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Case study

All work

Layer-1 blockchain infrastructure

Validator and staking nodes, a self-hosted multisig wallet, a block explorer, a staking platform, token pricing, an NFT marketplace and production smart contracts on a customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1.

Role
Solution architect, core engineering team
Domains
ValidatorsMultisig walletBlock explorer
ValidatorsMultisig walletBlock explorer
Illustrative concept, not a product screenshot
Contents

Context

A customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1 needed the infrastructure and products around the chain: nodes to run it, a wallet to hold funds, an explorer to read it, staking with its own rewards, token pricing, a marketplace for NFTs and the contracts underneath.

Constraints

  • A customised fork of Ethereum, not a standard network.
  • Production smart contracts: once deployed, a contract cannot simply be edited.
  • One part of a larger effort. The chain itself was built by the wider engineering team; this work sat across the core engineering team.

Architecture

Layer-1 blockchain infrastructure
Layer-1 blockchain infrastructure Components by lane. Chain: Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1; Validator and staking nodes; Smart contracts (Solidity, NFT and ERC standards). Systems: Safe multisig wallet (self-hosted with its infrastructure); Block explorer; Staking platform (custom reward algorithms); Token pricing; NFT marketplace. Users: Holders and dApps. Flows: Validator and staking nodes to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1; Smart contracts to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1; Safe multisig wallet to Smart contracts; Staking platform to Smart contracts; NFT marketplace to Smart contracts; Block explorer to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1 (indexes); Token pricing to Staking platform; Holders and dApps to Safe multisig wallet; Holders and dApps to Staking platform; Holders and dApps to NFT marketplace; Holders and dApps to Block explorer. Chain Systems Users Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1 Validator and staking nodes Smart contracts Solidity, NFT and ERC standards Safe multisig wallet self-hosted with its infrastructure Block explorer Staking platform custom reward algorithms Token pricing NFT marketplace Holders and dApps indexes Layer-1 blockchain infrastructure Components by lane. Chain: Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1; Validator and staking nodes; Smart contracts (Solidity, NFT and ERC standards). Systems: Safe multisig wallet (self-hosted with its infrastructure); Block explorer; Staking platform (custom reward algorithms); Token pricing; NFT marketplace. Users: Holders and dApps. Flows: Validator and staking nodes to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1; Smart contracts to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1; Safe multisig wallet to Smart contracts; Staking platform to Smart contracts; NFT marketplace to Smart contracts; Block explorer to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1 (indexes); Token pricing to Staking platform; Holders and dApps to Safe multisig wallet; Holders and dApps to Staking platform; Holders and dApps to NFT marketplace; Holders and dApps to Block explorer. Chain Systems Users Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1 Validator and staking nodes Smart contracts Solidity, NFT and ERC standards Safe multisig wallet self-hosted with its infrastructure Block explorer Staking platform custom reward algorithms Token pricing NFT marketplace Holders and dApps indexes
Components and flows

Components

Chain
Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1
Validator and staking nodes
Smart contracts (Solidity, NFT and ERC standards)
Systems
Safe multisig wallet (self-hosted with its infrastructure)
Block explorer
Staking platform (custom reward algorithms)
Token pricing
NFT marketplace
Users
Holders and dApps

Flows

  • Validator and staking nodes to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1
  • Smart contracts to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1
  • Safe multisig wallet to Smart contracts
  • Staking platform to Smart contracts
  • NFT marketplace to Smart contracts
  • Block explorer to Customised Ethereum-fork Layer-1 (indexes)
  • Token pricing to Staking platform
  • Holders and dApps to Safe multisig wallet
  • Holders and dApps to Staking platform
  • Holders and dApps to NFT marketplace
  • Holders and dApps to Block explorer
  • Validator and staking node infrastructure on the customised fork.
  • The Safe multisig wallet and its complete supporting infrastructure, deployed on our own chain and adapted to our requirements.
  • A custom block explorer.
  • A staking and unstaking platform with custom reward algorithms.
  • A token-pricing system.
  • An NFT marketplace.
  • NFT and ERC standards and production smart contracts, in Solidity with Hardhat and ethers.js.
  • Services in Go, Node.js and Elixir, with PostgreSQL.

Key decisions

  1. Self-hosted Safe's multisig wallet and infrastructure on our own chain, adapted to our requirements.

  2. Chose
    Custom reward algorithms for staking and unstaking
    Over
    A fixed reward rate

My role

I worked as a solution architect on the core engineering team, owning the architecture and the technology decisions for these systems and overseeing their engineering.

Outcome

Node infrastructure, a self-hosted multisig wallet, an explorer, staking, token pricing, an NFT marketplace and production smart contracts, working together on the customised chain.

Stack

Each links to its entry on the stack page

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