Here is the XDV Protocol architecture related to our Filecoin Foundation Grant. I will explain which parts are already built and mainnet ready, which have been PoC and where are the next steps ahead. This architecture is important and also the different technologies involved. In fact, it will be the most demanding project in terms of programming languages (we will use Java, Go, Rust, Javascript, Typescript, Solidity, and Cadence).
Current XDV Protocol stack
In the last 12 to 14 months, we have developed a PKCS#11 Java Signer, an Universal Wallet (ie is able to sign documents and blockchain transactions), and a set of open source smart contracts that can anchor documents and/or tokenized documents or media with ERC-721 NFT specification. That stack is well documented in https://docs.xdv.digital, in testnet in https://testnet.xdv.digital and soon to be used for upcoming demos in https://firmas.xdv.digital
XDV Node Proof of Concept
We started the own chain research by learning and then implementing go-ipld-prime as an IPLD layer on top of Cosmos. The experience was really interesting. But one of the team members had concern about how fast we would get to market and the cost of building infrastructure (nodes) without being heavily invested.
After a few weeks research, I compared Secret Network, Aurora/Near and Moonbeam. Because XDV is heavy on cryptography, Secret Network always came first and I decided to try the tutorial or see if I could find all the ingredients one to one. I found that, the development experience was awesome, I enjoyed it more than Substrate actually (and that might be probably to Cosmos being before Polkadot) and most of the tech was already there.
With that in place, we went again a rewrote the grant, now with proper know how and how to approach it.
XDV Protocol
There is still needs to be a node, and the reason for that is that most of the SDKs and APIs for blockchain are developed in Go. I have always had a reason not to develop in Go, this time I did it and similar to CosmWasm/Secret Network, I fell in love. With Go, you can use go-ipld-prime and use the actual tooling Protocol Labs is building. That is one of the key thing to make this happen, the pragmatic approach of using the best tool for the job. In our team we don’t have any secret cow, we pick the best technology that matches our deliverables and allows us to maintain quality and keep us oriented with newer things.
Rust Smart Contracts
CosmWasm Rust Contracts contains most of the technology that will be required, like HTLC (Atomic Swaps) and Oracles. Rust is always difficult, and bumpy, but we expect less issues with proven, quality Rust contracts from the CosmWasm community.
Bridges
This is one of the most interesting thing about Secret Network, they actually have a pretty good Binance Smart Chain and Ethereum bridge. I think they even have IBC bridge to Terra. Again, allows XDV to focus on business use case and peace of mind when it comes to cross chain features.
Node and Gateway
Node will also have a IPLD gateway, which should be a similar experience to IPFS, just that the metadata or microstorage will be stored in Secret Network bincode. Node might have future staking and validating features once we figure out XDV tokenomics.
Tokenomics
Tokens will be deployed in Binance Smart Chain, Ethereum and Secret Network. Yay!
Solidity Smart Contracts
Our existing Solidity Smart Contracts will be updated once we get the roadmap ahead, is likely they will stay the same or updated to the new XDV Protocol
PKCS#11 and PKCS#12 Signers
PKCS#11 signer was completed a few days ago. We have included RSAPSS, so chains like Arweave are fully supported and it will be tested out soon, giving us one of the best privacy experience for government mandated smart cards and document digital signatures.
PKCS#12 signing is also completed, but needs to be available in XDV Universal Wallet. It will be used together with Project OpenPanamaInvoice to get into the huge anticipated electronic invoicing market in Panama starting 2022.
What’s next
I hope we manage to give you a heads up of what we are cooking and up to. The team is super exciting about this grant which gives us time to focus on BUIDL the next generation of decentralized protocols for the data economy.
— Rogelio Morrell, Founder
