Our work spans core infrastructure development, protocol improvements, and scaling solutions for decentralized systems. Below are some of our key contributions to the Urbit ecosystem.
Published Research
Directed Messaging — USTJ Vol. 3, No. 1 (Winter 2026)
Co-authored “Directed Messaging” published in the Urbit Systems Technology Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Winter 2026).
Authors: ~rovnys-ricfer, ~master-morzod, ~watter-parter, ~dinleb-rambep, ~norsyr-torryn, ~hastuc-dibtux
This paper documents the complete redesign of Urbit’s networking stack — a ground-up rewrite delivering:
- 100–1000× throughput improvement over the legacy %ames protocol
- Dramatically increased connection stability through a new request/response discipline applied across all layers
- LockStep authentication — a novel packet authentication scheme using Blake3, significantly faster than traditional methods
- Directed routing based on Named Data Networking principles, with scry paths assigned to every packet and message
Read the article · Download PDF
Network Protocol Development
%ames & %mesa (Directed Messaging) Protocol Work
Status: Ongoing — Directed Messaging enabled on mainnet April 2026 Contributions: Across 408k, 409k, 410k, and 411k kelvin releases
Extensive work on Urbit’s networking layers, ensuring reliable peer-to-peer communication and driving the transition to the next-generation %mesa protocol.
Recent Contributions (by @yosoyubik / ~norsyr-torryn):
2026 Q2 (April 2026)
Directed Messaging goes live:
- #7208: Enable Directed Messaging (DM) on mainnet — the culmination of years of protocol work
- #7330: mesa: remove entries from
.tipafter %cork - #7329: ames: no-op if we rekey with the wrong crypto suite
- #7336: mesa: revert double signing in %pawn namespace
- #7324: ames: account for pending-vane-ack on %flub
2026 Q1 (January–March 2026)
Migration and stabilization:
- #7308: ames: fully check test $ahoy path
- #7304: dbug: update
/~debugdashboard with %mesa state - #7302: spider: cache marks
- #7301: ames: add %mesa migration version 2
- #7300: mesa: migrate and handle halted flows
- #7296: ames: give %done error on %mate failure
- #7295: ames: refactor |ahoy flow
- #7284: mesa: proper branching for resend of comet attestation
- #7280: ames: fix type check crash
- #7279: gall: add %b scry for blocked moves
- #7268: ames, gall: try to %flub in-progress $pleas
- #7219: aqua: support %zuse 409
- vere#986: mesa: use loobean check in conditional
Release 409k (December 2025)
Network messaging and flow control improvements:
- Fixed dead flow handling for non-running agents
- Improved %mesa resend mechanisms for the %rege $plea
- Enhanced flow closing procedures when hearing %boon
- Early %watch-ack delivery for unacked subscriptions
- System flow establishment checks in %gall
- %cork $plea acknowledgment handling fixes
Release 410k Series (May–September 2025)
Multiple protocol refinements:
- 410k-6: Boot-time HTTP request crash fixes, %alien peer handling
- 410k-5: Channel memory optimization and backwards compatibility
- 410k-4: Directed messaging packet retry fixes
- 410k-3: Suspension, sponsorship, and memory issue resolutions
- 410k-1: Directed messaging compatibility improvements
Release 411k Series (2024)
Foundation protocol work:
- 411k-2: Congestion control for live peers
- 411k-1: Nacked-leave logic fixes, state migration improvements
Naive Rollups
Status: Production Repository: urbit/urbit
A Layer 2 scaling solution for Urbit’s identity layer (Azimuth). Naive Rollups dramatically reduce the cost of Urbit ID operations by batching transactions and posting them to the Ethereum blockchain, making Urbit more accessible to everyone.
Key Features:
- Reduced transaction costs for identity operations
- Batch processing of Azimuth state changes
- Improved network scalability
- Seamless integration with existing Urbit infrastructure
Content Distribution Network
Next-Generation CDN for Urbit
Status: In Development
Building enhanced content delivery capabilities for the Urbit network, enabling faster and more efficient distribution of data across the decentralized infrastructure.
Goals:
- Improved content routing and caching
- Reduced latency for cross-ship communication
- Enhanced media delivery capabilities
- Scalable architecture for growing network demands
Open Source Philosophy
All our work is developed in the open, contributing directly to the Urbit project and its ecosystem. We believe in:
- Transparent Development: All code is publicly available and reviewable
- Community Collaboration: Working closely with the Urbit Foundation and community
- Long-term Sustainability: Building robust solutions that scale with the network
- Knowledge Sharing: Documenting our work and helping others understand the technology
Technical Expertise
Our contributions demonstrate deep expertise in:
- Systems Programming: Low-level Hoon development for Urbit’s kernel (Arvo)
- Network Protocols: %ames and %mesa protocol implementation and optimization
- Distributed Systems: Peer-to-peer networking and consensus mechanisms
- Blockchain Integration: Layer 2 solutions and Ethereum smart contract interaction
- Performance Optimization: Memory management, flow control, and congestion handling
Interested in Collaboration?
We’re always excited to work on challenging problems in decentralized computing. Whether you need:
- Custom Urbit application development
- Protocol-level infrastructure work
- Performance optimization and debugging
- Architecture consulting for Urbit projects
Get in touch at contact@ubica.tech or visit our Consulting page for more information.
This page is regularly updated as new releases and contributions are made. Last updated: April 2026