What changes will a modular execution stack unrelated to VM bring?
Author: ChandlerZ, Foresight News
On February 18, crypto startup Altius Labs announced the completion of a $11 million Pre-Seed funding round, led by Founders Fund and Pantera, with participation from Archetype, Reforge, DCG, No Limit Holdings, Amber Group, and angel investors from projects such as Berachain, Movement, Ethena Labs, Ritual, dao5, Solana Foundation, and Hudson River Trading.
Altius Labs was founded by Anit Chakraborty, a software engineer at Hudson River Trading, and Annabelle Huang, a former managing partner at Amber Group. The project's ultimate vision is to provide future-proof solutions for blockchain infrastructure by creating a VM-agnostic high-performance execution layer.
VM-agnostic Execution Framework
Due to the limitations of the monolithic execution layer architecture and interoperability design of traditional blockchain systems, Altius Labs has proposed a VM-agnostic execution framework, with the core goal of optimizing the blockchain execution process through modular design. This technical solution aims to address the current issues of network congestion, high transaction costs, and scalability constraints in specific scenarios within blockchain systems.
The project's technical architecture is built on three core components. The first is Parallel Scalable Storage, which adopts sharded state management and distributed caching technologies, and introduces Scalable State Merkle Trie (SSMT) technology. The second component is Instruction-level Parallelism, which achieves instruction dependency tracking through Static Single Assignment (SSA) technology. This design allows the system to concurrently execute independent instructions, and through dependency graph analysis and instruction ordering optimization, tests have shown a 75% reduction in gas costs. The third technical pillar is the Application Code Assessor, which integrates Deterministic OCC technology to form an innovative incentive mechanism system, aiming to encourage developers to create smart contracts more suitable for parallel processing environments.
In terms of implementation, Altius provides flexible integration solutions through its core product, the Altius Stack. For Layer 1 chains, it can support two architectural modes: one for traditional architectures with unseparated consensus and execution (such as Ethereum 1.0), and the other for modern architectures with separated consensus and execution (such as Ethereum 2.0). In Layer 2 integration, the Altius Stack offers a high degree of customizability, allowing chains to choose the implementation solutions for the settlement layer and data availability layer based on their specific needs.
Open Execution Network
The Open Execution Network (OEN) in the Altius project adopts a phased evolutionary implementation strategy. In the initial stage, the system operates as a shared execution system, providing scalable high-performance transaction processing services to the blockchain ecosystem. This phase allows various blockchains to access parallel transaction execution capabilities by paying for the service, thereby improving throughput and reducing costs.
The Open Execution Network introduces the concept of Executors. Executors can contribute computing resources to process transactions and smart contract operations. The system employs a dual-staking mechanism, requiring Executors to stake both Altius' native tokens and the target chain's native tokens, and compete for execution tasks. This design aims to ensure the alignment of interests between Executors and the chains they serve, thereby maintaining the integrity and reliability of the network.
In terms of security design, the system establishes an economic incentive system based on dual-staking and slashing mechanisms. When Executors engage in misconduct, such as result manipulation, incorrect execution, or dereliction of duty, they will face the slashing of their staked tokens. This mechanism uses economic means to incentivize high-quality execution services and deter potential malicious behavior.
The core feature of the Open Execution Network is its permissionless nature. Participants with the necessary computing resources and staked assets can freely join the network to provide execution services, without centralized access control. This open access model promotes the decentralized distribution of execution resources, enhancing the system's resilience. Additionally, the network supports interoperability between different types of blockchains, including Ethereum, various Layer 2 solutions, and chains using other virtual machines, providing a more efficient interaction mechanism for the multi-chain ecosystem.
Conclusion
From a technical implementation perspective, the innovation of the Altius project lies in its decoupling of the blockchain execution layer from the network design, allowing it to seamlessly integrate with various blockchain systems. This modular approach can support a diverse range of virtual machine environments, from EVM to MoveVM and CosmWasm, while also providing developers with templates for building optimized applications on any chain.
According to the project's roadmap, Altius plans to complete the integration of the execution engine core with EVM L1/L2 by the first quarter of 2025. In the second quarter, the project will further expand its compatibility to support multiple virtual machine environments. By the fourth quarter of 2025, the shared execution layer will be officially launched, providing the blockchain ecosystem with a more efficient execution infrastructure. Finally, in the fourth quarter of 2026, the project will complete the transition to the Open Execution Network (OEN), achieving a fully decentralized execution model.
