Welcome to the recap of the May 23rd, 2024 Casper Association Developer Community Call. Our latest Developer community call featured Medha Parlikar, CTO of Casper Labs; Ralf Kubli, Casper Association Board Director; and Michael Steuer, CEO of MAKE, who provided insightful updates on various aspects of the Casper ecosystem, from core protocol changes to improvements in developer tools. Dive into the full details to catch up on all the major highlights and discussions from the call.
This recap is intended for those who missed the call or would like to revisit it and be provided with the latest updates on Casper.
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Due to technical difficulties, we couldn’t capture the first fifteen minutes of the session, where Odra was introduced. OdraDev and Casper Association were proud to announce Odra 1.0, a complete solution to develop, test, build, deploy, and interact with smart contracts on Casper. A Rust-based smart contract framework for Casper, Odra is designed to streamline smart contract development, leaving more time to focus on dApp instead of technicalities. You can learn more about Odra here.
Ralf and Medha shared crucial updates regarding the core protocol update Condor. “Anticipating to cut Release Client 2 by this week, the team outlined a slight delay due to the upcoming holiday in the U.S., which means most core developers will not be available on that day. Nonetheless, the goal remains to finalize RC2 within the next two to three days,” she said.
The JavaScript SDK is scheduled for release by Friday, with significant progress driven by the Casper Association. This release is a critical component for enabling further evaluation by the developer community. Once these key updates are deployed, the focus will pivot to outreach and the second phase of DevNet integration.
Medha mentioned that select groups, like the MAKE and Odra teams, will have access to DevNet and assess Condor.
The discussion also touched upon the upcoming outreach phase for the DevNet, with RC2 integrated. Several initial issues have been resolved, and we're gearing up to welcome more builders into the DevNet.
The team aims to ensure that other ecosystem projects have sufficient time for evaluation and feedback. With initial issues addressed and resolutions progressing smoothly, the anticipation of RC3 was also indicated, reaffirming a continuing commitment to improvement.
For more information on Condor's progress, check the Q&A section at the end of this recap.
Michael announced that the Casper Wallet now supports Ledger devices, a highly requested feature. Users can connect their Ledger to the Casper Wallet via USB or Bluetooth, interacting seamlessly with any dApps supporting Casper Wallet. This functionality is currently live on desktop and the browser extension and is expected to roll out to mobile shortly.
CSPR.live now focuses heavily on user-friendliness. Michael introduced features that distinguish CSPR.live from the standard block explorers. Detailed views of Wasm deploys and NFT transactions are now explicitly presented, breaking down each component and the results associated with them. “We aim to simplify the debugging process for developers and offer a transparent view of the transactions for end-users,” said Michael.
He also showcased how CSPR.live makes blockchain data more intuitive and legible. Transactions are presented with clear actions and results, transforming otherwise indecipherable hash strings into comprehensible records.
This comprehensive view provides immediate insight into the types of transactions occurring, such as un-delegations and token transfers.
Check the more intuitive CSPR.live for yourself.
You can watch the recording of the Developer Community Call here.
Michael introduced updates to CSPR.cloud, including an API for known accounts, which aids in recognizing key players like exchanges in transactional data. This helps in debugging and provides essential context for various types of transactions.
Future updates will include self-service tier management, detailed analytics for developers, and social account integration for CSPR.click. These features aim to provide greater insight into API usage and streamline onboarding processes for new users. Michael also covered a recent update to CSPR.click, focusing on improved identity management and other fixes.
Michael also touched upon CSPR.name, which promises to bridge Web2 and Web3 by making “.cspr” domains. The service will allow names to be used across multiple environments, from crypto wallets to standard web browsers, enhancing both usability and reach.
CSPR.name has the potential to unify names for companies across different platforms. As an example, a company like Coca-Cola could use a single .cspr domain for both their decentralized applications and traditional web presence, streamlining user experience and branding.
Here’s a detailed rundown of the Q&A segment from the call.
Answer: Yes, there is a Casper Developer group on Telegram. The group comprises around 200 people, including fellow developers and our support engineers, who can help answer questions and respond to inquiries. You'll find this to be a supportive platform to collaborate and grow your project.
Answer: While Casper has conducted educational workshops in the past, such as a university workshop in Turkey, more workshops are being planned in collaboration with the Casper Association. Besides, development on Casper is made easier with standard interfaces and technologies. CSPR.cloud, for instance, uses a REST API, and CSPR.click is a JavaScript SDK, making it accessible even for those with a web development background. More detailed courses are in the pipeline to help beginners and advanced learners alike.
Answer: This is a feature in development under Condor. Instead of traditional gas fees, Casper will lock cspr in the protocol for a specified duration and return it to the user's purse afterward. This allows developers to hold cspr as transactional assets that circulate back into use. However, it's essential to note that data storage will still incur real costs to prevent misuse. Thus, the mechanics are designed to stabilize transaction costs while maintaining network security.
Casper’s approach is meant to decouple the token's value from the transaction costs. This mechanism ensures that while the value of cspr may fluctuate, the transaction cost remains relatively stable, promoting a more predictable financial model for developers.
Answer: The infrastructure managed the requests smoothly. The system has been stress-tested to handle up to 10,000 requests per second in a sustained load and such high throughput capability ensures that Casper can manage vast volumes of transactions efficiently.
Answer: Validation is done through a self-identified process using an account info standard. Users place a JSON file on a specified URL and call a contract that links their account to this URL. This ensures that only authorized users with access to both the account and URL can validate info. CSPR.cloud also provides an API for additional known account information, which can include details like exchanges and significant accounts for easy reference.
Stay tuned for more updates and continue to leverage the collective knowledge within the Casper Developer Community. Be sure to join the next call on Google Meet if you have any questions or if you’d like to join the developer community of Casper.
