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We want to provide an open source, free AssemblyScript smart contracts SDK, that will help developers implement smart contracts for Stellar.
The Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) has decided to build a native smart contract platform on Stellar. The project is called Jump Cannon and is being built on a WebAssembly (WASM) runtime. It should be implemented by the end of 2022.
WASM is a low-level byte code format designed to be fast to parse and to execute. Developers will write Stellar smart contracts in a “human readable” programming language that provides a toolchain having WASM as a compilation target. For example Rust or AssemblyScript.
In similar environments, Rust is often used as the programming language. It has been the most popular and loved programming language for over five years in a row. However, Rust is harder to learn for web developers. AssemblyScript, on the other hand, is easier to learn for JavaScript and TypeScript developers because it is a dialect of TypeScript.
With our open source AssemblyScript smart contracts SDK we want to ease the smart contract development process especially for web developers by providing a contract library, documentation, and examples of smart contracts build with the SDK.
The SDK is currently in the prototyping stage.
In 6 months we want to have a fully functional SDK that helps web developers to create Stellar smart contracts for the test net. Once the new Stellar smart contracts platform goes live on the main net, the SDK should be past the beta phase.
We will implement and test the SDK. We will try to work as closely as possible with the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF). We want to promote the SDK via the SCF and SDF Discord channels, create awareness for it and win web developers as testers.
Currently, the Rust programming language is the first choice when developing smart contracts for a platform build on a WebAssembly runtime. But Rust has a steep learning curve and is especially hard to learn for web developers.
On the other hand, AssemblyScript is easy to learn for web developers and is gaining more and more popularity. For example, NEAR and Substrate offer AssemblyScript smart contract SDKs for their platform in addition to Rust SDKs.
The Stellar Development Foundation is working on a Rust smart contracts SDK and we would like to contribute to the Stellar ecosystem by implementing and providing an AssemblyScript smart contracts SDK.
With our SDK we want to ease the smart contract development process especially for web developers by providing a contract library, documentation, and examples of smart contracts build with the SDK.
The SDK will help web developers to build native smart contracts for Stellar.
JavaScript and TypeScript developers who want to write Stellar smart contracts without having to learn Rust.
As an open source, free SDK, this project is not going to generate any revenue. We hope to receive maintenance support from the SDF infrastructure grand committee as soon as the SDK is used by many developers.
Other blockchains and platforms that provide WebAssembly based smart contracts also offer Rust and AssemblyScript SDKs for their developers (for example NEAR or Substrate)
One can't really say it's a competitor, but the Rust smart contracts SDK by SDF is of course a great choice if you're a Rust developer. Rust has been the most popular and loved programming language for over five years in a row.
However, with the lightweight feature and the web technology familiarity associated with AssemblyScript, web developers will likely start implementing and testing faster than with Rust. And AssemblyScript has branded all efforts as being “made for WebAssembly.” That’s hard to fight. Rust simply includes WASM as part and parcel of a grand plan.
Either way, we think it's important to make both the Rust and AssemblyScript SDKs available to developers.
We will reach the developers by providing information in the Discord Stellar Developers Channel.
Christian Rogobete:
* The amounts shown are budget requests and not (yet) granted to the projects. During the Community Vote phase, voters can indicate whether the project deserves the amount it's asking for (budget request). The total pool of XLM available for SCF#11 is 8M XLM. SDF will allocate the XLM equivalent of the specified USD budget of the submissions with the most votes in descending order of rank until the earlier of (i) the XLM Pool is fully distributed (ii) there is not sufficient XLM remaining in the XLM pool to fully fund the next ranked submission or (iii) there are no remaining eligible submissions. The USD valuation of the budget request in XLM will be calculated using the CF Stellar Lumens-Dollar Settlement Price on December 5, 2022 as administered, maintained, and reported by the cryptocurrency index provider CF Benchmarks Ltd. (using the ticker “XLMUSD_RR”) (available at https://www.cfbenchmarks.com/indices/XLMUSD_RR). Learn more in the SCF Handbook.
*The USD valuation of the award in XLM is calculated using the CF Stellar Lumens-Dollar Settlement Price on July 5th as administered, maintained, and reported by the cryptocurrency index provider CF Benchmarks Ltd. (using the ticker “XLMUSD_RR”) (available at https://www.cfbenchmarks.com/indices/XLMUSD_RR)
**The USD valuation of the award in XLM is calculated using the CF Stellar Lumens-Dollar Settlement Price on December 16, 2021 as administered, maintained, and reported by the cryptocurrency index provider CF Benchmarks Ltd. (using the ticker “XLMUSD_RR”) (available at https://www.cfbenchmarks.com/indices/XLMUSD_RR)
*The USD valuation of the award in XLM is calculated using the CF Stellar Lumens-Dollar Settlement Price on September 27, 2021 as administered, maintained, and reported by the cryptocurrency index provider CF Benchmarks Ltd. (using the ticker “XLMUSD_RR”) (available at https://www.cfbenchmarks.com/indices/XLMUSD_RR)
* The USD valuation of the award in XLM is calculated using the CF Stellar Lumens-Dollar Settlement Price on the date of transfer as administered, maintained, and reported by the cryptocurrency index provider CF Benchmarks Ltd. (using the ticker “XLMUSD_RR”) (available at https://www.cfbenchmarks.com/indices/XLMUSD_RR)
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