CB-23Q2-04.2 : sBTC Stacks-Signer Support for Mobile

[will-corcoran]

Introduction:

Maintaining a well-decentralized graph of Stacks follower and mining nodes is important to the health of the Stacks network. Stacks 3.0 will require stackers to run a new signing application. Current users who are unable to securely run a signer application may be incentivized to delegate their signing responsibility. While potentially more convenient, delegating signing responsibility reduces the number of independent entities responsible for securing the sBTC threshold wallet and lowers decentralization.

Critical Bounty Mission Statement:

To address these challenges, this Critical Bounty seeks a solution that provides sBTC Stacks-Signers a simple web-app interface by which they can sign transactions related to:

• Depositing funds
• Withdrawing funds
• Casting votes
• Propose elections (related to sBTC script security, fee recovery parameters, and Nakamoto release related block production rules)

This will allow a wide range of Stackers/Signers to participate directly in the sBTC Threshold Signature protocol in a trustless manner. This application will have a high security consideration.

Functionality / Deliverables (shall include, but not be limited to):

• Mirror functionality outlined in CB-23Q2-02.1
• Debugging issues with building on iOS and Android
• Packaging and deploying to the iOS and Android App Store
• Building a UI app to manage the signer
• Notification & Alert system
• Product 'roadshow', feedback, and improvements: All recipients will be responsible for demonstrating functionality, championing early adoption, gathering feedback, and making one to two rounds of high-impact, feedback-based improvements.

Required Knowledge / Skills:

• Expertise with React Native and Hooks for Cross-Platform Android and iOS App development

References:

1. sBTC Whitepaper
2. Stacks Nakamoto Release Whitepaper
3. sBTC project dashboard
4. Clarinet Docs (reference for design system req’d for Typescript applications wrapped within a Rust application)
5. TM Repo (code & documentation standard)
6. Host a Web Server on Android

Critical Bounty Fee:

• Maximum Fee: $30,000

Reviewers / Advisors:

Igor Sylvester, Core Engineering Lead, Trust Machines
Friedger Müffke
Jude Nelson, Research Scientist, Stacks Foundation
Jesse Wiley, Integration and Security Lead, Stacks Foundation
Kenny Rogers, Developer Advocate, Stacks Foundation
Will Corcoran, Grants Lead, Stacks Foundation

Additional Comments:

Recipient will be expected to attend sBTC Core Engineering Working Group calls while the bounty is in development and provide weekly updates.

APPLY HERE

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NOTES ABOUT CRITICAL BOUNTIES:

If you have thoughts, questions, or comments on the rough outline for this Critical Bounty above, please comments below.

Please note, all 2023 Q2 Critical Bounties that have funding approved for them will be moved to the Issues page (here) on Tuesday 03/21/2023.

Some procedural items to keep in mind with 2023 Q2 Critical Bounties:

1. Each Critical Bounty will have a pre-approved minimum and maximum budget listed within the issue.
2. All applications will be submitted via a BlockSurvey which will be linked within the Issue.
3. Applications will be open from 03/21/2023 to 04/03/2023.
4. Critical Bounty applications will be reviewed by relevant members of the sBTC Core Engineering Team and technical staff from the Stacks Foundation.
5. The selected recipient will be the low, qualified bidder (in the eyes of the reviewers).
6. Selected Critical Bounty recipients will be announced on 04/07/2023 and will be expected to start work immediately and attend sBTC Core Engineering meetings to provide weekly updates on their work.

[will-corcoran]

Congrats on being awarded this Critical Bounty @setzeus

This discussion thread should be used for all payment requests for your grant. Please follow these steps:

• Create a Gitbook for your project (watch this video for details on how)
• Once you complete a milestone, update your Gitbook and post a message below summarizing which milestone was completed and the updates you made to your Gitbook.
• When you post your request please tag @will-at-stacks
• Once I have a chance to review your deliverables I will begin the process of disbursing the associated payment.

Your CB fee of $30k will be paid out in (2) $15k payments at the following milestones:

1. At contract signing
2. Substantial Completion

[setzeus]

Linking here live repo that anyone can check in to see progress: https://github.com/setzeus/STXSign

Currently working through the frontend as the backend/library/api still has a lot of work to be done. Particularly focused on displaying a "Signer" row as pictured below:

[igorsyl]

Any way to get a live demo? @setbern put together a nice one using loom: #843 (comment)

[markmhendrickson]

I'd love to see a Loom as well 🙏

[setzeus]

Happy to - https://www.loom.com/share/eee4533899a14ac3aa8da61766083474

[igorsyl]

Sweet!

[will-corcoran]

@setzeus just a reminder to request payments here. let me know when you are ready for the next disbursement.

[setzeus]

Writing to officially request release of completion disbursements. While the mobile signing is certainly not in production / completion, the entire front end has been implementing with working mock data. The following user stories are now working with mock data:

What's Completed

• Mock requests fire every X seconds
• Configuration class auto-signs all transaction that fit saved settings
• Configuration class flags all transactions that require manual signing
• Approving a request
• Rejecting a request
• Abstaining from voting on a request (though confirmed we're removing this)
• Reviewing a historical request
• Updating configuration transaction size
• Updating configuration deny-list

What's Missing -> Why

• Stacks Auth/Transaction Signing -> There is no existing Kotlin library for Stacks
• On-device nodes -> Still unsure if phone will host nodes or will respond to RPC/API
• Real requests -> APIs aren't complete, still meeting with Signer group on a x2 week basis

Below is a video that captures all the UX at this time of delivery, of course the work will persist until sBTC is in production & we have production APIs to tie-into; until then, will continue iterating per client feedback / sBTC scope change & will submit for an extension grant that covers a handful of features not identified in original grant scope.

Current Repo
https://github.com/setzeus/STXSign

Current Progress
https://github.com/stacksgov/Stacks-Grant-Launchpad/assets/3859928/746e3d86-74d7-46b1-adf1-e754d834516c

[igorsyl]

Thank you, @setzeus, for your relentless dedication to this project. Working with you has been a pleasure, and I hope you keep pushing the frontier of Stacks!

[friedger]

On-device nodes -> Still unsure if phone will host nodes or will respond to RPC/API

What are the current thoughts? Why not on device node? That was what I hoped for.

[friedger]

Hopefully the rust library can be used in kotlin https://mozilla.github.io/application-services/book/android-faqs.html

[setzeus]

Still on it :)

Haven't throw in the towel, just haven't been able to get device node working yet & prioritized UX so that we (biz team) can get customer/client feedback.

Still my hope too.