Ethereum is almost universally credited for driving the Web3 revolution after it brought the concept of smart contracts to life. However, some members of the Web3 community, such as Astar Network’s Sota Watanabe, believe that the protocol cannot “build the innovative future of blockchain alone.” Additionally, some critics point to the language obstacle which they argue makes the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) a less than ideal place to build.

Webassembly smart contracts ‘will accelerate Web3 adoption’

It is this and other limitations of EVM that led to the creation of an alternative known as Webassembly (WASM). This alternative is said to be a virtual machine of choice for developers, engineers, and academics who are frustrated with EVM. According to Watanabe, for Web2 developers looking to migrate to Web3, WASM seems like a logical choice because it “supports a wide range of languages ​​with native performance and high portability.”

To learn more about WASM, Bitcoin.com News reached out to Sota Watanabe, the CEO of the Astar Network, a multi-chain smart contract platform.

In his written responses to submitted questions, the CEO of Astar Network offered his thoughts on Webassembly and the role it will play in accelerating Web3 adoption. Watanabe also explained why Astar Network supports both EVM and WASM.

Below are Watanabe’s responses to questions sent to him via Whatsapp.

Bitcoin.com News (BCN): In very simple terms, can you explain to our readers what WASM is all about?

Knave Watanabe (SO): Webassembly, more commonly called WASM, is a portable compilation target for programming languages. WASM supports a wide range of languages ​​with native performance and high portability. At Astar, we support a WASM smart contract environment, just like the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). The good thing about WASM is that most Web2 languages ​​can be composed in Webassembly, which is not true for Ethereum’s EVM, which is based on a specialized programming language called Solidity.

We believe that the increasing use of WASM smart contracts will dramatically accelerate the adoption of Web3. Most of the tech talent is still working in the Web2 space, and if Web2 developers want to get into Web3, they have no choice but to learn a new programming language called Solidity, which is used by the most popular smart contract platform in today (EVM). That is an obstacle. Imagine if they could build Web3 dapps [decentralized applications] using the languages ​​they already know. And on top of that, make your dapps EVM compatible with ease. That is why WASM smart contracts are [going to] get a lot of talent from Web2 to Web3. That’s why it’s so exciting.

BCN: What are some of the challenges or limitations of EVM and how does WASM overcome them?

SOUTHWEST: Although Ethereum brought us the Web3 revolution with the introduction of smart contracts, it cannot build the innovative future of blockchain on its own. With a specialized programming language, it restricts the developer community’s ability to explore and create new, truly interoperable dapps. EVM is blockchain-specific, with less support and a specialized programming language, Solidity.

Today, Web3 is prohibitively expensive for many Web2 developers, as Web2 languages ​​cannot be composed in Solidity, the Ethereum programming language. With Webassembly (WASM), developers can quickly transition from a Web2 to Web3 infrastructure, allowing them to spend more time building core features in their dapps instead of learning specialized languages ​​like Solidity.

WASM increases performance as it is closer to the language of machinery. It brings near-native performance to web browser applications and enables developers to build high-speed web applications in the language of their choice. Furthermore, WASM has enormous potential for the future of the Internet, since it is designed for the web.

BCN: Already supported by four major browser engines (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Webkit), WASM is said to be more secure, more efficient, faster, debuggable, and open. Can you explain in simple terms why this is important?

SOUTHWEST: Are you okay. Everything he said about WASM helped him build trust among Web2 developers. And when they can create interoperable Web3 dapps with WASM tools, they are more likely to adopt Web3.

In addition, WASM development is already supported by top-tier companies such as Google, Microsoft and Mozilla, and can be used with popular programming languages ​​such as C/C++, GO, TypeScript and RUST, which is common among developers of Web2.

BCN: Some reports have suggested that Web2 developers migrating to Web3 are attracted to WASM. Is this suggestion correct? If this is the case, what do you think could be the reason(s)?

SOUTHWEST: The answer would be similar to numbers 2 and 3. And I would add:

Over the years, we’ve interacted with thousands of Web2 developers who are inclined to build on Web3, but the lack of familiar tools was a hindrance. By supporting WASM, making it interoperable with EVM, and providing developers with all the tools they need to build on Web3, the Astar Network hopes to give this emerging ecosystem a big boost.

BCN: Rather than encourage or discourage the use of either, your Astar Network platform is said to be helping developers build dapps with EVM and WASM. What are your reasons for supporting both virtual machines?

SOUTHWEST: Developers in the Web3 space come from diverse backgrounds, armed with different skill sets, abilities, and preferences. Not everyone should be forced to bring their vision to life using a single smart contract platform. They deserve options, and then it’s up to them to decide which smart contract is appropriate for the project they’re building.

Yes, we support EVM and WASM smart contracts to provide flexibility for developers. EVM because it is the most popular smart contract environment with the largest user base. WASM because it overcomes the limitations of EVM while making it easier for a new wave of developers to enter the space. We believe that having two virtual machines simultaneously and making them interactive is a key success factor for an emerging Layer 1 blockchain.

BCN: How does that benefit the broader blockchain ecosystem?

SOUTHWEST: It will dramatically expand the blockchain ecosystem by allowing Web2 developers to build innovative, decentralized, and interoperable solutions in the Web3 space.

BCN: The Astar Network is said to offer true interoperability with cross-consensus messages. What does this mean?

SOUTHWEST: We believe in a truly interoperable Web3 ecosystem and provide developers with everything they need to build truly interoperable dapps. We achieve this through:

Cross Consensus Messaging (XCM): Allows dapps built on chains with different consensus mechanisms to transfer data and value between each other securely. The exchange is bidirectional. It’s been possible because Astar is a parallel chain in Polkadot and you can use this feature as part of our core features.

Cross Virtual Machines (XVM): Provides interoperability between two different smart contract environments like EVM and WASM. A dapp can use EVM for its smart contract, but it can implement WASM smart contract modules and at the same time use functions from another parachain to integrate into its dapp.

These two innovations will be the beginning of the next wave of innovation for dapps.

What are your thoughts about this interview? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Terence Zimwara

Terence Zimwara is an award-winning journalist, author and writer in Zimbabwe. He has written extensively about the economic problems of some African countries and how digital currencies can provide an escape route for Africans.