Casper's architecture is uniquely designed for continual evolution to meet the evolving demands of its users, partners, and the projects it supports. In line with this, we are following a roadmap aimed at enhancing the network towards a faster, smarter, and more secure chain. This year's progress builds upon the solid foundation set by version 1.5.3, which boosted the network's performance and reliability.
To find more insights into the roadmap, consider visiting the blog post in which Medha Parlikar, CTO of Casper Labs, provides a detailed walkthrough of the upcoming releases.
The next upgrade in line is Peregrine, which is now live on the mainnet. Peregrine introduces new features while maintaining Casper's core principles. Reduced block times, a new refund policy for unspent funds in contract transactions, and lower costs for contract operations are among the new features. Let's explore what the Peregrine release entails.
The reduction of block times from 32 to 16 seconds is a key feature that the Peregrine update introduces. Simply put, transactions on the Casper are now faster than ever and it also costs less in terms of gas, down to 4,000 CSPR from 10,000 CSPR. The tests show the feature is working smoothly without any problems. A test sample of the reduction amount can be found here.
The Peregrine release introduces a reduction in the control flow opcode costs, making operations like minting, installing, and transferring contracts more cost-effective. You can refer to our GitHub for more information.
All new contracts automatically benefit from this change, but for existing contracts to benefit, contract owners should upgrade.
The update introduces a refund for unspent funds in contract transactions. This entails that 99% of the difference between the payment amount made and the actual gas used, which constitutes the unspent amount, will now be refunded and reflected in the execution effects.
The Peregrine update brings a new feature for contract authors - the 'enable_contract_version' FFI function. This new feature allows contract authors to reactivate specific versions of their contracts even after they have been disabled. Developers can now easily switch back to previous versions if needed.
The NoSync option is a new feature that allows nodes on the Casper Network to opt out of participating in historical data synchronization.
Typically, nodes in a blockchain network synchronize historical data to maintain a complete record of all transactions and states. This process can be resource-intensive and require significant storage and computational power.
By enabling the "NoSync" option, a node is configured to bypass the historical data synchronization. These nodes will not participate in the full history of the blockchain but will focus on recent activity and transactions.
This setting is handy for nodes that do not need the entire history of the blockchain, such as those used for specific applications, lightweight operations, or nodes that serve as endpoints for querying recent data.
Making life even easier for developers, the state_get_account_info RPC method now accepts account identifiers as either a public key or account hash to simplify the process of querying account information.
Network operators can expect no downtime or major impacts, but should be aware of changes in network specifications like block times and gas limits. Developers are encouraged to test their existing contracts on the updated network and upgrade them to leverage the new benefits.
The Peregrine update was activated on the Testnet on January 30, 2024, followed by the Mainnet activation which is now live. You can refer to our Github for more information.
The rollout of the Peregrine update brings us one step closer to actualizing our vision for the Casper Network. Each feature in Peregrine has been crafted to address the specific needs of our diverse user base. We look forward to two more key releases in 2024: Juliet and Condor releases. Explore the new features, test them, and experience how they streamline your interaction with the Casper Network.
