This month, the Cardano ecosystem team is getting ready to release a software toolkit that will let developers build their own sidechains.
On January 12, Input Output Global (IOG), a blockchain engineering firm created by Charles Hoskinson and formerly known as Input Output Hong Kong (IOHK), made the announcement. The official technical documentation for the sidechain toolkit was also released in the announcement.
Great move by @InputOutputHK I believe this help spread the usage of Sidechains for Cardano which is a good strategy if it evolves to use mithril / state proofs
As a core contributor to @Milkomeda_com we will continue to lead 🫡 and hopefully support others to join https://t.co/auqp2TkEg1
— nicoarq (@NicoArqueros) January 12, 2023
As a “proof-of-concept,” IOG developers have already used the toolkit to build an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible sidechain public testnet. Once the audit is complete, developers will be able to deploy decentralized applications, create smart contracts, and transfer tokens between testing chains.
In addition to other application-specific capabilities, the toolkit will permit sidechain developers to select their consensus process.
Mainnet Growth
The IOG developers have also revealed that they have used the toolkit to build a proof of concept on a public testnet that is compatible with the EVM sidechain. Moreover, once the audit is complete, developers can launch dApps and smart contracts and transfer tokens between different test chains.
Finally, the announcement notes that sidechain creators can use the toolkit to choose the consensus mechanism that best suits their app.
The term “mainnet” refers to the parent blockchain, while “sidechain” describes a blockchain that operates independently of the mainnet. While the primary blockchain focuses on safety and decentralization, a sidechain can help the network scale.
In the long run, IOG expects this new development to lead to widespread adoption of the Cardano network, facilitating the launch of multiple Cardano sidechains and partner chains.
Meanwhile, Charles Hoskinson, the creator of ADA, has proposed that Solana joins Cardano as a “partner chain.” Hoskinson shared this during a recent “ask me anything” session.
He claims that there would be synergies between the two blockchains. For example, Solana can take advantage of Cardano’s security and infrastructure, while Cardano can take advantage of Solana’s faster network.
