Conflux eSpace: A High-Level Overview
In February 2022, Conflux introduced a new EVM-compatible subsystem called Conflux eSpace in its Hydra hard fork. In this article, we will explain what it means to have an “EVM-compatible space” in Conflux, and how it will affect you as a user.
In this article, we will use “Conflux Hydra” when we discuss the latest version of Conflux, while “Conflux Tethys” will refer to the pre-hardfork version.
Why do we need EVM compatibility?
Ethereum has a vast user base and developer ecosystem. While it is not a clearly defined concept, people usually say a blockchain system is “EVM compatible” if you can interact with it as if you were interacting with Ethereum. If a blockchain offers the same standard APIs as Ethereum, then existing tools like MetaMask and Hardhat will support it without any additional development effort.
From its inception in 2018, Conflux has been striving to maintain EVM compatibility. Any smart contract that works on Ethereum can be directly deployed on Conflux with no or minimal modification. However, Conflux Tethys was not compatible with Ethereum in its address format, transaction data structure, and APIs. This meant that there was no easy way to make tools like MetaMask work on Tethys.
Conflux uses CIP-37 base32 checksum addresses, while Ethereum uses EIP-55 mixed-case checksum hex addresses. Compare these two to see the difference:
CIP-37:cfx:aakdjzx2xm8r76kdjzx2xm8r76awgvnhver2d62mnh
EIP-55:0x123456789AbCdef123456789aBcdeF0123456789
By supporting existing Ethereum tooling, we can lower the entry barrier for both users and developers. For this reason, Conflux Hydra introduced a new EVM-compatible subsystem called eSpace.
Conflux eSpace uses the hex addresses that you’re used to with many other chains, it accepts Ethereum-like transactions, and it also provides the same APIs as other EVM chains. With eSpace, migration to Conflux is effortless. As a user, you can continue using your MetaMask wallet. As a developer, you can keep using your usual dev tooling and effortlessly redeploy on Conflux.
What do you mean by “two spaces”?
Conflux Hydra has two spaces: Core Space and eSpace. Essentially, these are two distinct smart contract execution environments. Conflux Core is what we had before in Conflux Tethys, while Conflux eSpace is a new EVM-compatible space. However, Core Space and eSpace are not two blockchains: The two spaces both reside on the Tree-Graph ledger.
Two perspectives on the same ledger
You can think about the two spaces this way: We have a single distributed ledger, the Tree-Graph, that now contains both Conflux and EVM transactions. You can observe this ledger from two different perspectives.
- If you view it from Conflux Core, you see the ledger as before: You see Conflux accounts with CIP37 addresses sending Conflux transactions. You can also use Conflux-specific features like PoS staking and transaction sponsorship.
- If, on the other hand, you view it from Conflux eSpace, you see the ledger as a standard EVM chain, with hex addresses, EVM transactions, and EVM APIs.
With this approach, both Core Space and eSpace offer the same high-level security that is guaranteed by the hybrid PoW+PoS consensus mechanism of Conflux Hydra.
Two dimensions with a bridge in between
As a design decision, the two spaces are separate and cannot interact with each other directly. Core Space and eSpace are like two parallel dimensions.
- If you use Fluent on Conflux Core, you can send transactions to other Core Space accounts and interact with Core Space dapps.
- If you use MetaMask on Conflux eSpace, you can send transactions to other eSpace accounts and interact with eSpace dapps.
⚠️ You cannot send a transaction directly from your Metamask wallet to a Core Space wallet. This makes sense, as Metamask cannot interpret CIP-37 addresses.
However, there is a way to move assets between Core Space and eSpace: The cross-space bridge.
The cross-space bridge allows you to move assets (CFX, CRC20/ERC20, NFTs) back and forth between Core Space and eSpace. This might sound familiar if you have used any cross-chain technology like ShuttleFlow. However, this time we’re traveling between two spaces on the same ledger. Cross-space operations are atomic, decentralized, and provide the same security guarantees as any other Conflux transaction.
How can I try it?
To start using Conflux Core, simply install Fluent. To use eSpace, install MetaMask, then go to chainlist.org, search for Conflux eSpace, and click “Add to MetaMask”.
If you already have assets on Conflux Core, follow this tutorial to learn how to use the cross-space bridge to move them to eSpace. Alternatively, you can move assets from other chains to eSpace directly using multichain.org or meson.fi. If you’re looking for a DEX, keep an eye on Swappi.
Finally, if you are a developer, learn more about eSpace on our Developer Portal, and stay tuned for our follow-up article where we’ll dive deep into the technical details of Conflux eSpace.
