I recently wrote a Python wrapper for the Atto Node API (GitHub), and I wanted to share my journey—from figuring out how to convert Atto addresses, to designing around Python’s async model, to publishing a usable API wrapper. Hopefully, this helps someone else who's either interested in Atto or wants to see what writing an API wrapper looks like from a beginner's perspective.

🚀 Why I Started​

At the time, there were no Python API wrappers available for Atto. The only libraries available targeted JS/WASM, used only by the wallet, and Kotlin.

I wanted to play around with the API, but to do that, I needed to convert an Atto public key (a base32-encoded string) into a hex string, which the API expects. I wrote some code for this in Python, the journey of which I'll expand on below.

Using curl and copying and pasting addresses to make requests was getting tedious, so I switched to using Python for that too. At some point, I realized: “I’m already halfway to an API wrapper. Why not finish it?”. There weren’t that many endpoints, so it seemed like a manageable project.

As a student, this felt like a fun way to procrastinate from real work™.

Ever feel like waiting for a Bitcoin transaction is like standing in a long checkout line at the grocery store? In traditional blockchains like Bitcoin or Ethereum, every transaction from everyone lines up to be processed on one shared chain – essentially one checkout lane for the entire network. This one-lane design can get congested, limiting how fast transactions go through. But what if everyone could have their own checkout lane? In the blockchain world, that’s the idea behind account-chains and parallel ledgers. Instead of one single chain for all transactions, each user maintains their own mini-blockchain. This approach (pioneered by projects like Nano’s block-lattice and used in newer projects like Atto) promises to turbocharge speed and scalability by letting many transactions happen at once.

In this post, we’ll break down what account-chains are, how they differ from the classic blockchain model, and why having parallel personal ledgers can make a blockchain much faster and more scalable. We’ll use simple language and analogies – so grab a virtual shopping cart, and let’s explore this multi-lane approach to blockchains!

Most of us have been there: you want to read a single article or use an app for a day, but you’re confronted with a monthly subscription. It’s all-or-nothing — either pay a full month (or more), or miss out. Over time, these subscriptions pile up, draining your wallet for services you might only occasionally use. In this article, we’ll explore why the rigid monthly subscription model frustrates users, and how a new wave of feeless, instant cryptocurrencies could offer a solution.

We all have them. Those moments when our computer sits there, fans whirring softly, screen perhaps dark, doing... well, nothing useful. That powerful machine, capable of complex calculations and rendering stunning visuals, is just waiting. But what if that idle power could be harnessed for something truly meaningful? And what if you could get rewarded for it?

Enter Atto. You might already be familiar with cryptocurrencies that boast feeless transactions, near-instant speeds, and a focus on environmental friendliness – call them a certain flavor of digital cash. Atto is another iteration on the block lattice introduced by the brainiac Colin LeMahieu, building on those principles but with a fresh start.

We’re excited to announce the official release of the Web Wallet! The wallet has been available on desktops for some time, and we initially planned to release it on Android and iOS next. However, after conducting some market research, we learned that many people are cautious about installing unknown software—especially for cryptocurrencies.

In hindsight, this was a strategic oversight on our part. While we completely understand those concerns now, it never crossed our minds during the original development plan. As a result, we decided to change our approach and launch a web-based wallet.

We’re thrilled to announce the official launch of the Atto Explorer, your gateway to uncovering everything the Atto blockchain has to offer. With Atto Explorer, navigating block data, transaction histories, and network stats is now easier than ever. Whether you’re a crypto enthusiast, developer, or just curious about the technology, Atto Explorer opens the door to a transparent and accessible blockchain experience.

We're excited to announce a special Giveaway event starting today! For a limited time, you have the chance to earn significantly more Atto units through our faucet and reward program. Here's everything you need to know to maximize your earnings.

Hello, everyone!

I'm Felipe, and I want to share a bit of my journey with you. A couple of years ago, before I set out to build Atto, I was a strong believer in what cryptocurrency originally aimed to achieve—fast, decentralized, accessible digital cash for everyone, without the need for intermediaries. But somewhere along the way, it felt like much of the crypto community lost sight of that vision. Instead of "let's make digital cash work," the conversation shifted to "what's the next moonshot?" That's when I thought, "How hard could it be to create a cryptocurrency that just works for payments?"

Spoiler alert: It's really hard. What started as a fun little project to tinker with in my free time quickly evolved into something much bigger—something that I thought could be finished in a year but has kept me on my toes for much longer. The process of creating a new cryptocurrency is like peeling an endless onion—every time you think you've figured it out, there's another layer waiting for you. A lot of things needed to come together to make this work: the code, the security, the ecosystem, and the community. It turned out to be more challenging than I'd ever imagined.

If you've ever talked to me about Atto, there's a good chance you've asked, "Wait, is this just a fork of Nano?" And it's a fair question! Atto and Nano share some core principles and design philosophies, so it's easy to see why people might make that assumption. But here's the thing: Atto isn't a fork of Nano—it's a unique project built entirely from scratch, even though it draws plenty of inspiration from Nano.

Let me walk you through the story behind Atto, how it relates to Nano, and why it ultimately became its own project. Let's dive in!

Atto is on a mission to change how we think about and use digital currencies. While its ultimate goal is complete decentralization, it is intentionally starting out as a centralized currency. This might seem counterintuitive, but it's a deliberate move to build a strong foundation for a decentralized future.

In this article, we'll discuss why Atto chose to start centralized, how it plans to become decentralized over time, and what mechanisms are in place to encourage a vibrant, active network. We'll look at how rewarding voting nodes, promoting a competitive node market, and implementing decaying votes play crucial roles in this journey.