StarkWare Takes the Open Source Plunge
In a world where blockchain companies are quietly guarding their trade secrets like they’re the last slice of pizza at a party, StarkWare has decided to throw caution to the wind and open-source its programming language compiler, Cairo 1.0. The announcement came in hot on Twitter—because, where else would important tech news drop if not in 280 characters?
What’s the Big Deal About Cairo 1.0?
Cairo isn’t just a name checked out from a geography textbook; it’s a robust programming language specifically designed to squeeze every ounce of power from zk-Rollups and validity proofs. Think of it as the gym trainer for your blockchain transactions, transforming mess into finesse! StarkNet plans to support this bad boy in Q1 2023, and developers are encouraged to fiddle with Cairo 1.0 locally by compiling those simple programs to get the hang of it before the big launch.
- Why Open Source? StarkWare refers to this move as a “milestone,” hinting at a new era of transparency and community voting. Because who wouldn’t want to have a say in the software they use?
- Developer Engagement: This opens the door for enthusiastic coders everywhere to step in and possibly find bugs or suggest upgrades. It’s like a coding party, but instead of pizza, there might be actual blockchain improvements!
StarkNet: The Public Good of Blockchain
Abdelhamid Bakhta, Starkware’s exploration lead, emphasized that their ambition is to transform StarkNet into a public good—accessible to all. This isn’t just altruism; it’s about maximizing transparency. When everyone can see the code, they can also find errors. Talk about a win-win situation, right?
Hello, Features! Cake for Everyone!
Once Cairo 1.0 is in full swing, blockchain developers will lose no time in crafting and deploying nifty smart contracts on StarkNet. Think of it as a buffet where once you’re in line for the main course, you can’t help but pile on everything else. The faster feature development means the StarkWare community can look forward to a smorgasbord of new capabilities.
The Rising Tide of ZK-Rollups
StarkWare is not just playing catch-up; they’re driving innovation. The company is betting big on its custom programming language to maximize Ethereum scaling through zk-Rollups, much to the chagrin of its competitor, zkSync. While zkSync is leaning on EVM compatibility, StarkWare’s unique path is all about pushing boundaries. Eli Ben-Sasson, StarkWare’s founder, believes users won’t see a fully functional ZK EVM capable of processing a million transactions in one proof anytime soon. In his words, it’s more robust with Cairo. No pressure, right?
So What’s Next?
In addition to rolling out Cairo 1.0, StarkWare has also introduced the new StarkNet token (STRK) as of November 17, 2022. STRK will be used for staking, voting, and even paying fees on the StarkNet. Imagine this token as a pass to the exclusive club of StarkNet—because who doesn’t want to say they’re part of a cool new blockchain?
