Weekly update 2021-01-22

[artob]

The weekly update on the forum is at:
https://gov.near.org/t/2021-01-22-evm-update/445

The recording is available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixrHVj1ucE8&list=PL9tzQn_TEuFV2O7twBM-41lCDq5nr8nLm

Summary

• This week, we onboarded two new developers, worked on recruiting more developers, improved the EVM validation suite, and fixed a number of minor issues in EVM documentation and tooling.
• Next week, we are planning to translate current OKRs into a roadmap, get started on adapting the EVM to use ETH as its base token, and begin work on benchmarking the EVM.

Agenda

• Current goal
• Team updates
• Discussion

Current goal

Onboarding new people, recruiting 1-2 more developers, getting organized and going with the new team.

Updates

Alex

• Worked and still working on recruiting
• Planned and tasked OKRs and roadmaps with Arto
• Figuring out how to bridge to the EVM

Arto

• Worked and still working on recruiting
• Planned and tasked OKRs and roadmaps with Alex
• Reviewed materials (videos, tutorials, etc) for onboarding
• Collated onboarding documentation for new recruits
• Supported the team and reviewed/merged pull requests

Evgeny

• Working through the onboarding guide
• Setting up the development environment
• Reading documentation

Frank

• Extended CryptoZombies tests with ERC-721 cases (near/nearcore#3842)
• Troubleshooted some Cargo issues
• Planning on getting going with benchmarking

Illia

• Figuring out how to add value field to meta-transactions (near/nearcore#3845)
• Planning to change meta-transaction message structure

Kirill

• Working through the onboarding guide
• Setting up the development environment
• Reading documentation, mostly for the Bridge

Mike

• Fixed the BetaNet chain ID in the provider (near/near-web3-provider#72)
• Fixed an issue in evm-simple, adding super-simple frontend (near-examples/evm-simple#703f333)
• Fixed missing web3.js in older browsers (near-examples/near-pet-shop#8)
• Planning on updating for near-api-js changes

Discussion

• Wen secure and stable EVM? => Captured in OKRs
  • Alex will start a forum conversation with validators
• Planning for ETH as the EVM base token:
  • Remove using NEAR in EVM balances, straightforward
  • Figure out what to replace it with (ERC-20 wrapped NEAR? Any FT?)
  • Implement FT standard as interface on the evm account (NEP-141, NEP-XXX for accounts?)
• Changes to the bridge for NEP-141, etc (Alex)
• Mike's blog post about EVM on BetaNet:
  • Not currently scheduled => check with Marketing
  • Publish on forum soonest
• BetaNet protocol upgrade? (NEAR => ETH)
• BetaNet EVM faucet? Charge zero TX fees on BetaNet?