Merge pull request #76 from ethersphere/staging

add new blogpost

content/_index.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 +++
 description = 'Swarm news. An open-source, censorship-resistant blog hosted on [Swarm](https://www.ethswarm.org/ "Swarm").'
-featured = "posts/swarm-1-17-0-is-here.md"
+featured = "posts/swarm-state-of-the-network-august-2023.md"
 featured_blog = "foundation"
-featured_secondary_first = "posts/swarm-network-s-storage-rewards-go-live-as-it-moves-towards-a-web3-pc.md"
+featured_secondary_first = "posts/swarm-1-17-0-is-here.md"
 featured_secondary_first_blog = "foundation"
 featured_secondary_second = "posts/swarm-storing-data-for-the-world-computer.md"
 featured_secondary_second_blog = "foundation"

content/foundation/posts/swarm-state-of-the-network-august-2023.md

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++++
+banner = "/uploads/state-of-network-blog.png"
+categories = [ "Development updates" ]
+date = 2023-09-13T00:00:00.000Z
+description = "This report provides an in-depth overview of the state of storage incentives on the Ethswarm network for the month of August. Detailed below are insights into monthly rewards in BZZ tokens, single node monthly earnings, median win values, average win values, monthly unique staking nodes, and the geographic distribution of nodes."
+references_and_footnotes = [ ]
+title = "State of the Network: August"
+_template = "post"
+slug="state-of-the-network-august"
++++
+
+This report provides an in-depth overview of the state of storage incentives on the Ethswarm network for the month of August. Detailed below are insights into monthly rewards in BZZ tokens, single node monthly earnings, median win values, average win values, monthly unique staking nodes, and the geographic distribution of nodes. This data serves as a valuable indicator of the ongoing growth trends within the Swarm network. 
+
+
+### Data limitations: 
+
+* All data is based on nodes which have won the redistribution game at least once per month. While the average number of win events in every month for running a single staking node is greater than one, it is still possible to operate a node for a month without a win event occurring.
+* The data from March is incomplete as it began being collected from March 12th.
+
+### Network Total Monthly Rewards
+
+This metric is the total monthly rewards paid out across the entire network.
+
+| Month  | Total Rewards (BZZ)  |
+| ------ | -------------- |
+| March  | 12822.16       |
+| April  | 20503.46       |
+| May    | 21423.96       |
+| June   | 26655.81       |
+| July   | 34839.33       |
+| August | 135927.80      |
+
+![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/r16vtuR03.png)
+
+The BZZ rewards have seen a consistent rise over the months, with August displaying a marked increase from July, suggesting increased network activity.
+
+### Single Node Monthly Average Earnings
+
+This metric is the average total winnings per staking node per month.
+
+| Month  | Average Earnings |
+| ------ | ---------------- |
+| March  | 12.68            |
+| April  | 14.30            |
+| May    | 14.85            |
+| June   | 18.84            |
+| July   | 22.61            |
+| August | 68.20            |
+
+![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/ryQsY_RC2.png)
+
+Average earnings for nodes in August showed an uptick, indicating the potential benefits of network participation.
+
+### Monthly Median Win Values
+
+This metric is the median win amount for each win event.
+
+| Month  | Median Win Value |
+| ------ | ----------------- |
+| March  | 6.32              |
+| April  | 6.32              |
+| May    | 6.40              |
+| June   | 8.29              |
+| July   | 9.63              |
+| August | 43.97             |
+
+![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/ryMdKu00h.png)
+
+The median win values have gradually increased, with a noticeable jump in August, indicating a positive trend in node incentives.
+
+### Monthly Average Win Values
+
+This metric is the average win amount for each win event.
+
+| Month  | Average Win Value |
+| ------ | ------------------ |
+| March  | 6.78               |
+| April  | 7.60               |
+| May    | 8.29               |
+| June   | 10.14              |
+| July   | 12.07              |
+| August | 41.45              |
+
+![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rk8uFuRC3.png)
+
+Consistent with the median values, the average win values have seen a steady increase.
+
+### Number of Staking Nodes by Month
+
+This is determined by the number of unique staking nodes each month which have won at least once in that month (as noted above, it does not include nodes which did not win in that month).
+
+| Month  | Number of Nodes |
+| ------ | --------------- |
+| March  | 1011            |
+| April  | 1434            |
+| May    | 1443            |
+| June   | 1415            |
+| July   | 1541            |
+| August | 1993            |
+
+![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HyA_tdCRh.png)
+
+The data indicates a steady growth in the number of staking nodes, emphasizing the increasing interest in the Swarm network.
+
+### Total Active Nodes by Month
+
+This metric is defined as the total number of unique nodes (both staking and non-staking nodes) which are active on the Swarm network each month.
+
+| Month  | Number of Nodes |
+| ------ | --------------- |
+| March  | 3470            |
+| April  | 2016            |
+| May    | 4352            |
+| June   | 4002            |
+| July   | 4221            |
+| August | 4554            |
+
+![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/BkRe1Lx1p.png)
+
+This data represents both staking and non-staking nodes, and so gives a picture of the growth of the all network participants.
+
+### Staking Nodes by Country
+This metric shows the number of unique staking nodes per month in the top five countries (including "Unknown").
+
+|                  | April | May  | June | July | August |
+|------------------|-------|------|------|------|--------|
+| China            | 474   | 489  | 437  | 593  | 216    |
+| Finland          | 438   | 412  | 418  | 417  | 846    |
+| Germany          | 296   | 266  | 299  | 280  | 798    |
+| Unknown          | 128   | 121  | 110  | 103  | 31     |
+| Belgium          | 41    | 74   | 59   | 70   | 39     |
+| France           | 28    | 24   | 29   | 22   | 0      |
+
+![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/Hy9JkZykT.png)
+
+The variety in geographical distribution reflects the global appeal of the Swarm network. It's noteworthy that Finland and Germany are at the forefront in August.
+
+### Conclusion
+
+The presented data gives insights into the positive trajectory of the Swarm network's growth and adoption. The increase in rewards and node earnings in August stands as an indicator of the network's healthy performance. With nodes distributed globally, Swarm reinforces its widespread acceptance. The consistent growth not only highlights the resilience of the Swarm network but also showcases the BZZ token's integral role within the ecosystem.