Spotlight: New Filecoin Virtual Machine Projects Unlocking Smart Contract Programmability

The Filecoin community is expanding the network to create a decentralized, efficient, and robust platform for humanity’s data by introducing programmability to the network.

The Filecoin Virtual Machine (FVM) is bringing smart contract programmability to the Filecoin storage network, enabling users to deploy their own smart contracts, or actors, as they are termed in the Filecoin ecosystem.

This fully Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible additional layer of capability, will unlock boundless possibilities for innovation, including use cases that would not be possible in a traditional cloud storage world.

Some of the new and powerful use cases that the FVM will enable includes Data DAOs, the Dataverse, and tokenized datasets. The EVM-compatible FVM will also unlock smarter storage networks with the ability to build perpetual and self-repairing storage deals, trustless reputation systems, and trustless aggregated storage deals. Plus DeFi use cases such as lending markets, decentralized exchanges, automated market makers, and many more.

Last month, the Skyr upgrade introduced Milestone 1 of the FVM, one of the largest upgrades in Filecoin network history. The Skyr upgrade also laid the groundwork for Milestone 2.1 of the FVM which will bring EVM smart contract deployments to the Filecoin network. FVM-native development will also continue in parallel, with developer teams building out core tooling and laying the infrastructure of the future development experience for the network.

New FVM Projects
A few recent projects creating new FVM tools and services with support from the Filecoin Foundation’s Dev Grants program:

• Zondax — Combining FVM and Assemblyscript, Zondax is developing an easy-to-use software development kit (SDK) for the developers that are more familiar with Javascript-like languages. Zondax will build a set of tools to use AssemblyScript to write new smart contracts that will compile to WebAssembly (or WASM) code at the end. Currently, there are two SDKs for FVM smart contracts: Go and Rust. Zondax will add the popular and widely-used Javascript/Typescript family. Learn more about Zondax’s FVM project and watch a demo.
• Polyphene — At the forefront of development for the native FVM, Polyphene is integrating a testing library into the main code base and developing a high-level Rust SDK to make the FVM accessible to everyone. Watch a demo of Polyphene’s Rust SDK and developers can learn more about the possibilities with the SDK in the documentation repository. The project is currently in beta phase and Polyphene is looking for feedback on this SDK. Learn more about Polyphene’s FVM project here.
• IPFSForce — The team behind the Venus implementation of the Filecoin network is working on a TinyGo SDK for the FVM.
• Yatima — Sitting at the intersection of formal proofs and zero-knowledge proofs, Yatima is integrating Lurk, a programming language for Turing-complete recursive zkSNARKs with FVM. This will enable zero-knowledge proofs written in Lurk to be verified natively on Filecoin, enabling implementation of simple examples of zero-knowledge applications such as proofs of membership, private tokens, WASM, or EVM state rollups. Yatima plans to create several novel applications of the Lean-Lurk-FVM stack, such as an on-chain marketplace where parties can trustlessly buy and sell verifiably correct typed programs and data. Learn more about Yatima’s FVM project.

Filecoin Foundation’s Dev Grants program is advancing projects and aims to award additional grants to boost development in the Filecoin ecosystem. Check out our other grant recipients and learn how you can apply for Open Grants and Microgrants.

Join the FVM Foundry’s Early Builders Program

We are seeking individuals and teams with expertise in smart contract programming (on EVM) to join the FVM Foundry. If you’re a Solidity developer or team, this is an opportunity to hit the ground running as features become available and become a pioneering member of the FVM Foundry. Participants should have knowledge in distributed/blockchain systems, web3, smart contract programming, and/or decentralized storage. Visit the FVM homepage to learn more.

Learn About FVM at FIL-Singapore (Sept. 26–27)

FIL-Singapore is slated to be the largest in-person Filecoin gathering in Asia. Join the Filecoin community September 26–27, at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, ahead of Token2049, for two packed days of talks, workshops and networking events. Discussions will include the latest on FVM progress, updates on the Filecoin Roadmap, Filecoin cryptoeconomics, and more. Use the promo code FFVIP for free registration.

To learn more, watch this playlist of FVM videos.