Contents
From core protocol contributions all the way to the Hiro Platform in the cloud, let’s take a look at what we shipped in November and share some of our priorities in December:
Release Roundup
DevTools
Stacks.js
- In October, we shipped v7.0.x of Stacks.js, a major overhaul of Stacks.js. In November, we played cleanup and shipped a few fixes to stabilize that release.
- We also updated contract deployments to use Clarity 3 as the default, since Clarity 3 is now live and defaulting to the latest is the expected behavior.
- We updated tsdocs to encourage third-party use of more functions.
- Lastly, we shipped an update to the sBTC npm package for folks to play around with sBTC on testnet.
Stacks Connect
- We added a new Clarity version parameter, so that devs can still reuse older Clarity code when new versions go live or choose to opt-in to the latest Clarity features.
API Services
Stacks Blockchain API
- We shipped a fix that adds composite indexing, reducing CPU-intensive queries and improving performance. For more context, we recently updated several endpoints with a new caching method in order to reduce the db (database) load. However, that change introduced CPU-intensive SQL queries. We’ve corrected that in this latest fix.
- We also added support for Nakamoto coinbase when handling unlock events, addressing an error reported during the first reward cycle post Nakamoto release.
Signer Metrics API
- We’ve been working on a new Hiro API that tracks the performance and behavior of individual signers, so that users can easily evaluate the signer network. This Signer Metrics API now powers a lot of the signer data you can see in the Stacks Explorer (more on that below).
- In November, we added a new endpoint that can fetch important signer performance metrics, such as their acceptance state for the last n blocks, their block acceptance rate for the last n blocks, their average block push time for the last n blocks, and the time since the last pending block proposal. You can learn more about these endpoints in our documentation.
Blockchain
- Following the successful Nakamoto upgrade on October 28th, the ecosystem working group (which Hiro contributes to) continued shipping fixes and optimizations in November to improve chain performance, including optimizations to the P2P stack that address poor node performance in edge cases and a new index that improved database lookups.
- The working group is now gearing up for both the launch of sBTC and a substantial release of performance improvements coming in mid-December.
Stacks Explorer
- In November, we focused on improving visibility around signer performance, so that users can quickly evaluate individual signers to identify top contributors (or underperformers). We added a number of signer-specific metrics, so that users can optimize their decision making or network strategy.
- That new signer information includes a new signer id page that shows the performance of individual signers. We also added a tenure change filter and more signer information to the signer overview page, including signer latency, as well as their ratio of approved/rejected/missing blocks.
- We now use block time in the transaction page, so that you can better understand the precise timing of transactions. We also added a display dropped label to make it easier to identify failed transactions.
Looking Ahead to December
Here are our biggest priorities in the coming month:
- Ship MVP of native fee estimation in Hiro’s Stacks API: Currently Hiro’s Stacks Blockchain API returns fee estimates from the Stacks node that are too high, which causes a pain point for builders and users alike. We’ve already rolled out a small mutation to improve this, and in December, we plan to roll out a deeper improvement with an MVP of a native fee estimator in Hiro’s API that can provide estimates that are more in line with mempool behavior. Alongside that MVP, we will begin scoping work on a more permanent/better long-term solution.
- Help you answer “why did my transaction fail?”: In a project that originally came from an internal Hiro hackathon, we are planning to add new messaging around transaction failures to the Stacks Explorer. With this release, users and developers can get a much clearer sense of why their transactions fail.
- Produce technical sBTC content: sBTC’s launch is just around the corner, and in December we plan to ship several pieces of technical content to make sure that Stacks developers can start building with sBTC on day one.
As always, we will be shipping new features and upgrades outside of what’s listed here. Keep an eye out for new updates.
Learn More
For a full list of releases and improvements by product, please view the following links:
