Write Solidity on Solana with Solang (feat. Sean Young, Solana Labs)

Write Solidity on Solana with Solang (feat. Sean Young, Solana Labs)

Author: Nick and James August 23, 2023 Duration: 55:00
Solfate Podcast - Interviews with blockchain founders/builders on Solana
TechnologyBusinessEntrepreneurship

Follow the @SolfatePod show on Twitter for updates. Thanks for listening frens :)

Notes from the show

The creator and lead developer of Solang, Sean Young, a compiler that allow developers to write Solana programs (aka smart contracts) in the Solidity programming language. This has been a multi year effort to allow existing Solidity developers, like all those existing in the Ethereum ecosystem, to use their existing language knowledge to write Solidity smart contracts on the Solana blockchain.

Sean describes how he started his developer journey in the blockchain space, starting as writing his own compiler for the Solidity programming language for a EVM compatible blockchain for the purpose of processing traditional documents.

Sean began hitting roadblocks when he was trying to add new features into the Solidity language, which is effectively only used for Ethereum and EVM compatible blockchains and maintained by the Ethereum community.

As a general overview, Sean describes how a compiler actually works. Including how compilers like Solang and even native Solana uses LLVM toolkit (Low Level Virtual Machine) to maximize compatibility for multiple programming languages.


Words and acronyms used throughout the episode

  • solidity - A statically-typed curly-braces programming language designed for developing smart contracts that run on Ethereum and most EVM compatible blockchains.
  • EVM - the Ethereum Virtual Machine - essentially the portion of any Ethereum based blockchain that actually runs/executes smart contracts written in the Solidity programming language
  • EIP - Ethereum Improvement Proposals - standards specifying potential new features or processes for Ethereum
  • WASM - Web Assembly - is a binary instruction format for a stack-based virtual machine
  • LLVM - Low Level Virtual Machine - a set of compiler and toolchain technologies that can be used to develop a frontend for any programming language and a backend for any instruction set architecture.
  • Solana specific terms (or at least common in the Solana ecosystem): 
    • BPF - Berkeley Packet Filter - a technology used in certain computer operating systems for programs that need to, among other things, analyze network traffic.
    • SBF (aka SBPF) - Solana Berkeley Packet Filter - this is a custom implementation of BPF with tweaks for the Solana runtime and SVM
    • SVM - Solana Virtual Machine - the portion of the Solana runtime that actually runs/executes code on the Solana blockchain
    • IDL - Interface Definition Language - generic term for a language that lets a program or object written in one language communicate with another program written in an unknown language


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Nick

James

Solfate Podcast


What does it actually take to build a meaningful project in the fast-moving world of Solana? On the Solfate Podcast, hosts Nick and James pull back the curtain on the process, moving beyond hype to explore the real work happening on-chain. As developers actively building in the ecosystem themselves, they bring a practitioner's perspective to every conversation. Each episode features an in-depth interview with a founder or core builder, delving into the technical hurdles, strategic decisions, and personal journeys that define their work. You'll hear firsthand accounts of architecting protocols, designing tokenomics, navigating community growth, and solving the unique challenges presented by high-performance blockchain technology. The discussions are grounded, detailed, and focused on the mechanics of creation, offering listeners a genuine look at the innovation shaping Solana's future. This isn't about surface-level commentary; it's a series of deep dives for anyone curious about the people and code behind the projects. Tune in for candid insights you won't find anywhere else, straight from the developers on the front lines.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 76

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Solfate Podcast - Interviews with blockchain founders/builders on Solana
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