aelf Roadmap Q3 2023 to Q2 2024: Empower BUIDLers from All Dimensions
As aelf continues to advance as a layer-1 network, serving as the fundamental infrastructure of Web3, its ecosystem has experienced significant growth, indicating that aelf is on the right track. The deployment of numerous projects on aelf Mainnet and Testnet demonstrates its readiness for full-scale expansion. The objective is not only to attract more Web3 developers (BUIDLers) but also to facilitate the migration of developers and users from Web2 to Web3.
To accomplish these goals, aelf has planned a roadmap for the next four quarters. During this time, the focus will be on optimising the blockchain, integrating additional tools to enhance infrastructure, and providing better support for developers and users. Mechanisms for ecosystem and governance will also be refined to ensure effective operation.
Below are the pipeline and key milestones:
Better Base: Continuous Optimisation of aelf Network
Recognising that layer-1 serves as the foundation for the growth of a large-scale Web3 ecosystem, aelf is committed to the ongoing optimisation of the network. In the upcoming quarters, the main areas of focus will include optimising transaction fee payment in multiple tokens, optimising network modules, improving the payment delegation mechanism, and upgrading cloud-native computing capabilities, along with supporting dynamic scaling.
Optimising Transaction Fee Payment in Multiple Tokens
aelf has successfully implemented the capability to pay transaction fees using multiple tokens, and it is actively working towards expanding the range of tokens supported, including mainstream tokens and stablecoins. This advancement empowers token issuers to explore new use cases for their tokens and connect them to the aelf ecosystem, thereby improving their liquidity and utility.
By leveraging this feature, project owners within the aelf ecosystem can expand their applications, enhancing their competitiveness and attracting a larger user base. For users, the ability to utilise different tokens across various chains brings about convenience and flexibility. They can seamlessly transact and interact with different tokens, enjoying a more diverse and versatile experience within the aelf ecosystem. aelf promotes a thriving environment where token issuers, project owners, and users can actively participate and benefit from the diverse possibilities offered by the platform.
Optimising Network Modules
In layer-1 blockchains, network communication between nodes is of paramount importance, particularly for a fast-growing network like aelf, which boasts an expanding ecosystem. As the number of partners joining and potentially becoming nodes increases, it becomes more crucial to ensure stable and secure network communication among them.
To ensure the aforementioned requirements, aelf is dedicated to optimising its network modules. This optimisation entails refining the way nodes interact and communicate with each other. By doing so, aelf aims to enable ecosystem partners and participants to join this network in a more efficient and secure manner. This ongoing effort enhances the overall reliability and resilience of the network, fostering a robust and scalable ecosystem.
Refining Payment Delegation Mechanism
Gas fee is often deemed as a significant obstacle for users, particularly those who are not yet familiar with Web3. While aelf already offers lower transaction fees compared to mainstream blockchains, it recognises the need to further reduce the cost of onboarding users to Web3. To address this concern, aelf is planning to optimise its delegation mechanism.
Through this enhanced mechanism, transaction fees incurred by a user can be covered by different layers of delegators as set in the rules. By spreading the cost across these tiers, aelf aims to lower the overall burden on individual users. This optimisation enables developers to leverage this feature, making their decentralised applications (DApps) and projects more attractive and user-friendly for their target audience. By reducing the financial barrier associated with gas fees, aelf endeavours to encourage wider adoption of Web3 and foster a more inclusive ecosystem that accommodates both experienced users and newcomers alike.
Enhancing Cloud-Native Computing to Support Dynamic Scaling
Despite being in the year 2023, the scalability of a layer-1 network remains a crucial factor for supporting a thriving ecosystem. In light of this, aelf is committed to the continuous enhancement of its cloud-native computing capabilities. As part of its roadmap, aelf plans to implement support for dynamic scaling by the beginning of the next year.
Dynamic scaling entails the automatic adjustment of processing capacity based on the resource requirements, allowing the network to efficiently handle increased demands. By incorporating dynamic scaling, aelf aims to enhance its capacity to accommodate growing workloads and ensure optimal performance. This progress will further propel aelf toward its vision of efficient and scalable cloud-native operations.
Better Infrastructures: More Tools to Empower Projects
To support and empower BUIDLers and their users, aelf is committed to enhancing a range of tools and products, including blockchain explorer, cross-chain bridge, aelf Boilerplate, aelf indexer, aelf oracle, etc. Additionally, aelf aims to integrate with popular hardware wallets, ensuring enhanced ease of use as well as security for users.
Upgrading aelf Boilerplate
For developers, aelf Boilerplate provides a development environment that facilitates contract development on the aelf network and expedites the building process. A major upgrade of the Boilerplate is in the pipeline, introducing significant improvements. These include a streamlined project initialisation process, simplified contract templates, cost reduction, and reduced need for manual configuration. These enhancements aim to enhance developers’ productivity and make contract development on aelf more efficient.
Hardware Wallet Integration
Acknowledging the community’s feedback and recognising the importance of secure asset storage, aelf has been attentive to the demand for integration with hardware wallets. As more projects are built on the aelf network, accompanied by the growth of various digital assets, it becomes essential to provide users with multiple options to safeguard their on-chain assets. Although hardware wallets may have low-frequency usage, they still play a crucial role in ensuring the security of digital asset storage.
To address this need, aelf is collaborating with Ledger. This partnership aims to offer hardware wallet solution specifically designed for aelf users within the ecosystem. Once the integration is complete, ELF, the native token of aelf, will be supported on Ledger Live, Ledger’s application wallet. Users will be able to securely store and manage their ELF tokens as crypto assets using Ledger’s hardware wallets. Furthermore, this integration opens up the potential for supporting other digital assets within the aelf ecosystem in the future.
Enhancing aelf Indexer
When developers deploy or migrate DApps onto aelf network, it is crucial for their projects to be synchronised with real-time data, including transaction records. To enable this synchronisation, we developed the aelf indexer, an event monitoring tool and handler framework. aelf indexer plays a vital role in indexing and tracking all the events triggered by the completion of on-chain transactions. It captures and organises this data, allowing DApps to stay synchronised with the latest information from the network. This ensures that DApps have access to real-time transaction data, enabling them to provide accurate and up-to-date information to users.
Recognising the significance of seamless data communication for network stability, aelf is dedicated to optimising the aelf indexer in late 2023. These optimisations will focus on enhancing the efficiency and reliability of data communication processes, enabling timely synchronisation between the network and DApps. By the first quarter of 2024, aelf aims to make the optimised aelf indexer available for developers to utilise in their projects. Through continuous improvements to the aelf indexer, aelf reinforces its commitment to supporting developers and ensuring the stability and functionality of the aelf network.
Optimising aelf Explorer
A blockchain explorer plays a pivotal role as a platform for users to access and explore on-chain transaction data, monitor network status, track block height, and delve into activity on blockchain addresses. With the growing number of projects and DApps being deployed on the aelf network, the volume of on-chain data, including transactions, wallet addresses, and tokens, will experience significant growth.
To cater to the increasing demands for searches and inquiries, aelf is actively working on upgrading the aelf explorer. These upgrades will primarily focus on improving data categorisation and strengthening its support for various DApps within the ecosystem. The enhanced aelf explorer will offer a more seamless user experience by providing better organisation and accessibility to the expanding array of data within the aelf ecosystem. Users will benefit from improved data categorisation, enabling them to efficiently search and navigate through the growing volume of on-chain information.
Continuous Optimisation and Iteration of aelf Oracle
The significance of a blockchain oracle cannot be understated, as it allows smart contracts to access data from the external world. Recognising this importance, aelf has developed and implemented the aelf oracle, which currently enables smart contracts to access off-chain data. However, aelf is committed to continuously refining and iterating on its oracle to meet the evolving needs of the ecosystem.
With the expectation of a growing number of smart contracts being deployed on the aelf network, the oracle will be enhanced to better accommodate the increased demand and further improve data accessibility.
Better Ecosystem & Governance: Major Upgrades to Empower aelf Ecosystem and Enhance Governance
The growth of aelf ecosystem is in full swing with more projects joining us. Planning to launch various programmes soon, aelf will accelerate the progress with the help of ecosystem fund, incubator, and stronger support for games. The governance of aelf is a crucial aspect that needs to evolve in line with the growth and development of the ecosystem. In a decentralised network like aelf, governance encompasses various aspects, including the allocation of rights and responsibilities among participants and the decision-making processes that drive the platform forward. In the coming months, aelf will keep optimising how aelf DAO and SideChains should be run, better catering to the need of block producers (BPs), developers, and token holders.
aelf DAO Transformation Update
In September 2023, we will unveil our DAO High Council members and strategic roadmap for the future. This highly anticipated event marks a pivotal milestone in aelf’s evolution. During this announcement, we plan to invite the blockchain community, industry leaders, and enthusiasts to join us in witnessing the unveiling of our future roadmap, which showcases our bold vision, strategic objectives, achievements in our DAO and transformative initiatives that will shape the future of blockchain technology. Together, we will embark on a path of progress, collaboration, and pioneering solutions, propelling aelf to new heights and driving the global blockchain ecosystem forward.
Fully Decentralised Governance through aelf DAO
The launch of aelf DAO in December 2022 heralded a new era of decentralised governance within the aelf ecosystem, solidifying our position as pioneers in blockchain-based governance models. Since then, we have made significant strides towards achieving full decentralisation, building upon the strong foundations of our groundbreaking governance framework. By Q2 2024, aelf DAO shall empower token holders to actively shape the future of aelf, contributing to decision-making processes, voting on proposals, and collectively driving the evolution of the aelf ecosystem.
Launching aelf Gaming
With the introduction of this sub-brand program, Aelevate, aelf pioneers the fusion of blockchain technology and gaming, unlocking new realms of immersive and decentralised experiences in aelf’s vibrant ecosystem. Aelevate Gaming opens doors for Web2 game studios to usher a diverse community of gamers, developers, and enthusiasts, offering a platform that harnesses the power of blockchain to revolutionise the gaming industry. The Aelevate Gaming Studio Demo Day serves as a testament to aelf’s commitment to nurturing innovation within the gaming sector. This event showcases the culmination of dedicated efforts by talented developers and creative minds who have harnessed the potential of blockchain technology to build groundbreaking gaming experiences.
Introducing the aelf Ecosystem Fund
We will be excited to announce the launch of the aelf ecosystem fund, a strategic initiative designed to foster innovation and collaboration within the aelf and multichain ecosystem. This vertical & stage agnostic fund aims to support promising projects, startups, and developers with passion to drive innovation. Through strategic investments and resources, we empower the acceleration of technical breakthroughs and adoption of Web3.
Establishing aelf Incubator
The launch of the aelf incubator marks a significant milestone in our commitment to fostering innovation and supporting the growth of promising projects within the blockchain industry. Our comprehensive programme provides a nurturing environment for early stage projects and help BUIDLers with the resources, mentorship, and network needed to accelerate their development and maximise their growth and valuation potential.
Optimising SideChain Governance Mechanism
The governance mechanism of aelf’s SideChains plays a crucial role in determining how these chains are governed and how BPs engage with them. This mechanism encompasses various aspects, such as fee structures for projects and the distribution of rewards among BPs.
To promote the interests of both developers and BPs, aelf is actively optimising the SideChain governance mechanism. The goal is to create a favorable environment that encourages more developers to build on these chains while simultaneously attracting more BPs to secure and support them.
We firmly believe that following the implementation of the above roadmap, aelf will achieve faster, wider, and better ecological development in line with our goals.
About aelf
aelf is a high-performance blockchain designed to support the development of Web3 and its anticipated growth over the next 5 to 10 years. As a layer-1 network, aelf offers unparalleled processing speed, surpassing most layer-2 projects. Built on cloud computing, aelf operates through a distributed network of nodes across various cloud data centers. Multiple tools like browser extensions, aelf blockchain explorer, wallet App, and SDKs have been built and open-sourced so that developers can easily build and contribute to aelf ecosystem.
Stay connected and engage with the aelf community on Telegram and Discord:
Telegram: https://t.me/aelfblockchain
Discord: https://discord.gg/bgysa9xjvD
