Today we introduce Fluent: a general-purpose rollup on Ethereum that lets you build scalable blockchain applications in your favorite programming languages - Rust, TypeScript, Solidity, and more.
Blockspace is Abundant but Inaccessible
Our industry is making great strides towards scaling blockchains while preserving end-user verifiability. The rollup-centric roadmap and modular blockchain movement have sparked a wave of permissionless innovation around rollups, zero-knowledge proofs, rollups-as-a-service (RaaS), light clients, and much more.
The result: Scalable, trust-minimized blockspace for the masses.
However, while we’ve unlocked secure, abundant blockspace on Ethereum, we haven’t yet unlocked developer access to this blockspace. Aspiring developers are faced with the hurdles of learning esoteric programming languages and blockchain-specific details. This steep learning curve creates a non-trivial barrier to entry and discourages many people from building onchain.
There’s a large pool of potential talent that remains untapped as evidenced by the 25,000 developers in web3 today and the staggering 25 million developers in the world.
Enter Fluent: Limitless Apps on Ethereum
The goal for Fluent is simple: Enable every developer to build scalable apps on Ethereum.
Think of Fluent as a translator between developers and Ethereum’s Infinite Garden. Developers should be able to step into the garden with little more than their core application knowledge - be it their app’s throughput needs or the programming language they know best.
Fluent’s job is to seamlessly translate their knowledge into the blockchain context. To make Ethereum speak their language.
A Glimpse at Fluent's Design
Fluent is a general-purpose, zkWASM execution layer (Layer 2) for Ethereum. The platform blends together three key innovations:
-
ZK Rollup
Fluent leverages ZK rollup technology to relieve performance and cost constraints, enabling developers to build high-throughput applications while retaining the security properties of Ethereum.
We’re currently using zk-SNARKs with UltraPlonk and KZG commitments, but are actively researching a Nova-based stack.
-
Wasm Execution
Fluent uses a WebAssembly (Wasm) virtual machine to significantly lower the learning curve for developers. Wasm allows developers to build applications in general-purpose programming languages like Rust, TypeScript, C/C++, Go, and more.
-
EVM Tooling Compatibility
Fluent maintains compatibility with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) standards, allowing developers to execute and interact with Solidity smart contracts, use tools like MetaMask, and take advantage of EVM innovations. The result is minimal friction for EVM ecosystem users.
We at Fluent Labs are hyper-focused on not only these innovations but on weaving them together in a thoughtful and simple way to offer the best possible developer experience.
Looking Forward
This is just the start. We’re very excited for the road ahead. We envision a world where it’s easy for any and all developers to build onchain without compromising developer experiences or security properties.
The Fluent platform is currently under development, but testnet is right around the corner. We’re now taking applicants for our early builders program. Sign up here!
In the meantime, we’ll be sharing more about our progress and thinking. We value openness and plan to build in public. Here are some of the topics we’ll be talking a lot about:
-
ZK research and performance benchmarks
-
History and future of Wasm execution
-
Sequencers and provers
-
L3s and RaaS
-
What’s possible with zkWASM rollups
-
Rollup designs and business models
-
Platform risk and censorship
Let’s make blockspace abundant and accessible to all.
Where to Find Us
Very special thanks to our investors, advisors and friends who reviewed and offered feedback on this post 🫶