Astar Network launches second iteration of smart contracts, supports Ethereum Virtual Machine and WebAssembly Virtual Machine
Astar Network, a multichain decentralized application (DApp) protocol, has announced the launch of the second iteration of its smart contracts on the mainnet on April 6. This iteration will support both the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and the WebAssembly Virtual Machine (WASM VM), and the Astar team claims that having both virtual machines and allowing interactions between the two is a “key success factor” in an emerging layer-1 blockchain.
According to the Astar team, although the Ethereum network ushered in the Web3 revolution through smart contracts, it cannot build the future of blockchain on its own. Therefore, Astar Network offers an alternative for developers who want to take advantage of both EVM and WASM VM.
To celebrate the launch, the Astar team has invited members to a panel discussion led by its leaders and various Polkadot developers to discuss how WASM can be used. The company will also meet its infrastructure partners who will build the foundation for the WASM environment.
This announcement comes as Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution Polygon recently released its zkEVM beta to its mainnet, allowing developers to deploy smart contracts at lower costs. Polygon founder Sandeep Nailwal described zero-knowledge (ZK) proof as the “holy grail of Ethereum scaling.” The release of Polygon’s zkEVM beta and Astar Network’s launch of its second iteration of smart contracts both offer alternative solutions for developers looking to take advantage of Ethereum scaling.
Meanwhile, the Web3 Foundation, the team behind Polkadot, has once again argued that the Polkadot (DOT) token is not a security. On January 26, the firm reiterated that the DOT has already changed from being a security and said that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has welcomed talks with the firm.
In conclusion, Astar Networks’ launch of its second iteration of smart contracts supporting both EVM and WASM VMs offers an alternative solution for developers looking to leverage the benefits of both virtual machines. As the blockchain industry continues to grow and develop, it is likely that we will see more alternative solutions and protocols emerge to meet the demands of developers and users.
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