Welcome everyone to the exciting journey of the Namada Shielded Expedition, where each step is a mystery waiting to be discovered.
In this fiery space battle, our Pilots and Crews bravely faced challenges, traversing planets and regions of space to reach the promised land of the mainnet and claim valuable rewards.
To provide a deeper understanding of this innovative and dramatic testnet program, OriginStake is delighted to introduce our special guest today – one of the standout Pilots in this race, Mr. ValidatorVN.
Q&A
OriginStake: Hello, Mr. ValidatorVN. First of all, we would like to thank you for taking the time to participate in our interview today. Could you share with the community what inspired you to join the Namada Shielded Expedition and become a Pilot?
Mr. ValidatorVN: Hello OriginStake team. Thank you for this exciting invitation. I have been running a node for the Namada testnet for almost 2 years. When Namada announced the Incentivized Testnet, I felt fortunate to be one of the first Pilots among over 130,000 registrations. This made me feel extremely tense but also excited to fight alongside other experienced validators.
OriginStake: Can you share more about the preparation process your team went through before joining this journey?
Mr. ValidatorVN: Initially, our team consisted of only one person, myself. I multitasked various roles, big and small. However, after receiving the invitation to become a Pilot, I quickly sought support from a DevOps specialist.
Finally, our team currently has two members participating in the battle, with support from other groups.
OriginStake: As a Pilot, what difficulties and challenges did you encounter in participating in this race? And how did your team overcome them?
Mr. ValidatorVN: From the beginning, we anticipated time challenges as we are from the ASIA region (where announcements and updates are sent around 1 am – 3 am). The unclear announcements on the Namada Discord channel also posed many obstacles for our team.
But later on, this issue was improved as other teams also raised similar concerns.
OriginStake: According to “intelligence” from OriginStake, your team had quite a “dramatic” journey, dropping from the top 50 to the top 100 and then spectacularly returning to the top 30. Could you share a bit about that journey and the strategies your team used to achieve such a remarkable turnaround?
Mr. ValidatorVN: Yes, we encountered an incident when the information was updated in the morning, causing us to lose points and drop to the top 100.
However, it was not just our team facing this issue; other validators also faced the same situation, and once again, they requested that the Dev team post information on the ANN channel.
Due to this issue, I also spent a considerable amount of time restoring the validator, and what surprised me the most was that other validators continued to increase points, climb up the rankings, and the ROID points varied significantly. There were times when I didn’t even know which step I went wrong that led to such a large gap. After that, I thoroughly read all the project documentation, even the smallest details, and submitted Task S, which helped me regain the position.
A little secret is that our team is currently in the top 18 as of March 5th.
OriginStake: Can you share a memorable experience from your treasure hunt on these little planets?
MrValidatorVN: The most memorable experience was when I was waiting for a message to see if the development team had updated the new version. After a few minutes, when the announcement appeared, I hurriedly called Mr. Spir – CTO of OriginStake to upgrade together. But the interesting thing was that he was on a boat and busy sightseeing in HCM City and forgot to bring his laptop, haha.
OriginStake: What makes Namada different from other blockchain technologies? How do you evaluate the potential of Namada?
Mr ValidatorVN: Namada combines multiple technologies: using Cosmos SDK, the Rust programming language, ZKP, and EVM. They have been building a privacy-focused blockchain since 2022, which is truly unique. However, after private projects were banned by the US, I felt a bit worried about their direction. But with their recent funding, they may have a solution to continue developing and attracting new investors.
OriginStake: How do you evaluate the concept of this battle? How does it affect your role as a Pilot?
Mr ValidatorVN: This race focuses entirely on technology and the ability to handle node issues. It is indeed challenging, and only those with deep knowledge of running nodes can be in the top 100 pilots.
As for my role, it doesn’t have a significant impact,it just makes it more exciting for me ^^.
OriginStake: Do you collaborate with other Pilots? How do you balance the competitive nature of the journey with the need for collaboration among Pilots?
Mr ValidatorVN: Currently, I collaborate with Mr. Spir (OriginStake) because we are both in the Vietnam time zone, which makes communication more convenient.
We take turns staying up to date with project information when there are updates. Fortunately, both of us feel comfortable sharing information and working independently when needed.
OriginStake: What advice would you give to ambitious Pilots who want to participate in journeys like this?
Mr ValidatorVN: My advice is to complete at least 3 Task S: 1, 2, 3 to have a chance to be in the top 100. If you want to be in the top 50, you need to complete additional hidden tasks.
Tasks 4, 5, 6 are truly designed to filter out outstanding pilots, so they require seriousness and high concentration.
OriginStake: How does the real-time result continuously update on Nebb affect the morale and performance of your team during the journey?
Mr ValidatorVN: Initially, the results made me feel overwhelmed because I didn’t know where to start. But I continued because I realized that beyond this testnet competition, there is also the mainnet. When the scores from Task S were calculated, and I gradually climbed into the top 20, I became less worried.
It seems like I have found the key to success.
OriginStake: What are your expectations for the outcome of this battle?
Mr ValidatorVN: Currently, our team is in the top 18, and there is one more Task S that has not been scored. We performed Task S very well and received praise for the project.
When officially credited, I believe our team will be in the top 10-15. This is also the goal I am aiming for, and if I can complete any additional Task S, my goal will be in the top 5.
OriginStake: How do you envision the future of the Namada Shielded journey, and how do you see yourself contributing to it?
Mr ValidatorVN: The Namada Shielded journey can be considered one of the most representative and demanding forms of participation in choosing Validators. This is an opportunity for me to grow and learn valuable experiences from reputable and experienced teams. I am proud and delighted to have the opportunity to represent Vietnam among the top participating teams.
OriginStake: When this journey ends, what do you expect most from the experiences and knowledge you have gained?
Mr ValidatorVN: When this journey ends, I hope to learn about the working methods of other projects. Each project has its own approach and problem-solving methods, and knowing more about different approaches will help me broaden my perspective and approach in my work.
I am very grateful to the project for organizing such a high-quality competition.
Closing
Thank you, Mr. ValidatorVN, for taking the time to share your experiences and thoughts on your participation in the Namada Shielded Expedition.
We have seen your commitment and relentless efforts, as well as your spirit of cooperation and willingness to share your experiences. Additionally, you have demonstrated pride in representing the Vietnamese community in this competition.
Once again, we wish your team continued health and a bright future ahead.
See you all in the next interview!
About OriginStake
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