Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson said he is personally developing a new programming language for the Cardano network with Input Output Global engineer Lucas Rosa, according to CoinDesk. Rosa is also a co-creator of Aiken, one of Cardano’s main smart contract languages.
In a post on X, Hoskinson said the project would be the first programming language to combine what users want a transaction to accomplish with cryptographic proofs.
Three tools outlined for the language
According to the description cited in the report, the language will support three tools: transaction intents, proof-carrying data, and Groth16 proofs.
- Transaction intents: Users would be able to state the goal they want to achieve, while an application handles the specific steps. For example, a trader could require that one token be swapped for another only if the final price meets preset conditions, without specifying the exact route.
- Proof-carrying data: Information could include cryptographic evidence showing that it satisfies a given rule, allowing other applications to verify it without running the computation again.
- Groth16 proofs: Groth16 is a widely used proving system that can generate small proofs that are quick to verify, while showing that conditions have been met without exposing private data.
Designed to let Cardano verify a small proof
Combined, the three components would allow developers to build applications that coordinate transactions, check complex conditions, and pass verified information between services, with Cardano ultimately verifying a small proof.
Current Cardano languages and what remains undisclosed
Cardano developers currently mainly use Haskell-based Plutus and Aiken to write smart contracts. Midnight, the privacy blockchain built by Input Output Global, has its own language called Compact.
The new language’s name, when its code will be made public, and its release date have not been disclosed.