Hashing it Out: The Highlights

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At the end of April we launched our new and improved Hashing it Out program. Now, you can listen to a longer and more detailed monthly discussion where we update you on the latest news and updates from Nervos, as well as answer some community questions.

April had some major happenings, such as the rolling out of the L1 Major Protocol Upgrade to Testnet. Senior Software Engineer Jordan and Co-Founder Kevin went into detail on the details of this major update and what a new version of our Layer Two will mean for builders and users. 

They also gave an update on the Cardano Bridge and how it is still a huge priority for Nervos, as well as highlighted Nathan, our new Head of Marketing.

If you’d like to spend some time listening to the whole discussion, please follow the link here! Otherwise, catch the highlights below!

The Nervos Layer 1 Mirana Upgrade

  • A non-contentious hard fork or major protocol update is set to happen on May 10. This will change the name of the Layer 1 CKB blockchain from Lina, to Minara. 
  • Mostly, this upgrade of the chain is for optimization and better performance, as well as gives the team the chance to add some additional useful features to the Nervos Network.
  • Some of the new features and upgrades include: 
    • A new virtual Machine and access to RISC-V B instruction set and Macro Op. Fusion which, when combined, means better performance for certain operations, including cryptography, in particular BLS (a new emerging cryptography that will also boost performance.)
    • Extensible block header – A blank, empty space where future features can be implemented. This is space that will be reserved for the Fly Client. The Fly Client will help aid with syncing Neuron Nodes, taking it from days to mere minutes. This client will be secure and lightweight with no sacrifice on security.
    • New system calls will be added for smart contracts. One of the major ones is the Exec Call. This allows modulus to be called from existing smart contracts in a new, better, more modular system. It will enable us to build more chaining into the system. Our system is like lego pieces, and this is getting us closer to that by helping smart contract developers. 
    • Omnilock is coming out, and this will replace PW-Lock. It is the next step in PW-Lock which pioneered our early interoperability where you could use an Ethereum wallet on Nervos. 
    • Consensus patches to help further overcome hurdles for developers
    • A new address format that is far more future proof and a necessary upgrade. This will solve issues on exchanges saying the address format is invalid.

The Nervos Layer 2 V1 Upgrade  

  • Layer 2 V0 was launched last October, and we realized that to get to the next level, to offer the best experience for developers, and for the best adoption, we needed to move from EVM compatible to EVM equivalency. 
  • To have  EVM equivalency on Layer 2 is a big deal. We have found compatibility is not enough as there are hurdles for devs and users. 
  • V1 is at its heart a tech upgrade for the Layer 2 blockchain, but it’s more –  it opens doors for easier dApp deployment, and familiar experience for EVM users. It has the same tooling, while also allowing the use of something familiar like MetaMask for users. For ecosystem partnership integrations, it is far easier too. Deployment for dApps has dropped from weeks to hours from ETH to Nervos
  • The new version has near-zero changes for bringing a dApp over from ETH to Nervos – basically the same in every regard. 
  • The two chains, V0 and V1 will co-exist for some time, so there is not a huge rush, but we want the dApps to provide easy migration – one click – so you can see your assets on the new chain. 

A Cardano Bridge update

  • Currently, we are working with teams to get it done as soon as possible but it’s technically challenging and admittedly has taken longer than expected.
  • We understand the frustration as it has been long and we have worked with lots of teams, but it is complex task and Cardano is not a chain that many devs have experience with which makes it challenging.
  • It has taken longer to execute because we want to do it right. There are solutions which are centralized and cut corners but we want to build it right with the right approach and make it sustainable – which takes more effort and time to do it right.

Nathan the new Head of Marketing

  • Nathan has been in the blockchain space for a few years and brings strong marketing experience in branding and digital marketing.
  • Recently he has been leading our conference strategies and will be helping us improve branding and the website. 
  • He’s getting involved with the community through AMAs and will do more in the future to share updates on marketing

Additionally for the new Hashing it Out series we wanted to get closer to the needs of the community and use this platform to answer some of your questions to allow you to hear the answers straight from the source. 

Jordan and Kevin fielded some great questions towards the end of the show, and we will be highlighting those in the next article – so stay tuned!

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