Obyte stands out as a cryptocurrency network prioritizing decentralization, which means no one is behind to censor or limit your operations in any way. Built on a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) structure, it processes transactions without relying on miners or other middlemen. This system ensures network integrity and enables users to transact quickly and reliably while safeguarding their online freedom and financial autonomy.

Plus: you can start using a lot of features for free. In a cryptocurrency network, it’s quite common to pay transaction fees, but there can also be additional fees to pay, like a payment to a service provider (to attest your real ID, for instance), or trading fees, e.g. on an exchange. That’s also the case in Obyte for some features, but numerous functions and decentralized applications (Dapps) are free to use. Let’s check what we can do with only the minimal transaction fees.

Get Free Test-Money

If you don’t want to start by using real money, you can easily download the Testnet Obyte Wallet and try it out with some testnet coins (without market value), for free. This mobile or desktop app offers a safe environment for experimenting with the platform's features without any risks, and you can even cover transaction fees with the same testnet coins. To get some of this test money, you only need to click here and open your TN Obyte Wallet.

Users can utilize the testnet wallet as a learning tool, exploring various features such as chatbots, merchant demos, and conditional payments. Through simple steps, you can simulate transactions and interactions, like "buying" a pizza with the assistance of a chatbot, providing an engaging way to familiarize yourself with the wallet's capabilities.

Additionally, it’s possible to experiment further by adding new devices in the Chat section, implementing security measures like two-factor authentication (2FA) in Global Preferences, and testing the available chatbots in the Bot Store. Whether it's creating multi-signature accounts, adjusting wallet settings, or sending data and conditional payments, users can explore these functionalities confidently, knowing that there are no financial consequences.

Conditional Payments

Conditional payments don’t have any additional fees, and they’re a game-changer in the world of transactions. Imagine being able to set specific conditions for a payment to be executed—like a digital version of "if-then" statements. With Obyte's conditional payments feature, powered by human-readable smart contracts, you can do just that.

Whether it is specific actions by the party being paid or specific events reported by a third party, Obyte's smart contracts ensure that payments are made only when predefined conditions are met. This not only adds flexibility to your transactions but also provides an extra layer of security, preventing fraudulent or erroneous payments.

By binding a digital payment to a specific condition, anyone could recover their money in the case that condition (like receiving a package or losing a bet) isn’t met during a predetermined period.

To make a conditional payment, the first step is to pair your Obyte wallet with your counterpart (add them as a contact in the Chat section). Next, the receiving end must share their Obyte address in the chat, so the sender can either select to pay to that address and bind the payment to a condition, or offer them a smart contract.

The condition could be determined by an oracle (a data feed sent by another Obyte address), or by receiving another payment from the counterpart —for instance, to exchange tokens. Every conditional payment has a time limit set by the parties, and everything is easily understandable, without the need for coding.

Private Chat

The Obyte wallet doesn’t send or show your data to any external party, and that includes your conversations. The private chat feature is completely free and provides users with a secure and confidential communication channel. Using advanced encryption technology, messages exchanged through this platform are protected from unauthorized access and can’t be read by any middlemen.

The only thing in the middle is an Obyte hub, a store-and-forward node for transmission of messages, but it can’t decipher them on its own because they are end-to-end encrypted. Those messages (including the ones sent to a chatbot) are always stored in the user(s) device(s), and not in the cloud. Therefore, we can’t expect those devices to be online all the time. That’s the hub's ‘raison d'être’: a service for [temporary] storing and forwarding private messages to connected devices. There are several Obyte hubs for the user to select if they so desire.

By using this chat, users can engage in discussions without worrying about their messages being intercepted. Obyte has ensured that only authorized parties can access the conversation, maintaining the integrity of the channel. This feature not only promotes direct and secure communication but also instills confidence in users regarding the privacy of their interactions.

Shared accounts on Obyte empower users to collaboratively manage funds and assets. By creating an account that can be accessed and controlled by multiple parties, but protecting their spending privileges at the same time, Obyte facilitates seamless collaboration and resource management. Whether it's a joint venture, collaborative savings, or a group project, shared accounts allow users to pool their resources and coordinate financial transactions efficiently.

With built-in security features, such as multi-signature approval, the wallet ensures that all transactions require consent from the designated parties, preventing unauthorized access or misuse of funds. This feature promotes transparency and accountability, making it easier for users to track and manage shared assets effectively.

Users only need to add a new account from the main menu, select “Multidevice”, and set the number of co-signers from their contacts (they should be paired). Then, all transactions made from that account will ask for permission from the selected number of co-signers before sending funds.

Receive Open-Source Donations

By generating a unique address, users can solicit contributions in Obyte-compatible assets from individuals or organizations interested in supporting their cause —but there’s also an Obyte-based Dapp especially designed for open-source developers, called Kivach. Both of these opportunities are, of course, free of additional charges.

Kivach offers a unique solution by enabling cascading donations for open-source developers on GitHub, allowing recipients to redistribute a portion or the entirety of received donations to other deserving projects. This innovative approach ensures that funds flow efficiently across multiple repositories and collaborators, amplifying the impact of each contribution.

The recipients don’t need to know about the donation from the beginning, but they’ll need an Obyte wallet and a free-of-charge GitHub attestation to claim it. The latter must be done to verify their GitHub profile, and it’s available via chatbot in the wallet, including all instructions.

Free Chatbots

Chatbots play a vital role in enhancing the functionality and user experience on the Obyte platform. These automated tools are designed to interact with users and perform various tasks, ranging from providing information to executing transactions.

Whether it's about getting data feeds (oracles), conducting transactions, or accessing third-party services, chatbots make it easier for users to navigate the Obyte ecosystem, and all of it from the same wallet.

Now, as you can imagine, not all those third-party services are free. Especially attestations (except for the GitHub attestation) and exchanges have their own additional fees, but most oracles are available without extra costs. So, you can get imported data from Bitcoin transactions or sports results this way, for instance.

There’s also a free Poll Bot to read and vote in Obyte-related polls, a Kivach Discord Bot to link your Obyte address to your Discord username and get some privileges proportional to your Kivach donations; and the World Community Grid (WCG) Linking Bot if you’re interested in donating your idle computer power for scientific research.

As you can see, Obyte is more than just a cryptocurrency platform; it’s a gateway to a new era of digital finance and communication. And you can start for free, just by downloading a lightweight app!

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