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Accomplishments in Q2
Here are some highlights from the Hiro team over the course of Q2:
- Blockchain: We launched the MVP of hyperchains on testnet! Follow our progress on GitHub.
- API: We released Event Replay Optimizations, including a new preorg mode that offers 10x faster event replay, drastically improving the time needed to sync a new instance of the Stacks API. Additionally, we shipped optimizations to improve CPU utilization and added improved FT/NFT metadata processing for better error handling. Read more about these improvements in a recent blog post. We also proposed a SIP for Token Metadata Updates, which has now been moved to Activation-in-Progress.
- Clarinet: We released the inline debugger for the VS Code plugin. We also introduced Clarinet deployment plans, which allow developers to add custom contract-calls when deploying new smart contracts through Clarinet.
- Stacks.js: We continued the work started in Q1 to reduce bundle-sizes. Some packages are now up to 80% smaller than before we began this work. We also added better browser compatibility and more options for network customization and added support for arbitrary message signing.
- Wallet: We added arbitrary message signing to the Hiro Wallet, as well as Ledger developer preview support for the Web version of the Hiro Wallet. We also released a new onboarding flow and brought on more fiat onramps.
- Explorer: We released several performance improvements and reduced tech debt to make the Stacks Explorer a more reliable tool for the Stacks community. We also improved the functionality of the Explorer Sandbox as well as the devnet experience with continuous refactors.
- Team: To deliver a best-in-class developer experience, we continued to scale the Hiro team to deliver more robust tooling for the Bitcoin economy. In Q2, we hired 11 new Hiros!
What We’re Focused On in Q3
At Hiro, we want to make development on Stacks a fast and painless experience for developers. That goal will forever be a moving target, but here are some of the projects we’re working on in Q3 to put that goal into focus over the next few months. From writing smart contracts locally to improving transaction speed on mainnet, Hiro’s tools help developers throughout the entire development lifecycle, so that they can provide the best experience for their end users.
- Hyperchains: We have an NFT use case set to launch on testnet in July. A user guide and instructions to spin up a hyperchain will follow in a separate post. We will continue optimizing hyperchains performance and establish performance benchmarks this quarter before a partner launch on testnet. Help us test hyperchains here! Simultaneously, we are building an abstraction layer that will let developers easily plug and play different hyperchain VMs as we prepare for the mainnet launch of hyperchains. Research and exploration on rollups and ZK-PCPs will also continue this quarter. You can track progress on the Q3 milestones here.
- API: Improving resilience will continue to be a focus for us, and in Q3, we aim to maintain 99.99% API availability. We are also spinning up a Token Metadata Microservice to handle token metadata update notifications, NFTs or SFTs as described in SIP-019. In a true microservice fashion, it will be loosely coupled with the API, allowing us to scale and deploy independently. Access to the API via API keys is also coming soon, which will offer better rate limiting. Finally we plan to add additional cache handlers to maximize cached responses for improved performance. You can track progress on the Q3 milestones here.
- Clarinet: Look out for our VS Code Web Extension. This simplifies the getting started experience without installing Clarinet. We are also adding support for Stacks 2.1, so you can write your contracts, test them, and get ready for the 2.1 launch. We will continue iterating on enabling off-chain logic that can react to BTC/Stacks events to kickoff downstream workflows, such as invoking a DB query or triggering a serverless off-chain function. To that end, we are working with a few design partners to improve the product on our integration with Bitcoin. Please reach out to us on the #clarinet channel on Discord if you have questions or want to get started. You can track progress on the Q3 milestones here.
- Stacks.js: We are working on releasing the Stacks.js starter templates that will instantly boost the productivity of new and existing developers and make it easier to launch frontend applications utilizing Stacks.js. You can track progress on the Q3 milestones here.
- Wallet: We plan to pursue Bitcoin and hyperchain support in the extension wallet, improve documentation and API for easier integration, resolve common transaction-broadcasting issues, and display NFTs held per account.
- Explorer: We will continue improving performance to ensure a fast and reliable experience while using Explorer. Furthermore, we are investing in the ability to deliver richer insights, so if the Stacks, Stacks API, or any other dependencies are down or underperforming, Explorer users will know precisely why.
- Onboarding: We are investing in tightening up the onboarding experiences of Hiro products. Getting-started guides, FAQs, troubleshooting guidance, and richer API examples are a few areas we are focusing on in Q3. If you have feedback on other areas you’d want us to focus, please submit an issue in the Docs backlog.
- Team: Bitcoin app tooling isn’t going to build itself. We’re still hiring. Join us!
Let Us Know What You Think!
There will always be projects that deserve our attention that we’re unable to prioritize ourselves. But we’re happy to support however we can. If you an idea or need help with a project, check out the Stacks Grants program or reach out to us on Discord through the Hiro-Public channels.
