smooth onboarding and transaction process.
Support for Core Development Team - Development teams typically have to rely on insider token sales and grants for fundraising and support. These can put development teams in a position to make decisions that have a negative effect on token distribution and technology used. Through the reward system of Archway, development teams can be funded without compromises to their dapp and ecosystem.
Fund a DAO - DAOs require a treasury to empower its members to deliver projects like sponsoring hackathons, launching education programs and other important DAO initiatives. DAOs that support the ecosystem and are connected to a dapp on Archway can use the reward system to fund these type of activities.
How does Archway use the Cosmos SDK?
Archway uses pre-defined modules within the Cosmos SDK for basic blockchain functionality including authenticating transactions, blockchain accounting, smart contract runtime and consensus. In addition to these modules, Archway has created two custom modules for reward distribution and tracking gas consumption.
Why are my Keplr and Ledger addresses different if the mnemonic is the same?
Ledger and Keplr use different path derivation mechanisms. For this reason, it is not advisable to import the mnemonic obtained by creating a wallet with Ledger and paste it into Keplr to initialize it. Instead, if you want to create your mnemonic in Ledger and use it in Keplr, you should connect Ledger with Keplr.
If you copied the mnemonic you obtained from Ledger into the Keplr wallet and you see a different address, don't worry: your funds are safe. Simply try connecting Ledger with Keplr, instead of manually copying the mnemonic (which is not recomended).
By which wallets is $ARCH supported?
Currently you can use ARCH on Keplr, Cosmotation, Ledger and Leap wallets.
How can I create a wallet address for $ARCH?
You can have a look at the wallet setup section.
What block explorers can I use for the Archway ecosystem?
You can have a look at the block explorers section.
Can I send $ARCH to a MetaMask wallet?
Currently $ARCH is a token that lives in the Cosmos ecosystem. So you can export it to other IBC compatible blockchains, but not yet to EVM chains. You can have a look at the chains where you can export $ARCH to in the ibc channels section.
What are Archway’s official links?
Where can i find the Whitepaper and the Economics paper?
You can find the Whitepaper and the Economics paper in the whitepapers section of the website.
What does it mean to be a Cosmos native chain?
When a blockchain is Cosmos-native, it means that it was built using the Cosmos SDK, the blockchain framework for modularity, interoperability and sovereignty. The Cosmos SDK allows developers to build custom Application Specific Blockchains by leveraging pre-existing modules. Cosmos SDK is the cutting edge technology for blockchains' interoperability and modularity.
You can learn more about the underlying technology used by Archway in the tech stack section.
What is IBC?
The Inter Blockchain Communication Protocol (IBC) is an open-source protocol that allows for data transport and authentication between blockchains. IBC allows blockchains to interact between each other by relaying IBC messages, enabling cross-chain communication. This is an essential piece to achieve the Web3 vision, allowing usersto frictionlessly interact with different ecosystems. IBC allows you not only to import tokens from a chain to another, but also to leverage the specific advantages of each chain by enabling cross-chain logic.
You can learn more about IBC in the IBC section.
What is Phi Labs?
Phi Labs is a software development company, focused on building blockchain tooling and contributing to web3 protocols. Phi Labs is also a core contributor to Archway. Check out the website.
Can I contribute to Archway without being a part of Phi Labs?
Absolutely! Here are a few ways you can get involved:
- Ambassador Program: Become an Archway ambassador, and organize meetups, create content, and moderate regional communities.
- Build on Archway: Looking to build a dapp? Connect with other developers on our Discord or reach out to our Business Development team at [email protected].
Contribute to the protocol: We always appreciate a second set of eyes! Help us improve the protocol by contributing via Github.
How can I become a CosmWasm developer?
Archway is affiliated with Area-52, which is a free, educational platform for developers to learn to build dapps. Take the courses to get started, and visit the Area-52 social channels to engage with other developers:
