What is the potential of parallel EVM? An overview of the creativity of Artela developers' BUIDLs
This article will explore the potential applications of the EVM++ technology demonstrated by the Artela ecosystem, which has recently garnered significant attention in the developer community.Author: Mikkke Pignard, Little Pig Web3
TL;DR
Parallel EVM is gaining popularity, with more projects adopting related technologies for updates.
What are the potential transformations brought by parallel infrastructure? There is a lack of concrete applications.
Let's explore the potential applications depicted by Artela's EVM++ technology, which has a vibrant developer ecosystem.
Parallelization is a means, not an end, aimed at providing a runtime environment for large-scale dApp applications.
DeFi under EVM++: Accelerating runtime security and RWA applications in DeFi.
A review of innovations in new applications like full-chain games and AI co-processors under EVM++.
What updates can parallel execution bring to infrastructure?
Parallel execution (parallel EVM) has become a key development technology for infrastructure, with many projects hoping to improve performance through parallelization to leverage new crypto applications, including Monad, Artela, MegaETH, Sei, and recently, Starknet is also introducing parallel execution. But what are the potential transformations brought by parallel infrastructure? There is a lack of concrete applications, and overall, it is still on the path to realization.
This article will explore the potential applications demonstrated by Artela's ecosystem, which has recently seen high developer engagement, through an analysis of its EVM++ technology. The developer community-driven approach is the main path for Artela to advance technological innovation. Currently, over 800 active developers are participating in Artela's ecosystem BUIDL, contributing more than 300 native Aspect extension innovation use cases and over 130 ecosystem projects. This has also led to the creation of supporting tools for EVM++, such as the Aspect browser, Aspect IDE, and Aspect Hardhat plugin, all developed and maintained by community developers.
Parallelization is a means, not an end
Quoting Reforge Research's explanation of parallel EVM: parallelization is a means, not an end.
The architectural idea behind parallel execution aims to provide a runtime environment for large-scale dApps, and parallel EVM represents an enhancement in EVM execution efficiency. Projects like Monad and MegaETH primarily focus on this aspect, while another school of thought advocates that EVM compatibility should also be further advanced through dual VM technology to break the limitations of pure EVM. Artela, Arbitrum Stylus, and Sei V2 have adopted this design.
Artela aims to provide high performance and high scalability for dApps through a dual virtual machine architecture of parallel EVM and WASM extensions. This dual approach, known as EVM++, conveys a technical vision from the developer community to create a new decentralized application runtime environment, accelerating the integration of innovative technology scenarios such as Security DeFi, AI, and AW/FOCG (Autonomous Worlds/Full-Chain Games) in the crypto world.
DeFi under EVM++: Accelerating DeFi runtime security and RWA
DeFi is the most active application type in crypto. With the progress of BTC ETFs and various mainstream banks and financial institutions in RWA, DeFi is gradually approaching mainstream finance. However, the experience and security issues in DeFi need urgent improvement. In the past year, well-known DeFi protocols like Curve and KyberSwap have been attacked, breaking the last line of defense for "naked" DeFi protocols. What performance does EVM++ have in this regard?
Important construction partners for EVM++ in the DeFi direction include Web3 user security technology provider GoPlus and Web3 security company ZAN with traditional fintech backgrounds, jointly exploring directions such as on-chain security, runtime risk control, user safety, and deep integration with underlying protocols, and collaborating in user education, security ecology, and product integration.
The anti-Rug feature designed for AMM protocols in collaboration with GoPlus can automatically identify attacks from malicious liquidity pools, protecting the funds of traders and liquidity providers. In a security education event jointly held by both parties on the testnet, over 300,000 users participated in the experience.
Based on EVM++, ZAN's KYT Aspect provides a fintech-level on-chain DeFi security solution. The KYT (Know Your Transaction) Aspect offers real-time on-chain transaction security analysis for dApps, detecting whether transactions involving calling contracts are related to flash loan attacks, arbitrage, and money laundering in real-time through on-chain extensions. By integrating this Aspect, DeFi protocols can customize their security risk control strategies like fintech services to enhance the security and compliance of protocol funds.
This project was built by members of the ZAN team from Ant Group, seamlessly integrating fintech-level security technology into the Artela network, clearly demonstrating the feasibility of achieving high-level on-chain security functions through Aspect and highlighting the effectiveness of EVM++ in addressing DeFi security issues.
ArtexSwap is the first AMM protocol based on EVM++, achieving high security for transactions and liquidity protection. Its anti-Rug Pull Aspect, blacklist Aspect, and slippage protection Aspect provide strong technical guarantees for token supply monitoring, transaction activity interception, and real-time monitoring of liquidity pools.
Innovations in full-chain games under EVM++
Full-chain games and Crypto AI have been directions that attracted many developers in the past year. As the "stars of tomorrow" in crypto, they inherently have higher performance and scalability requirements for blockchain execution environments.
Artela continues to explore the potential of EVM++ in gaming with pioneering players in full-chain games like Blade Games and Cellula. EVM++ primarily provides the value of an on-chain "co-processor" (analogous to the GPU in traditional computers) in gaming: a high-performance execution environment with flexible interoperability.
Unlocking full-chain NPCs: Artela, in collaboration with Blade Games, is building a version with "on-chain NPCs" based on its Royale game. Through EVM++, it adds a full-chain NPC to the full-chain game on Artela, allowing players to register their accounts as automated NPC players that participate in battles with other real players based on algorithms!
Unlocking "AI participation in games": Cellula has an interesting BUIDL on EVM++, utilizing it as an on-chain co-processor to implement a full-chain version of the "Pac-Man" game. It realizes AI-agent algorithms on EVM++, enabling automatic battles between players and ghosts on-chain. It transplanted the AI agent combat module originally implemented in an off-chain Java system to Aspect while maintaining high playability, allowing a single on-chain transaction to execute over 1000 rounds of AI pathfinding decisions. This provides conditions for running AI agents and asynchronous PvP games on-chain!
EVM++ and AI Co-Processors
Artela and Phala have announced a strategic partnership to build a native extension layer supporting AI based on EVM++, making on-chain smart dApps possible.
Phala is exploring the construction of a trustless AI co-processor layer within the Artela network, with solutions including implementing AI algorithms on-chain through EVM++ and an off-chain AI co-processor layer based on TEE, allowing popular large language models (LLMs) and Web3 data layer functionalities to be integrated into blockchain protocols, enabling dApps built on EVM++ to achieve more dynamic and intelligent interactions.
Developer innovation continues
In the past quarter, Artela successfully brought over 2,100 Web2 developers into the Web3 space through its Web3 developer learning program. They contributed 2818 submissions and 1319 PRs in course projects. These new developers not only quickly mastered Aspect native extensions but also created over 100 innovative use cases in advanced EVM++ learning courses. These use cases cover a wide range of applications from DeFi security to full-chain games, demonstrating Artela's immense potential in lowering the development threshold for EVM and inspiring developer creativity.
In Artela's Aspect Hub, all Aspect innovation use cases are contributed by the community, with some highly innovative on-chain use cases standing out. For example, the Throttle Aspect demonstrates how to introduce rate-limiting techniques from traditional trading systems into smart contracts, helping decentralized protocols resist witch attacks and unfair practices. The KYT Aspect provides real-time on-chain transaction security analysis, effectively defending against flash loan attacks, arbitrage, and money laundering activities, showcasing the powerful capabilities of EVM++ in the DeFi security field. LinkLearner utilizes off-chain model training and on-chain weight aggregation through Aspect to achieve a decentralized AI model training platform with automatically adjustable model parameters on-chain.
To further support developer innovation, multiple open-source communities such as LXDAO and BuidlerDAO have contributed rich EVM++ supporting tools. These tools include the Artela Scan block explorer, which provides specialized support functions for Aspect, making on-chain data more intuitive and understandable; the Artela Aspect Hardhat plugin, which greatly simplifies the development process for Aspect; and the Solide Aspect IDE, which offers developers a one-stop development platform to facilitate Aspect innovation and sharing. Additionally, the Aspect Marketplace provides developers with a decentralized platform to freely manage, rent, buy, and sell Aspects.
Conclusion
The Web3 industry is undergoing a transitional adjustment period, with new infrastructure represented by parallel EVM continuing to improve EVM infrastructure. Active developers represented by Artela ecosystem BUIDLs are still actively exploring technological innovations. With a solid ecological foundation, whether the new generation of high-performance and high-scalability infrastructure can work together with creative developers to create the next chapter in crypto is worth looking forward to!
