Counterparty. Request for integration of additional "chain"

[speaktech]

Counterparty is a fungible token protocol utilizing Bitcoin Blockchain for over ten years. It is not another blockchain, nor a layer two but technically a meta protocol, which predates the launch of ethereum. These tokens have much historical relevance as projects like "Rare Pepe" inspired dozens of similar collections. Not to mention it has generated millions of dollars from sales and trade of only this collection on the protocol. If you DYOR you will find that EverdreamSoft was the first company to tokenize a game asset as a Blockchain cryptoart token using Counterparty.
Specifically, thewojakway.com has encouraged its users to utilize the service provided by nft.storage since it's second series. For the last two years this collection, and other members of the Counterparty community, have come to rely on this as a public utility. Thewojakway.com is currently not displaying images from previous uploads to nft.storage and needs to be updated to accommodate recent changes. Here is a JSON of the whole collection. You can see that just about every entry is an association of a Counterparty token with an IPFS provided by nft.storage
Please consider integrating this protocol. It has recently been renovated and cleared of its heavy tech debt from years of neglect.

[elizabeth-griffiths]

Thanks for reaching out. We'll work to resolve this asap.

"Thewojakway.com is currently not displaying images from previous uploads to nft.storage and needs to be updated to accommodate recent changes."
The cause of this will be something other than Counterparty not being supported in the new version of NFT.Storage. Let's triage this first. Can you please answer the following questions:

1. Were all of the the NFT data uploaded through one account, or many?
2. When did this issue start?
3. Is it all NFTs, or only some?
4. What is the error message that you get?

[m4nki]

As the founder of Age of Chains, one of the oldest NFT collections starting from 2016 based on Counterparty, I feel very strongly about this request and would love to see it implemented.

I am currently in the process of launching new NFTs but would love to host them on IPFS. I personally ran into issues trying to set up IPFS on my own device, so being able to utilize a service like NFT.Storage for Counterparty-based NFTs would be a game changer for us.

Thank you!

[elizabeth-griffiths]

Hi there, Thanks for the follow up.
It sounds like what you're referring to is NFT.Storage Classic, which offers hot storage for free. For NFT.Storage Classic, no new uploads to the Classic product will be accepted as of 30 June 2024 at 5pm EST.

For the new version of nft.storage (app.nft.storage), first mint your NFTs then send us the NFT data—metadata and imagery CIDs, blockchain(s) minted on, contract address and token IDs. We store these in long term Filecoin storage to preserve your NFT data. Note that you need to upload the data to IPFS (hot storage) separately, we recommend using Pinata or Lighthouse with our referral links to support NFT.Storage:
https://nft.storage/blog/announcing-our-new-partnerships-with-pinata-and-lighthouse

We are adding additional chains/networks next week. We can consider adding Counterparty.
Does counterparty use the same concept as EVM compatible chains where this is a contractID and tokenID?

The reason I ask is because when a user submits the data to us, they also need to submit this data. Please let us know.

[speaktech]

We are adding additional chains/networks next week. We can consider adding Counterparty. Does counterparty use the same concept as EVM compatible chains where this is a contractID and tokenID?

The reason I ask is because when a user submits the data to us, they also need to submit this data. Please let us know.

Ethereum was launched after Counterparty. So, no, it does not use an Ethereum Virtual Machine contract based methodology. Instead users register human readable token names within the system directly. These are usually expressed as all capital letters, even when used in dialog. In this case, a user would submit the token name YOURASSET for example along with a png or gif.

However, it appears to me, that after reading the press release you linked, there is no longer a hosting endowment available. That is unfortunate as I must have been misinformed when I thought that I understood NFT.storage had an internal mechanism within the filecoin network which paid an increased reward for hosting. Now it appears that users will have to pay for-profit endeavors in order to be marked "safe for purchase" or some other such centralized nonsense?

Could you help me with some directions on the option which is based on individual empowerment? I would like to supply the methodology for downloading, pinning and preserving to thewojakway, kaleidoscopexcp and some of the extended Counterparty community cryptoart published artworks. Artists were encouraged to upload directly to nft.storage under their own account. There are some of us who would like to form a community effort to pin each other's artwork, instead of relying on commercial endeavors. As the CTO of the project it is ultimately my responsibility to pin the entire collection, and supply such instructions for others to preserve their own work, and the work of their neighbors.

thanks for your kind and thoughtful responses.

[elizabeth-griffiths]

Hi Speaktech - Thank you for your thoughtful response and for bringing these important points to our attention. I'd like to clarify a few things and provide some updates regarding NFT.Storage.

First, NFT.Storage is not a for-profit company. We operate as a public good and a social enterprise, with the goal of becoming a not-for-profit organization in the near future. Our mission is to ensure the long-term preservation of NFT data, supporting creators, artists, and developers without prioritizing profit.

Regarding the "hosting endowment," I'd like to clarify that there was never a specific endowment for hosting. Until April 2024, NFT.Storage was owned and managed by Protocol Labs, who generously covered all storage and egress costs. Now, as an independent entity, we need to ensure a sustainable model to continue providing these services. This is why we've introduced partnerships with Pinata and Lighthouse for hot storage solutions, which help fund the long-term preservation services we offer.

As for the changes to NFT.Storage:

Transition to Independent Entity: Since becoming independent, we’ve introduced a new version of NFT.Storage focused on sustainable, long-term preservation. This version ensures your data is stored securely in Filecoin-backed long-term storage, that is backed by an on-chain endowment. Users need to upload their data to IPFS separately, and we recommend using services like Pinata or Lighthouse to support this.

Supporting Additional Networks: We are actively adding support for more chains and networks. Counterparty, being a unique and historically significant protocol, is one we'd like to prioritise. We would love to get Counterparty on board with the new version of NFT.Storage. However, given our current budget constraints, custom additions require funding. If the Counterparty Foundation or a group of projects could provide a donation of $10,000, we could prioritize adding custom support for Counterparty. Do you think this is feasible?

Methodology for Self-Pinning: We understand the importance of individual empowerment in the decentralized space. Here are some directions to help you and your community pin and preserve your data independently:

Download and Pin: You can use IPFS to download and pin your data manually. Tools like IPFS Desktop or command-line IPFS can help you manage your data. Here's a blog that might be a helpful reference: https://nft.storage/blog/onboard-nft-data-to-ipfs
Collaborative Efforts: Forming a community effort to pin each other's artwork is a fantastic idea. This can distribute the load and ensure redundancy.
Using Pinata and Lighthouse: While these services are commercial, they offer robust solutions for hot storage. By using our referral links, you also support NFT.Storage’s mission as we receive a percentage of your spending.

We value your feedback and your dedication to preserving digital art. Please let us know if the Counterparty community can come together to support this initiative. We are committed to working with you to ensure your needs are met.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Elizabeth

[elizabeth-griffiths]

Hi Speaktech - Keen to hear your thoughts, do you think the Counterparty community would be able to help fund the initiative?

[elizabeth-griffiths]

Hey Speaktech - Following up on this. If $10k isn't feasible, what level is?

[elizabeth-griffiths]

We also added your request to our new feature request tool here. Feel free to comment there, and get others in your community to do the same: https://nftstorage.canny.io/feature-requests?selectedCategory=add-support-for-l1-l2-network

[elizabeth-griffiths]

Hi Everyone - We'd like to move forward with adding Counterparty.

First, I need your input. Usually we ask the person uploading for their:

• Contract address
• TokenID / CID match

The contract address and TokenIDs will be used in the upcoming NFT Storage Token Checker product you can learn about here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGPrAzODf4/06H6njhVbdkoXdrmbYJyVg/view?utm_content=DAGPrAzODf4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

Can you confirm if Contract address and tokenID are the best fields to use for Counterparty?