Vision Statement

When WISP was branded, those of us involved directly had a very serious discussion about why we were so committed to the continuation of this project and what it was that we wanted to see develop from WISP. None of us would have come to this project if we didn't have ideals that we wanted to see upheld and sincerely felt that they were not. So like any project it's necessary to make our intentions both clear and precise so that there are no misunderstandings in the community about the basic tenets of WISP.

The main focuses of WISP will be:

1. A continuation of Satoshi's vision of decentralization.

2. Privacy (actions not being visible to outside entities)

3. Anonymity (identity not being seen by outside entities)

4. Building an inclusive freedom-based ecosystem around the previous focuses.

Though there exists an ever-growing number of "privacy coins" being produced on a regular basis, the commitment to privacy often doesn't extend beyond the in-house technology and it's ability to conceal the identity and actions of the user. We at WISP believe that in order to have a truly private society the population has to have control of their finances. Financial freedom is the only way to truly not be subject to debt slavery and you can't have financial freedom when the value of your currency is determined by a select few people in power.

Unfortunately history has shown us that when power perceives a threat to its stability it usually results in a negative, and often aggressive, "lashing out" at the perceived threat. Those threats are more easily dealt with when their numbers are small. Even today we are beginning to see smear campaigns against bitcoin, attempted regulation in exchanges, and threats to make ownership illegal.

We at WISP understand and believe that our future will hold more of this and with greater intensity and frequency. And if we want to regulate our lives financially then the approach must extend beyond the technology of the coin itself and deep into the community with the end product being a private economy based around the WISP project allowing communities to function independently of strict, and unwanted control.

So as a group we decided, because we are pursuing this lofty goal, that it cannot be pursued in a half-cocked manner. There should be as few points of compromise in this process as possible. So our approach is to be as extreme as possible with regards to the main focuses. We are "going big or going home" and everyone involved will be an integral part of that.

Decentralization

With a major focus being the continuation of decentralization we, as contributing members, have decided that it would be policy to ONLY list on decentralized exchanges. We all understand that this is a bold endeavor but it suits our narrative. Centralized exchanges would be a primary source of compromise that we simply cannot justify under any circumstances. Though we cannot stop a centralized exchange from listing WISP if they please, we won't be pursuing centralized exchanges. We understand that this is a potential bone of contention, but it's very important to the ecosystem that these exchanges be both supported and used. We see this as being a temporary limitation but necessary for our narrative.
It is also our intention to include more developers by offering bounties and hopefully enticing developers with similar ideals towards decentralization and privacy. Having a solitary developer is a serious breach of centralization. We understand and are well aware of this fact. We will seek to remedy this as soon as it is possible.

Privacy

Continuing from our previous endeavors, implementation of default ring signatures and dual key stealth addresses are necessary. Masking the actions of both receiving and sending parties will be requisite to maintain that personal actions of remittance remain private on the blockchain. The inclusion of other measures are also being considered, but it is our intention to integrate these cryptographic procedures primarily. Stealth-staking is also being developed and tested to be included in the code. If and when this protocol is enacted it will be revolutionary in the Point of Stake consensus. This will give more utility to WISP as not only a cash-like transaction, but as an unregulated store of wealth.

Anonymity

Tor overlay is still going to be a main part of the WISP network. Tor will be integrated into the wallet so that exit nodes are never used. This will completely muddle the IP addresses (and identities) of WISP users while simultaneously alleviating the possibility of a Janus attack (also called a "Man in the Middle" attack). Tor will be included more "loosely" this time so that it's possible to also add other forms of anonymous overlay like I2P. Though we believe that Tor is secure and well funded enough to be a standalone overlay, having extra options is always a good thing as no one can predict the future and what changes may need to be made at a later date.

Eco-System

This is arguably the most important part of the WISP project. Fashioning an ecosystem based around these previously mentioned, and most basic of tenets will be necessary. Markets, WISP specific exchanges, and time-banks for services have been presented as possibilities to help expand the community and give worth to WISP. This ecosystem would include every holder of WISP and without a community supporting WISP, there is no reason for WISP. As we move into the future it will become more and more necessary that we protect ourselves against a threatened power structure. This will require a broad support network and right now is not TOO soon to begin that network. We intend to grow and nurture this community through individual involvement. Encouraging people to work together to recognize a need for a safety net, and an alternative to our current fiat system, will only strengthen the WISP project and the WISP community.

We here at WISP will always be looking for more active members to recognize and help exact this Eco-system. The more people who find themselves dedicated and involved, the faster and, hopefully, more efficiently we can see ourselves to this lofty goal. Thank you for staying with us during this time of transition. Your support is greatly appreciated.