The Shift from Cardano to SKALE

In a surprising yet strategic move, Africa-focused blockchain internet company 3air has decided to bid farewell to the Cardano blockchain, turning its attention to SKALE, an Ethereum-powered network. This shift comes on the heels of the company reporting a “massive talent shortage” in finding developers proficient in Haskell, the primary programming language used by Cardano.

Haskell: A Language in Short Supply

3air’s CEO, Sandi Bitenc, expressed concern over the stark lack of Haskell developers available for hire. After months of relentless recruiting, they managed to attract just two entry-level part-time developers. While they explored partnerships with recommended development agencies, the talent pool for Haskell was still disappointingly shallow.

A Cry for Help from 3air

“There are many issues we have faced,” Bitenc stated. “One is for sure a total lack of talented Haskell and even more so Plutus developers on the market.”

This lack of talent has not only hindered development but has also highlighted the challenges associated with Cardano’s UTXO model, which complicates programming smart contracts. Since the Alonzo fork introduced smart contracts to Cardano, bouncing back from congestion issues has been like trying to squeeze toothpaste back into its tube—nearly impossible!

The Appeal of SKALE

With SKALE, Bitenc describes a more promising environment for developers. The network boasts advantages such as speedy transactions, zero gas fees, and multichain capabilities, particularly advantageous for decentralized applications. This new alliance allows 3air’s developers to pivot immediately toward their development goals without the hurdles faced on Cardano.

A Glance at SKALE’s Journey

Launched in June 2020 after raising $26.75 million over two years, SKALE has set its sights on Web3, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and decentralized applications. Unlike the more academic and methodical approach of Cardano, SKALE’s development ethos encourages a nimble and iterative process.

Cardano: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Despite having one of the largest crypto communities, Cardano has been criticized for its slow development pace. The choice of Haskell, a language steeped in academia, has been a sticking point for many. Back in November 2017, even within the Cardano community, concerns were raised about the relatively low number of developers familiar with Haskell.

Challenges Beyond Coding: The Transaction Costs

Bitenc also pointed to additional complexities with Cardano’s handling of tokens, particularly the requirement to send a minimal amount of ADA with any asset. For instance, the minimum requirement currently rests at 1 ADA, which may not sound significant until you realize that this effectively acts as a fee for end-users, making Cardano less attractive for one-way transactions and raising overall costs.

Looking Forward: Opportunities in Africa

While 3air shifts gears, Cardano continues to carve its niche in Africa, partnering with local governments through Input Output Hong Kong to improve educational initiatives. Founder Charles Hoskinson is optimistic about the potential for onboarding 100 million new DeFi users in Africa by mid-decade. Who said the blockchain revolution would only be confined to Silicon Valley?

As 3air moves to SKALE, they aim to provide a low-fee, user-friendly platform that caters to their African user base eager for connection—a goal they deem paramount in today’s digital age.