🔧Challenges

Building and deploying the XIONIS platform came with several challenges, each of which required careful consideration and problem-solving. Here are some of the key challenges we encountered during the development of the platform:

1. IBC Transfer Issues

One of the initial hurdles we faced was with the IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) transfer. We were unable to conduct IBC transfers without having USDC available on the testnet XION chain, which was a significant blocker for testing. The lack of available USDC on the testnet made it difficult to perform the essential cross-chain transactions required for the platform’s functionality. We had to explore alternate solutions, which included working with test USDC tokens and ensuring proper configuration of the IBC channels to resolve the issue.

2. Pyth SDK Compatibility Issues

Another significant challenge arose when trying to integrate the Pyth SDK for price feed calculations within the smart contracts. There were versioning issues with the cosmwasm_st library that prevented the Pyth SDK from functioning properly in our contracts. These compatibility problems led to delays, as we needed to manually adjust the versions and ensure proper compatibility across the dependencies. This required thorough testing and debugging to ensure that the price feeds were accurate and functional within the smart contract environment.

3. Reclaim Protocol Integration

Integrating the Reclaim Protocol for credit score calculations was another challenge we faced. The protocol's complexity required us to fine-tune how data was processed and ensure accurate credit score assessments. Aligning the Reclaim Protocol with the platform’s collateralization model also involved addressing edge cases where users may not have a full history, making the credit scoring process less predictable in some instances.

4. Governance Contract Development

Developing and writing the governance contracts proved to be complex, especially when integrating the DAO functionality. Ensuring that users could submit and vote on proposals securely, while maintaining transparency, was an intricate process. The challenges included dealing with permissioning, ensuring the correct distribution of governance tokens, and preventing malicious activity. We also had to ensure the security of the platform and minimize any potential attack vectors related to governance manipulation. Writing efficient, secure, and flexible governance contracts that could scale with the platform’s growth was a major focus.

Despite these challenges, each issue presented an opportunity to improve and refine the platform, resulting in a more robust and secure product. The lessons learned during these hurdles have significantly contributed to the platform's ongoing development.