There are features and improvements we started working on in 2020 which haven't been released yet, they are expected to be released in Q1 2021:
- Postchain synchronization system overhaul. We added possibility to sync blockchain from any node which has it (previously it was only possible to sync from current block producers) and increased robustness of sync subsystem. Expected to be released in January.
- begin_block/end_block hooks. This adds a possibility for a blockchain to automatically perform an action at beginning or end of any block. While this seems like a minor feature, lack of it creates huge issues for dapp developers, e.g. Maker CDPs can go bad if nobody is there to trigger liquidation, while on Chromia you can make it fully automatic and independent of outside actors. Expected to be released in January.
- Special transactions. It's a new facility which allows block producer nodes to play a more active role and e.g. inject data from external sources into blockchain. Block producers need to form consensus about data being injected same way they do it for blocks. This feature is uniquely suited for creation of layer-2 blockchains, as data from parent blockchains can be injected and be subject to consensus.
- L2 subsystem. This consists of a number of facilities including:
- account state snapshots
- event commitment
- external chain event injection
- Chromia data validation in EVM
- Dapp resource management via containerization.
- Dev chain launcher.
- Epheremeral dependencies. We already implemented 'blockchain dependencies' feature which allows one blockchain to directly read data from another (as far as we know, unique in blockchain world). While very powerful, it has a limitation: if blockchain A depends on blockchain B, we need to keep B around forever for blockchain A to be sync-able. This limitation limits ability to re-architect and optimize the system. This is particularly essential for system blockchains which need to be future-proof. Epheremeral dependencies would let developers to sever dependencies over time when they are no longer needed.
- Cross-chain communicatio subsystem. Currently cross-chain interaction is possible via confirmation proofs. While sufficiently general, this isn't particularly robust, as it depends on clients to inject events. Using special transactions and ephemeral dependencies we can enable more direct cross-chain communication where block producer nodes will be responsible for facilitating communication directly on blockchain core level.
These are approximate dates for delivery of features. Please note they are approximate. Things can always take longer time to deliver.
- Q1 2021
- January
- new sync subsystem
- being/end hooks, special transactions
- L2 prototype
- onboarding more providers
- provider stake delegation
- demo chain hosting
- February & March
- complete L2 implementation
- containerization
- ephemeral dependencies
- cross-chain communication
- system blockchain overhaul
- NFT protocol
- January
- Q2 2021
- MVP mainnet (autonomous)
- user-defined scripts executed within dapps
- Q: Why is this unofficial?
- A: We are a cautious to release something officially. Do you want a brain-dump directly from the CTO or do you want an article written by the marketing department afterwards?
- Q: Why is it approximate?
- A: When somebody is working on yet another web site, he can estimate delivery date more-or-less precisely. But we are working on something which is completely new. We do not know which challenges we will face. There's also human factors.
- Q: Why is there no long-term roadmap?
- A: In short, long-term roadmap makes no sense. There's a large number of features we can potentially add to Chromia.
But we want to rely on feedback from dapp developers. We might need to improve features we already have. Simply estimating
whether something is feasible and how long it will take is a research project on its own. For example, we might:
- make nodes more DDoS-resistant
- optimize for running many blockchains
- optimize for throughput
- make easier cross-chain communication and sharding
- implement ZK rollups
- A: In short, long-term roadmap makes no sense. There's a large number of features we can potentially add to Chromia.
But we want to rely on feedback from dapp developers. We might need to improve features we already have. Simply estimating
whether something is feasible and how long it will take is a research project on its own. For example, we might:
- Q: What about marketing? Chromia has weak marketing?
- A: I believe that the biggest hurdle for marketing is that MVP mainnet is not yet launched.
- When we can demonstrate that Chromia makes it easier to develop dapps while also making it cheap and scalable, it would be much easier to market Chromia.
- We can also do a lot more engaging content for users but we need to prioritize core development.
- We have initiatives to show impressive metrics which would put Chromia on the charts, but again, this takes time.
- A: I believe that the biggest hurdle for marketing is that MVP mainnet is not yet launched.
- Q: Why did you miss development milestones in 2020?
- A: Honestly, I'm not satisfied with our develop pace in 2020, there as a number of external and internal factors which resulted in a slower pace. But also we re-prioritized development, pulling L2 stuff ahead as we see more deman in this kind of stuff. But as problem are solved now, we are on track to kick ass in 2021!