Discussion Details
Gerolamo - cardano node in typescript
govtooladmin
Description
A node that can run in the browser.
Problem Statement
A Typescript node would benefit the ecosystem in many ways:
- remove the ivory tower: make it easier for new developers to understand the protocol internals and contribute to the growth of Cardano
- truly decentralized applications: every application that wants to interact with cardano needs access to a cardano node somewhere. without a local node (that requires technical expertise and is usually resource intensive) the only solution adopted is to have a centralized server hosting a node that clients access. a light node in the browser would allow everyone trustless access to the Cardano protocol in the most secure and decentralized way.
Proposal Benefit
- users, turstless and more scalable applications
- experienced developers, local nodes means less infrastructure and easier access to Cardano
- new developers, a familiar source code means more resources to understand what Cardano does
Key Proposal Deliverables
The goal is to have a fully functional light node that can run in the browser and can be integrated in dApps and wallets.
Cost Breakdown
1 year salary for 3 senior software developers a 135k USD/year
Resourcing & Duration
1 years with 3 full time senior software engineers
Experience
https://github.com/HarmonicLabs
Maintenance & Support
The goal is to have well documented software and to build an excited community around that is willing to contribute independently to te maintenance, of course, we'll do our best too in the long term to support the node stability.
Supplementary Endorsement
Roadmap Alignment
Does your proposal align with any of the Intersect Committees?
Technical Steering Committee
Does this proposal align to the Product Roadmap and Roadmap Goals?
Multiple Node Implementations
Administration and Auditing
Would you like Intersect to be your named Administrator, including acting as the auditor, as per the Cardano Constitution?
Yes
Ownership Information
Submitted On Behalf Of
CompanySocial Handles
X: @MicheleHarmonicKey Dependencies
The project is designed to have as less dependencies as possible, most of the software used is built and maintained by HLabs, and if it is not, it is easily replaceable or can be implemented in case of necessity.
Supporting Links
Comments (4)
We should prioritize proposals that are highly impactful and focused on fostering community growth. It is difficult to see how creating another node in a different language would contribute meaningfully to our community's key metrics. Vote: No Brazil / São Paulo in person workshop Vote: No
Hi, thank you for this exciting proposal—I’m generally supportive of the idea of a light node running in the browser. I believe this could greatly enhance decentralization and lower barriers for both users and developers.
That said, I’d like to better understand the validation scope:
Does this light node aim to provide full-node level validation (validating all transactions and block contents independently), or will it focus more on block headers and basic transaction validation?
Clarifying the level of trustlessness and security would really help in assessing its potential applications—for example, whether it could fully replace reliance on centralized servers for wallets, or whether it would still require some trusted infrastructure.
Looking forward to hearing your insights—thank you again for pushing forward this important work!
Regarding the Gerolamo TypeScript node proposal, I fundamentally believe that the contribution to the Cardano ecosystem through "Multiple Node Implementations" and light nodes is meaningful, and I would like to vote in favor of this project.
In addition, I would like to ask the following two questions:
-
In this TypeScript node implementation, how will you ensure upgrade uniformity and functional consistency with the existing Haskell node? In particular, I would appreciate if you could explain the synchronization mechanism between the two implementations when protocol updates occur.
-
What specific impact do you anticipate this node will have on Cardano's developer ecosystem and end-user experience when introduced to the ecosystem? Specifically, what benefits do you believe the implementation as a browser-based light node will bring to DApps and wallet development?
I would appreciate your response. Thank you very much.
If possible, I would like to hear from as many developers who would like to use the results of this project as possible. Could you please add the following items as much as possible? "If possible provide evidence of wider community endorsement for this proposal?"
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