Alright, here’s a brief update regarding our activities (and what we’re not pursuing) at Ethereum DEV.
Primarily, we are creating a resilient quasi-Turing-complete blockchain, referred to as Ethereum. In addition to possessing quasi-Turing-completeness, it satisfies several other critical factors, arising from our effort in building entirely novel blockchain technology, which includes:
- swift performance, with a block time of 12 seconds;
- light-client-friendly features through the employment of Merkle roots in headers for compact inclusion/state evidence and DHT integration that enables light clients to host & distribute smaller segments of the entire chain;
- ÐApp-compatible, even for light clients, via multi-level Bloom filters and transaction receipt Merkle tries, allowing for lightweight log indexing and proofs;
- finite-blockchain-compatible – the core protocol has been crafted to support future upgrades to this technology, thereby minimizing light-client load and aiding in mid-term scalability;
- ASIC-resistant – through the (currently unconfirmed) selection of a PoW algorithm and the indication that we may transition to PoS in the Not-Too-Distant future.
It is resilient because:
- it is unmistakably formally articulated, permitting highly manageable analysis, saturation evaluations, and formal examination of implementations;
- it boasts an extensive and ultimately complete array of tests, providing an extraordinary likelihood that a specific implementation adheres to standards;
- contemporary software development methodologies are observed, including a CI system, internal unit tests, rigorous peer-review, a strict no-warnings mandate, and automated code analyzers;
- its mesh/p2p backend (known as libp2p) is constructed on well-established secure foundations (technologies derived from the Kademlia project);
- official implementations undergo comprehensive industry-standard security assessments;
- a large-scale stress testing network will be established to profile and test against likely adverse situations and assaults prior to the final launch.
In the second place (with a comparatively lower priority), we are crafting resources and tools to enable the utilization of this groundbreaking technology. This encompasses:
- the creation of a uniquely tailored CO (contract-oriented) language;
- the development of a secure natural language contract specification format and supporting infrastructure;
- formal documentation to aid in contract coding;
- tutorials designed to assist in contract coding;
- sponsoring web-based initiatives to engage individuals in development;
- building a blockchain-integrated development environment.
Additionally, to encourage the adoption of this technology, attract testers, and promote further development, we are developing, collaborating on, and sponsoring a variety of force-multiplying technologies that utilize pre-existing technology, including:
- a graphical client “browser” (utilizing browser components from the Chromium project and Qt 5 technology);
- a collection of fundamental contracts and ÐApps for registration, reputation, web-of-trust, and accounting (leveraging existing compilers and development technology);
- a hybrid multi-DHT/messaging framework, codenamed Whisper (utilizing the existing p2p backend & protocols);
- a straightforward reverse-hash lookup DHT, codenamed Swarm (also leveraging the existing p2p backend & protocols), for which an internal implementation is underway, but it may end up merging or collaborating with the IPFS project.
We are no longer actively working on multiple languages (LLL and Mutan are discontinued, while Serpent continues as a side project). Our focus is not on developing any server technology. Until a functioning, resilient, secure, and effective blockchain is established alongside basic development tools, other facets of this comprehensive project will remain of significantly lower priority.
Following the launch of the Ethereum blockchain, anticipate that additional components will receive increasingly greater amounts of time dedicated to them.
