# Harmonize 1.9 (July 31, 2023) We are proud to announce the release of version 1.9 of Harmonize, both for our on-premise and SaaS clients. We continuously add support for leading blockchain protocols (e.g. for tokenization use cases) and enhance our established enterprise infrastructure that provides an end-to-end secure, technology-agnostic and fully integrated digital asset platform. The latest version brings together a number of additional features, security, and usability enhancements that build upon our client-centric platform roadmap. We remain committed to support our clients in building robust, scalable, cost-efficient, and compliant operations that empower their digital asset use cases. - [Blockchains](#blockchains) - [Support of fungible and non-fungible tokens on the Hedera network](#support-of-fungible-and-non-fungible-tokens-on-the-hedera-network) - [Support of the Ethereum Sepolia testnet](#support-of-the-ethereum-sepolia-testnet) - [Migration to WalletConnect version 2](#migration-to-walletconnect-version-2) - [User Experience](#user-experience) - [UI improvements](#ui-improvements) - [Key Management](#key-management) - [Support of Ultimaco Hardware Security Modules (HSM)](#support-of-ultimaco-hardware-security-modules-hsm) - [Platform Security](#platform-security) - [Enhanced secret and credential management for connected exchanges](#enhanced-secret-and-credential-management-for-connected-exchanges) - [Security and availability updates to the Metaco mobile application for approval management](#security-and-availability-updates-to-the-metaco-mobile-application-for-approval-management) - [Platform Deployment (On-Premise)](#platform-deployment-on-premise) - [HTTP Proxies Support](#http-proxies-support) - [Improved Disaster Recovery Management](#improved-disaster-recovery-management) - [Integration of Telemetry](#integration-of-telemetry) For information about distribution and deployment of this version, see [Distribution and deployment](#distribution-and-deployment). ## Blockchains Continuous delivery of our ledger-agnostic digital asset roadmap ### Support of fungible and non-fungible tokens on the Hedera network Harmonize users can start developing custodial services on the Hedera network, as the platform now seamlessly supports the ability to send and receive HBAR tokens and basic features of HTS (Hedera Token Services), such as sending fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), as well as custom transactions. Please note that this feature needs to be activated to be used, and advanced features such as custom fees are still under development for upcoming releases. The [Hedera Token Service](https://hedera.com/token-service) leverages native tokenization capabilities (no need for smart contracts) with high throughput (approx. 10,000 tps) at an average transaction cost of $0.0001. A full list of Harmonize supported blockchain protocols can be found [here](/products/custody/reference/supported-ledgers). ### Support of the Ethereum Sepolia testnet Harmonize users now have the additional option to use the Ethereum Sepolia testnet as the officially recommended default testnet for application and smart contract development next to the Ethereum Goerli testnet. Compared to Goerli, Sepolia's total number of testnet tokens is uncapped, which means it is less likely that developers using Sepolia will face testnet token scarcity like Goerli. Please note that the Ethereum community decided to deprecate the Goerli testnet in 2023. We recommend migrating existing developments and configurations to Sepolia before the end of the year. More info can be found on the official Ethereum documentation [here](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/networks/#which-testnet-should-i-use). ### Migration to WalletConnect version 2 The WalletConnect plugin has been upgraded to [mandatory](https://docs.walletconnect.com/2.0/advanced/migration-from-v1.x/overview) version 2.0. This ensures that Harmonize remains able to connect to DApps to support all our clients' DeFi and tokenization use-cases. The migration happens under-the-hood and there is no visible change for the end user on our platform. Please check with each of your preferred DApps, whether the update has been processed on the application side and how this might have affected the flow of establishing the wallet connection. ## User Experience ### UI improvements In our continuous effort to provide a user-centric platform we have added user experience improvements for our frontend users. Harmonize 1.9 introduces additional filtering capabilities in the DApps section of our frontend and provides a more user friendly display of customProperties and additional reference data across system entities (for example, DApps, Accounts, Assets). Please reach out to our customer support team to better understand how customProperties, a unique feature to Harmonize, can support your business goals (for example, advanced data structuring and operational governance). ## Key Management Continuous delivery of our infrastructure-agnostic technology roadmap ### Support of Ultimaco Hardware Security Modules (HSM) Harmonize expanded its wallet and key management support to officially include support for Ultimaco [Blocksafe HSMs](https://utimaco.com/products/categories/hardware-security-modules-hsm/hsms-general-purpose-use-cases/block-safe), further matching the unique deployment requirements and target technological and operating models of top tier institutions. Certified FIPS 140-2 Level 3 by NIST, these hardware security modules are specifically designed for blockchain specific key management, high performance and further support important hierarchical deterministic key derivation cryptographic algorithms (e.g., BIP-0032, SLIP-0010) which facilitate backup and disaster recovery mechanisms. This feature is made possible by a newly launched platform module called *KMS-Connect*, designed to simplify the process of adding new KMS (Key Management Solution) compatibility to our vault component, both for HSM- and MPC-based key management solutions. KMS-Connect is currently compatible only with the Ultimaco HSMs, but will be expanded in the future releases to allow users to more easily add any desired KMS provider. ## Platform security Continuous commitment to our security-first philosophy. As part of our continuous efforts to reduce risk, we are pleased to share some important enhancements that will further strengthen your security posture. ### Enhanced secret and credential management for connected exchanges Harmonize users can now configure their connectivity to external account providers such as connected exchanges with credentials and secret exchanges (API keys) that leverage environment variables in the Harmonize system configuration, in addition to the already supported API. An enhancement that brings increased flexibility and security when managing secrets and credentials. ### Security and availability updates to the Metaco mobile application for approval management - The Metaco mobile app will rely for approvals of operations solely on the on-screen QR-code scanning functionality, a more robust and secure practice relative to alternatives such as smartphone notifications, which will be disabled by default. Our expert support team is at your full disposal to assist you in case this requires any operational changes on your side. Notifications can potentially be reactivated upon request. - We will further introduce an important security evolution of operational authorizations in the Harmonize mobile app, by fully leveraging the smartphone trusted execution environment (TEE) protection mechanisms beyond key encryption. How does this impact your operations? Mobile app users will benefit from this security upgrade after rotating existing (TEE encrypted) legacy approval keys to the new default approval keys, which are fully embedded in the TEE for continuous storage and signing operations. Setting a new standard of key protection, legacy keys will need to be rotated within the next 12 months. In a few weeks' time, we'll be releasing a new version of the mobile app that will support the new default keys in co-existence with existing legacy keys, allowing you to prepare for the rotation at your pace. As always, our dedicated support teams will be in touch with more guidance should you require it. - Finally, the Metaco mobile app can now be deployed at enterprise scale using any Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution such as Ivanti MobileIron or Citrix Endpoint Management, besides the previously available options of downloading from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. ## Platform Deployment (On-Premise) Continuous commitment to our enterprise DNA. In order to support the unique requirements of each banking customer deploying Harmonize on-premise, and to overcome the various restrictions of each corporate IT infrastructure, several improvements have been included in this version: ### HTTP Proxies Support Support for HTTP proxies has been implemented on most Harmonize components, which means that Harmonize users can now configure the Indexer (currently only for EVM-based ledgers), vault and notary to access the Internet through a proxy. This translates into much simpler and smoother enterprise deployments. ### Improved Disaster Recovery Management A new feature allows the notary to rebuild its anti-rewind file in a fully automatic manner, in case of disaster leading to the loss or corruption of this file. This is a significant improvement for the disaster recovery process as the required operational steps are significantly reduced. This improvement comes along with an explicit governance model that defines a strict access control to operators in charge of DR operations. ### Integration of Telemetry We have expanded the list of Harmonize components able to export a richer set telemetry data which makes it easier for platform administrators to monitor and keep Harmonize services healthy. Together with this development, we have also polished and improved our logging capabilities. ## Distribution and Deployment ### Metaco SaaS The upgrade will be done progressively starting **07/08/2023** across the various environments. Production environment will be upgraded last, with a deployment planned on **21/08/2023** (which may be delayed based on customer feedbacks). ### On-Premise Version 1.9 will be available for our on-premises customers **31/07/2023** onward and can be downloaded and installed. The usual process of pulling the containers from Metaco’s repository using the “1.9.0” tag applies. As all new releases, this version triggers the deprecation of the previous version (v.1.8.x) which will continue to be supported for the next 6 months, unless specified otherwise in the master contract with Metaco. Should you decide to skip the upgrade of version 1.9, we plan to release the next version by the end of the year 2023, ensuring you can remain on v.1.8.x without any issue. See [here](/products/custody/support/release-management) for more information on the versioning of Harmonize. ### Activation and Support Should you be interested in activating any of the new features, you can reach out to Metaco team for a dedicated presentation of the new capabilities. Also, the configuration of new functionalities can sometimes present technical challenges and require the support of our team: kindly reach out to us should you need any technical assistance, by sending sending an email to mailto:technicalsupport@ripple.com.