In the last year, Web3j has been on an exciting path of growth and transformation. This report captures our key updates, project statistics, new features, and community initiatives. Our aim is to present a thorough insight into our achievements, the obstacles we’ve navigated, and the promising future that lies ahead.
Key Web3j Announcement
Web3j Joins the Hyperledger Family
The beginning of 2024 represented a notable achievement with Web3j officially becoming part of the Hyperledger Foundation. This transition is pivotal, allowing us to utilize the Hyperledger Foundation’s resources to govern and advocate for open-source software. This strategic initiative also reinforces Web3 Labs’ dedication to promoting the development and adoption of Hyperledger Besu, the premier Ethereum client tailored for both mainnet and private network implementations.
Project Statistics
As an Open Source initiative, community involvement is vital. Here are some key statistics showcasing our progress and community engagement over the past year:
- Total Contributions (PRs merged): 80+
- Releases: 9 (v4.10.2 -> v4.12.0) which includes 3 major releases
- GitHub Stars: 5k (an increase from 4.7k)
- Forks: 1.7k (up from 1.6k)
- Open Issues: 133
- New Contributors: 19 with a total of 197 unique contributors
- Total Downloads: 5 Million (1.6M last year, a 47% increase)
Web3j GitHub Star History to Date
Web3j Monthly Downloads from 2016 to 2024
Key Updates
Repository Transition
With Web3j’s transition to a Hyperledger project, the GitHub repository has been shifted from Web3 Labs to the Hyperledger organization. This change is essential for our integration into the Hyperledger ecosystem and aims to adhere to Hyperledger project standards, thereby improving our development practices.
Archived Projects
To optimize our focus and enhance core offerings, we have archived several legacy Web3j projects. This decision allows us to allocate our resources more efficiently and elevate the quality of our main products.
For a complete list of archived projects, please see here.
Community Engagement Calls
To strengthen community bonds, we have launched biweekly community calls. These gatherings serve as a platform for developers and users to exchange ideas, ask questions, and collaborate on solutions.
Sign up for our Web3j Calendar to ensure you stay updated on all contributor calls.
New Features
Extensive EIP Support
- Support for EIP 4844: We have incorporated EIP 4844 support, making us the first web3 library to do so. This development enables functionalities such as sending blob transactions, calculating blob transaction fees, and other KZG commitment techniques.
- EIP1559 Private Transactions: We’ve added support for private transactions following EIP1559, enhancing flexibility and security for transaction management.
- EIP-2930: Added support for optional access lists, improving transaction functionality.
- EIP-4895: Support for validator withdrawals from the beacon chain to the EVM through a new “system-level” operation type has been implemented.
Build and Dependency Updates
- Gradle 8.7 Upgrade: The latest Gradle 8.7 upgrade has been implemented in our build process, enhancing efficiency and compatibility.
- Dependency Updates: All project dependencies have been upgraded to their latest releases, addressing vulnerabilities and bolstering security throughout the project.
Language and Platform Updates
- Kotlin Version Upgrade: We now utilize the most recent Kotlin 1.9.10 version, promoting up-to-date and efficient coding standards.
- Web3j-Android Hotfix: A hotfix has been launched for Web3j-Android to guarantee compatibility with the latest Android releases.
- CI/CD and Release Process Improvement: We have simplified and rectified the release process for Web3j after shifting to the Hyperledger GitHub organization.
Additional Features and Enhancements
- Support for JWK: We have added support for JSON Web Keys (JWK), significantly enhancing privacy and security in digital communication.
- Bug Fixes and Enhancements: Ongoing improvements and bug fixes have been a core focus, ensuring a stable and reliable user experience.
- Research on Account Abstraction: We are actively researching support for account abstraction in Web3j, aiming to boost the flexibility and functionality of our library.
- Integration Testing for Besu Private Transactions: Our testing framework has been upgraded to support integration tests for Besu private transactions, ensuring reliability and robustness.
- ENSIP-15 Normalization: Normalization has been implemented in accordance with ENSIP-15, enhancing compatibility and functionality.
- Web3j-CLI and Web3j-Solidity-Gradle: The Web3j-CLI has introduced a feature for creating ERC721 templates. Moreover, Web3j-Solidity-Gradle now accommodates different source set compilations with varying Solidity versions, increasing development flexibility.
- Web3j-Sokt: Web3j-Sokt has been updated to support the latest Solidity and EVM versions, which enables developers to bundle the Solidity compiler with their Web3j projects, eliminating the need for manual management of Solidity installations!
Mentorship and Community Involvement
Current Mentorship Endeavors
- Web3j Android: We are initiating enhancements to the Android integration with Web3j, concentrating on bolstering Android support within the Web3j environment to ensure compatibility and improve user experience.
- Project Link and Roadmap
Outcomes of Prior Mentorship Projects
- Performance Evaluation of Besu: Our previous mentorship initiative focused on analyzing the performance of Besu with Web3j, yielding valuable insights and benchmarks that contributed to the optimization of Besu.
Community Initiatives
Final Thoughts
The past year has been a game-changer for Web3j, with significant updates, new features, and an expanding community. We are eager for what lies ahead and remain dedicated to delivering robust and innovative blockchain solutions. To stay informed about our future plans, be on the lookout for our 2024-2025 roadmap, which will be released shortly.
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