Cairo Blockchain Development

Cairo is a programming language created especially for the «Validity Rollup» project StarkNet.

A network known as a «validity rollup» combines a specific number of transactions into a single one on the main network, and Zero Knowledge Proofs are used to validate the latter.

We have two options for developing smart contracts on a Validity Rollup:

• To code in Solidity, create a Validity Rollup that works with the Ethereum virtual machine.
• Build your own virtual machine to generate use cases that go beyond Ethereum’s capabilities.

As a result, StarkNet decided to develop Cairo, a brand-new virtual machine with its own programming language.

Although this language is primarily inspired by Rust, learning it remains challenging, and there is very little perspective on this type of technology. However, StarkNet is a project that is taken very seriously by the entire ecosystem, with a growing community of developers.

Zero-knowledge scalable transparent arguments of knowledge, or zk-STARKs, are the foundational technology of StarkNet. Although it’s a complex concept, a straightforward example can help clarify it. Suppose you assert that you are capable of resolving a challenging mathematical issue. You can demonstrate this assertion using zk-STARKs without disclosing the exact mathematics.

Zk-STARKs give you the ability to produce clear and succinct evidence that transactions were carried out correctly in a blockchain context. The Ethereum mainnet then receives these proofs, greatly lowering the mainnet’s burden.

StarkNet Benefits & Features

Scalability, security, decentralization, Ethereum compatibility, and minimal fees are among StarkNet’s primary benefits. By combining several transactions into a single zero-knowledge proof, zk-rollup technology achieves scalability while greatly boosting network throughput and lessening the strain on the main Ethereum blockchain.

Zero-knowledge cryptographic proofs, which validate all transactions without disclosing particulars about them, ensure security. Due to its decentralization, StarkNet is immune to censorship and attacks because it is not governed by a single entity or authority. Since StarkNet and the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) are completely interoperable, moving apps from Ethereum to StarkNet is simple. Transaction fees on StarkNet are substantially less than those on the Ethereum mainnet because of zk-rollup technology.

The Cairo programming language, a modular architecture, and a vibrant developer community are some of StarkNet’s characteristics.

Cairo has a high degree of expressiveness that enables the development of intricate smart contracts and is specifically made for creating zk-rollup-based apps. The network may easily be enhanced with additional features due to StarkNet’s modular architecture. The development community for StarkNet is vibrant and ever-expanding, producing new tools and applications for the network.

The StarkNet platform’s native coin is called STRK. It is employed for network security and transaction fee payment. Additionally, STRK holders can get incentives for staking and take part in platform governance.

StarkNet is more than just a scaling technology for Ethereum. The development of decentralized applications has entered a new phase. It provides more freedom in creating smart contracts and faster transaction speeds than existing second-layer solutions. StarkNet has nearly infinite possible applications, ranging from making virtual world games to establishing decentralized exchanges.

Cairo’s name derives from the phrase «CPU AIR», which refers to AIR’s implementation of the CPU notion. When combined with the STARK proof system, this effective and useful von Neumann architecture can be utilized to produce computational integrity proofs.

A trace is produced by a Cairo program and passed to a trustless prover, which produces a STARK proof of the statement’s correctness. A verifier, who may or may not be on-chain, can then validate the proof. Nowadays, the majority of dApps are essentially Solidity contracts that implement an interface, logic, and maybe a backend. If these dApps are successful, they will inevitably run into scalability issues.

These days, dApps are using tried-and-true L2 scalability solutions to address their scalability issues. Without compromising security, the off-chain component communicates with on-chain smart contracts and handles some of the trickier aspects of the business logic.

Prior to Cairo, developing a proof system that addresses particular business logic was challenging. Cairo significantly reduces the obstacles to achieving scalability through the use of proofs. Your smart contract application can use the outcome without any confidence once you write your intricate logic in Cairo, validate it off-chain, and then validate it on-chain.

How does Cairo operate?

Cairo has developed a novel idea known as Shared Prover, or SHARP. On February 16, 2021, StarkWare made it available.

The Solidity smart contract and the Cairo code are joined via SHARP. The prover (off-chain), the verifier smart contract (on-chain), and the fact registry contract (on-chain) are its three primary parts.

Cairo 1.0, the latest version of Cairo, comes with:

• A new intermediate representation layer between Cairo 1.0 and Cairo byte code is called Sierra (Safe Intermediate Representation).
• A brand-new compiler that will make things easier for developers.

General enhancements to the programming language, such as better compiler integration, more user-friendly libraries, and enhanced syntax.