Monero releases new stressnet build ahead of FCMP++ test
Monero has pushed out a fresh version of its beta stressnet software as the privacy coin prepares for a third round of testing of its FCMP++ and CARROT upgrades on 5 October.
Key points
- Monero released a new version of its beta stressnet software on Monday and asked the community to keep testing and report issues.
- The third beta stressnet for Full-Chain Membership Proofs (FCMP++) and CARROT is scheduled to go live on 5 October.
- FCMP++ replaces small decoy rings with a proof that a spent output belongs to the blockchain-wide set of eligible outputs.
- The wider anonymity set is intended to remove privacy weaknesses linked to smaller decoy sets while still catching double spending.
- FCMP++ is also expected to support safer transaction chaining and optional outgoing view keys.
Monero has released a new version of its beta stressnet software, as the privacy-focused cryptocurrency prepares for another major round of testing of its upcoming privacy upgrades. The Monero team announced the release on Monday and urged community members to keep taking part in the stressnet and to report any problems they find.
The project said a new version of the beta stressnet software had been released and asked the Monero community to continue participating in testing and to report issues so that the transition goes smoothly. The release comes ahead of the third version of Monero's beta stressnet for Full-Chain Membership Proofs, better known as FCMP++, and CARROT, which is scheduled to go live on 5 October.
FCMP++ represents one of the most substantial changes to Monero's transaction privacy architecture. Under the existing system, transactions use a relatively limited set of decoy outputs to obscure which output is actually being spent. FCMP++ substantially expands that approach.
New stressnet build released
Instead of proving that the real output belongs to a small ring, the system allows an input to prove that it spends one eligible output from the entire set of eligible outputs on the blockchain, without identifying which one it is. That effectively gives transactions a much broader anonymity set while still allowing the network to detect double spending.
The Monero team previously explained that Full-Chain Membership Proofs are designed to prove that an output being spent belongs to the blockchain-wide set of eligible outputs, eliminating privacy weaknesses associated with selecting smaller decoy sets. FCMP++ is also expected to enable additional functionality, including safer transaction chaining and optional outgoing view keys.
The stressnet is a beta testing environment, so the new build is aimed at finding faults before the changes reach the live network. Monero's call for community participation reflects the reliance of open-source privacy projects on outside testers to surface bugs.
Third test round on 5 October
The testing schedule matters because FCMP++ would change how every Monero transaction hides its sender's spending. A smooth rollout on 5 October would mark a significant step in the network's long-running effort to strengthen transaction privacy.