---
description: Weekly updates from the Astral team
---

# Progress

#### 15 Jun 2022

* Finalized Spatial Data Registry Data Structure (Kolektivo)
* MongoDB v6 evaluation of timeseries, indexing, and analytics (MRV Collective)

#### 8 Jun 2022

* Mocked up GeoNFT and Spatial Data Registry Contracts with hardhat testing (Kolektivo)
* [https://github.com/ openmrv-server](https://github.com/MRV-Studio/openmrv-server) Currently building out provider/role/user security infrastructure (MRV Collective)

#### 1 Jun 2022

* Ingestion layer first look (MRV Collective)
* Added backend service for circuit and contract generation (zkMaps)

#### 23 May 2022

* Began development of MVP for decentralized MRV registry (MRV Collective)

#### 20 May 2022

* Completed Astral [Geospatial Data Registry PoC](spatial-data-registry/cosmwasm-anchored-spatial-data-registry) (dClimate)

#### 18 May 2022

* Met about use cases for GeoNFT minting, approval, metadata, and ecological data (Kolektivo)
* Met about ArcGIS and weather station data (Kolektivo)

#### 27 Apr 2022

* Supported the Oika project at the Planet Positive NFT Hackathon
* Met with Regen Network on Data Module v4
* Met with dMeter

#### 20 Apr 2022

* Presented Astral GeoNFT specs (Kolektivo)

#### 13 Apr 2022

* Completed data registry requirements document (Kolektivo)

#### 6 Apr 2022

* Reviewed ArcGIS food forest survey app (Kolektivo)
* Completed Ocean Protocol v4 test dataset and paper (Kolektivo)
* Completed lo-fi map of Curacao and food forests (Kolektivo)

#### 23 Mar 2022

* First meeting of the "Survelliance Squad" now known as "dMeter"
* 3rd and final meeting of KERNEL Regen Guild, discussed locus of control

#### 16 Mar 2022

* Reviewed use cases related to badges, weather stations, and monetization with Ocean Protocol (Kolektivo)
* Second KERNEL Regen Guild meeting, discussed Donella Meadows leverage points and ran an ecosystem mapping exercise with Ale Borda

#### 9 Feb 2022

* Hardhat/React dApp for GeoNFT (Kolektivo)

#### 2 Feb 2022

* Draft GeoNFT Contract (Kolektivo)&#x20;

#### 12 Jan 2022

* PoC decentralized data storage using Ceramic on Alfajores (Kolektivo)

#### 5 Jan 2022

* Defined initial bounds for computation and tree data storage limits (Kolektivo)

#### 27 April 2021

* Call with Ryan John King, CEO of FOAM space, a pioneer in the geospatial decentralized web. FOAM recently launched their [FOAM Lite Ethereum transaction relay device](https://twitter.com/foamspace/status/1336424195501285379?s=20), and is working on trustless "[presence claims](https://foam.space/location)".
* Reviewed the draft whitepaper for the Kolektivo Framework, a crypto-institutional framework that seeks to promote socio-ecological sustainability through cryptoeconomic mechanisms. Watch this space ...
* Exploring ways to keep pushing forward with the Web3-native geospatial vision, which we first explored with a Filecoin development grant. More soon ...

#### 13 April 2021

* Met with jabyl from [Distributed Town](https://distributed.town), where they're building a DAO for DAOs and a universal "skills wallet" enabling you to port your reputation with you in the mutual credit network .
* Spencer and the [Commit Pool](https://commitpool.com) team joined the Astral Discord - really exciting work designing an app to help people hold themselves accountable. Set goals and stake money - by exercising claim your crypto back.
* On Discord we're discussing verifiable impact claims - a common problem that many teams are solving. One take: Impact NFTs.

#### 6 April 2021

* Submitted the GeoDID Explorer client application to Filecoin, completing our Development Grant. You can explore the Astral Studio - live on Ropsten - [here](https://studio.astral.global). Working on docs.
* Lots of community building this week:
  * Max from Earthify is building a data DAO that is crowdsourcing, standardizing, and publishing public / government records, with a focus on real estate data. We are advising Max and got to listen in to his design sprint with @RaidGuild.
  * Connected with David from KERNEL0x, started a conversation about privacy and data markets.
  * Another check-in with Grant and Pylyp from Copernic Space, building a Web3 marketplace for space assets including satellite imagery.
  * One-to-one with community member @BlairVee talking through verifiable impact claims and community inclusion currencies.
* Drafted a concept note: [Impact NFTs](https://hackmd.io/@astral/B1Cl4YUBd), which represent impact claims made by people doing some environmental or social project. Reviewers would analyze evidence referenced by the NFT - threshold approvals could trigger bounty transfers to Impact NFT minters. [https://hackmd.io/@astral/B1Cl4YUBd](https://hackmd.io/@astral/B1Cl4YUBd)
* Community
  * 207 followers on Twitter
  * 58 Discord members

#### 31 March 2021

* Completed initial implementation of IPLD-encoded GeoTIFFs in Typescript for our Filecoin Development Grant - [docs here](archive/astral/ipld-and-geotiffs).
* Finishing the GeoDID Explorer client interface.
* Spoke on Web3 Spatial at the Open Geospatial Consortium Blockchain Domain Working Group - recording forthcoming.
* Met with the innovation team at a national land registry to talk about their research and development efforts to digitize the real estate conveyancing process.
* [@BlairVee](https://twitter.com/BlairVee) gave a talk with Grassroots Economics at the MetaFEST - find it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPcBrxWzNwU).
* Community:
  * 205 followers on Twitter
  * 24 new Gitcoin grant supports
  * 50 Discord members

#### 23 March 2021

* Work week.

#### 16 March 2021

* Coming into the final weeks of our Filecoin development grant - developing IPLD-encoded GeoTIFFs, which will complement the GeoDID spec we designed. The idea is to use DIDs to create permanent, resolvable identities for satellite images. More soon.
*   We started outlining [v0.2 of the GeoDID spec](archive/geodids/geodids-v0.2) - a brief summary below.

    We want to build DIDs that support spatial querying and raster clipping, so a DID can represent a subset of a larger spatial dataset.
* We met with[@KERNEL0x](https://twitter.com/KERNEL0x) 2 Fellow [@hollygrimm](https://twitter.com/hollygrimm), who is building [@0xDynamiculture](https://twitter.com/0xDynamiculture) - a DAO for Indigenous tribes to track their environmental projects using satellite imagery and sensor inputs We'll be looking at using GeoDIDs in their technical architecture![Satellite](https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f6f0.svg)
* Advisory calls with[@MaxGlass](https://twitter.com/MaxGlass) - we'll be helping him design a spatial data crowdsourcing protocol with[@RaidGuild](https://twitter.com/RaidGuild)
* The community put together a response to a [post on ethresear.ch](https://ethresear.ch/t/how-to-implement-digital-community-currencies-with-ethereum/8801/8) on local + community tokens. Astral member [@BlairVee](https://twitter.com/BlairVee) is working with[@grassEcon](https://twitter.com/grassEcon) on this, and[@johnx25bd](https://twitter.com/johnx25bd) prototyped a location-aware smart contract wallet at ETHParis 2019.
* Community:
  * 200 followers on Twitter
  * 7 new Gitcoin grant supporters
  * 31 Discord members

#### 11 March 2021

* Still building for our Filecoin Development Grant - working on IPLD-encoded GeoTIFFs and a front end GeoDID browser for Web3-native satellite imagery ...
* Working with a new community member building to collect land parcel data - watch this space
* Initial security reviews of Spatial.sol - much more to come.
* Architecting verifiable spatial data registries built on GeoDIDs and IPFS. Who do we know who would find a smart contract registry of geographic zones useful? Congestion zones - insurance protocols - local currencies - voting - what else??

#### 4 March 2021

* Initial tests for Spatial.sol. Point in Polygon is \*mostly\* working.
* Submitted initial implementation of the @astralprotocol Typescript modules for the Filecoin Development Grant. GeoDID client libraries and solidity contracts are functional.
* Release of the vision and roadmap for community review.
* Community
  * 176 Twitter followers
  * 5 new Gitcoin grant supporters
  * 23 Discord members

#### 23 February 2021

* Our Discord is gathering steam. We've seen new members this week from startup projects, the GIS world, economics graduate schools and more. Join if you want to learn more: [https://discord.gg/9Kv8tRvWVG](https://discord.gg/9Kv8tRvWVG)
* Discord member Econometrie raised some great points about how systems built on Astral could solve an interesting problem: how do we know where we can park rental e-bikes and e-scooters? We are working out how to adapt Hyperaware to help solve this.
* A new member - Kiran - joined and shared a draft post he's writing about applying principles of token engineering to manage road network usage.
* We have written a master document with overviews of the different tools and protocols we are building. This is open - feedback very welcome: [https://hackmd.io/0p7uwOijSMuFXcNE\_anDWA](https://hackmd.io/0p7uwOijSMuFXcNE_anDWA)
* Community
  * 160 Twitter followers
  * 18 Discord members
  * 5 new Gitcoin grant supporters - plus a 246.98 DAI CLR match

#### 16 February 2021

* Commits on modules for working with GeoDIDs, plus a check-in call with @filecoin on development grant progress.
* Call with @blairvee and Jonny, talking about GIS, Grassroots Economics and truly local currencies.
* Core community call. We talked through the road up to this point, and where it should lead.
* We created a Discord! If you are doing \*anything\* at the intersection of spatial / location data and Web3, join and say hi. [https://discord.gg/W2nFZF75](https://discord.gg/W2nFZF75)
* Community:
  * 146 Twitter followers
  * 6 new Gitcoin grant supporters

#### 9 February 2021

* Broke ground on a research report on the intersection of spatial data and Web3.
* Progress on the GeoDID Browser interface development and Astral modules for working with GeoDIDs - part of our work on a Filecoin Development Grant.
* Spoke with an American entrepreneur working to onboard land parcel data onto Ethereum.
* Fairlaunch session in[@KERNEL0x](https://twitter.com/KERNEL0x) with[@0xMaki](https://twitter.com/0xMaki) - hard-earned words of wisdom on early community growth.
* Advisor calls.
* Community:
  * 132 Twitter followers
  * 5 new Gitcoin grant supporters

#### 2 February 2021

* Submitted the [GeoDID Method Specification](https://docs.astral.global/geodids/geodid-core-specification) for feedback - if you're interested, read it here, and give feedback by creating an issue on the [Github repo](https://github.com/AstralProtocol/astral-docs).
* Fixed a bug in our prototype implementation of the Hyperaware Protocol - a spatial governance protocol for connected devices.
* KERNEL Fairlaunch seminar with Brian Flynn from Rabbit Hole - got us thinking about the value of community.
* Community
  * 113 Twitter followers
  * 13 new Gitcoin grant contributors

#### 26 January 2021

* Completed the draft GeoDID Method Specification - now we're architecting software modules for working with GeoDIDs
* Spoke with @KERNEL0x Fellow @mattgcondon - the grandfather of NFTs - about trusted location proofs and using location in smart contracts.
* Kicking ideas around with @naz about NFT markets and the NFT community.
* First talk from @fairlaunch Capital in KERNEL Block 2 - learning about newfound paths to independent sustainability.
* Early tests on [Spatial.sol](https://github.com/AstralProtocol/spatial-sol), a Solidity library of geometric and topological functions - watch this space ...
* Community
  * 89 Twitter followers
  *

#### **19 January 2021**

* Refinements of the draft GeoDID Method Specification.
* Chat with a VC about the past, present and future of the spatial Web3.
* Chatting about trusted location proofs with a security-minded developer in KERNEL.
* Community
  * 80 Twitter followers
  * 2 new Gitcoin grant contributors

#### 12 January 2021

* Joined KERNEL 2 - Fairlaunch track!
* Published our [Gitbook](https://docs.astral.global) with Astral documentation.
* Drafting GeoDID Method Specification, working on scaling problems with IPLD-encoded GeoTIFFs for the Filecoin Development Grant.
* Advisory call with Andrew Hill, CEO at [Textile](https://textile.io) - great advice on how to approach to building Web3-native geospatial technologies.
* Community
  * 61 Twitter followers
  * 29 Gitcoin grant contributors

#### 5 January 2021

* Astral received a [Filecoin Development Grant](https://filecoin.io/blog/filecoin-dev-grants-wave-4-5-gitcoin/) to develop a few key pieces of the Astral Protocol: a GeoDID Method Specification (more soon!) and IPLD-encoded GeoTIFFs, for Web3-native geospatial imagery. [Our grant details](https://github.com/filecoin-project/devgrants/blob/efaac115b71df7b373354c72600aa9818fc6710a/open-grant-proposals/open-proposal-astral-protocol.md).
* The Astral team won the Ceramic Bounty for the SkyDB hackathon for building a version of Geolocker, a verifiable spatial data registry.
* Launched our new website, [https://astral.global](https://astral.global). (Thanks for the awesome template, [@marrrguerite](https://twitter.com/marrrguerite)!)
