Dean Tribble, the Chief Executive Officer of Agoric, took the stage at the Cosmoverse event to share his insights on the evolution of software development. The focus of his talk was the significant impact of JavaScript and the exciting prospects with the introduction of smart contracts in the modern world.
Agoric is a blockchain-based smart contract platform. It allows developers to build, deploy, and operate decentralized applications (Dapps), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and decentralized finance (DeFi) markets using JavaScript, the most widely-used programming language.
Agoric provides a secure and comfortable environment for developers to create sophisticated Dapps, NFTs, and DeFi markets without the need to start from scratch. The Agoric programming model allows for the creation of a cryptoeconomic standard library with the same composability that will fuel the growth of Node.js, React.js, and other JavaScript ecosystems.
JavaScript is a dynamic computer programming language that is lightweight and most commonly used as a part of web pages, allowing client-side scripts to interact with the user and create dynamic pages. It is a scripting language that enables the creation and control of dynamically updating content, multimedia, and interactive features on web pages.
JavaScript in the 1980s
Dean began his talk by tracing the roots of their vision, which originated in the 1980s when networks started becoming widely available. The vision revolved around creating software that allows strangers to cooperate by enforcing the terms of agreements they make.
This concept gained traction over the years, leading to the first production smart contract in the ’80s and collaborative efforts with Nick Szabo in the ’90s. The journey continued in 2000 with their involvement in the JavaScript standards committee and in 2018 when they founded Agoric to build a platform for this vision.
Why Agoric
The Agoric platform, according to Dean, is more than just a collection of contracts; it is a dynamic ecosystem with various elements such as AMMs, lending protocols, and ticket sales. The focus is on enabling cooperation among strangers in the broader economy, creating abundant opportunities for developers.
The CEO emphasized the beginning of Agoric’s journey with a programmable, general-purpose smart contract platform. Built on Cosmos SDK and Comet, it allows developers to write smart contracts in JavaScript, leveraging a modern component framework similar to React or Vue. The platform facilitates interoperability with assets across multiple chains, making it distinct from other blockchains.
For JavaScript developers, the Agoric platform offers a familiar environment. Dean highlighted the goal of attracting both web3 and web2 JavaScript developers, noting the unique value Agoric brings in terms of asset ownership, transfer, and cooperation.
Deterministic execution, and data system
The CEO delved into the technical aspects, mentioning features like deterministic execution, checkpoint restart, and data storage. He also introduced the Zoe framework, which provides an environment for building reusable components, akin to Node Package Manager for JavaScript.
Node Package Manager, is a package manager used with the JavaScript programming language, primarily used with the Node.js runtime environment. It is maintained by npm, Inc. and is included as a recommended feature in the Node.js installer.
NPM allows developers to easily manage and install packages or modules for their Node.js projects. It is written entirely in JavaScript and was developed by Isaac Z. Schlueter, and initially released in January 2010.
Dean also revealed Agoric’s economic integration, partnerships with custody services, trading platforms, and bridges connecting various blockchain networks. The presentation touched on various applications built on Agoric, including Crable for NFT lending, and Calypso for interchain trading.
The future
As Agoric moves from the launch phase into scaling, he mentioned that the focus will also be on IST (Inter Stable Token), a stable token intrinsic to Agoric’s tokenomics.
Read also; Co-founder discusses how Babylonchain improves security on Cosmos via Bitcoin
