JAM : The Web3 Cloud Revolution of Polkadot

JAM: Polkadot's Transformation into a Universal Web3 Platform

The presentation of JAM at the sub0 2024 conference marks a decisive turning point in Polkadot's history. More than just a technical evolution, JAM represents a fundamental transformation of the Polkadot ecosystem, transitioning it from a platform exclusively dedicated to blockchains into a comprehensive infrastructure capable of hosting any type of Web3 applications and services.

This metamorphosis is not limited to a mere technological change. It embodies a new vision of what decentralized infrastructure can be. While many blockchain projects focus on cryptocurrencies and tokens, Polkadot, through JAM, offers a radically different approach: that of a decentralized cloud platform capable of meeting the varied needs of Web3 application developers.

At the heart of this transformation lies a fundamental ambition that goes beyond the technical framework: creating a world with "less trust, more truth" ("less trust, more truth"). This philosophy guides JAM's development and reflects a vision where blockchain technology is no longer an end in itself, but a means to build more transparent, resilient, and accessible applications.

JAM's uniqueness lies in its ability to abstract the inherent complexity of blockchains. Developers can now create applications without having to worry about traditional blockchain constraints while benefiting from the advantages of decentralization. This approach paves the way for a new generation of Web3 applications, where blockchain becomes invisible yet omnipresent, much like what the HTTP protocol has become for the traditional Web.

This evolution represents not only a major technical advancement but also a paradigm shift in how we conceive and develop decentralized applications. It marks the beginning of a new era where Web3 becomes truly accessible to traditional developers while maintaining the fundamental properties of decentralization and resilience that make it strong.

Read the Graypaper

Polkadot's Vision and Mission: Between Ideals and Technical Reality

A Vision Rooted in Cypherpunk Values

Polkadot's vision transcends the blockchain concept significantly. Although the ecosystem has its own chain and native token (DOT), its true essence lies in its quest for a world where blind trust gives way to verifiable truth. This vision is embedded in the cypherpunk tradition, where technology becomes a vector for emancipation and transparency.

A Three-Pillar Mission

Polkadot's current mission revolves around three fundamental pillars:

• Scalability: enabling significant scaling of decentralized applications
• Security: ensuring optimal protection for the entire ecosystem
• Resilience: guaranteeing continuous service availability under all conditions

This approach aims to create a platform capable of hosting the next generation of Web3 applications and services, meeting the performance and reliability requirements of the modern digital world.

Inherent Limitations of Traditional Blockchains

Until now, blockchain development presented significant constraints. The main limitation lay in the very nature of blockchains: their organization into sequential blocks imposed fundamental restrictions on program execution. Developers had to constantly adapt their applications to these constraints, which:

• Unnecessarily complicated the development process
• Limited the types of possible applications
• Created a significant technical barrier to entry

This situation led to excessive specialization in blockchain development, making it inaccessible to many traditional developers. Smart contracts and blockchains were the only types of programs truly suited to this environment, thus limiting innovation potential.

The Need for a Paradigm Shift

This reality highlighted the need for fundamental evolution. To realize the vision of an accessible and universal Web3, it was necessary to rethink the underlying infrastructure. The development of decentralized applications needed to become as natural and intuitive as traditional application development while preserving the advantages of decentralization.

It is in this context that JAM emerges as a solution, not as a simple technical improvement, but as a complete reinvention of how decentralized applications can be designed and deployed. This evolution marks the transition from a specialized blockchain platform to a true decentralized cloud, capable of hosting any type of Web3 application.

By thus aligning technical reality with the initial philosophical vision, Polkadot takes a crucial step toward democratizing Web3, making its promises of decentralization and transparency accessible to a broader range of developers and users.

The Technical Revolution: JAM and PVM, A New Era in Web3 Development

PVM: A New Execution Paradigm

The Polkadot Virtual Machine (PVM) represents a major innovation in the blockchain ecosystem. Based on RISC-V architecture, PVM brings fundamental characteristics that distinguish it from traditional blockchain virtual machines:

• Native compatibility with existing hardware
• Near-native performance
• Complete and familiar development environment
• Optimized gas accounting system
• Fast and efficient compilation

The demonstration of DOOM running on PVM perfectly illustrates its ability to execute traditional programs without major modifications, marking a break from the usual constraints of blockchain environments.

Continuations: An Elegant Solution to Block Limitations

JAM's major innovation lies in its use of the "continuations" concept. This approach solves one of the fundamental problems of blockchain development: block constraints.

To better understand this concept, we can draw an analogy with video games: just as a player saves their game before a difficult passage to be able to resume exactly at the same point in case of failure, "continuations" allow a program to save its complete state at time T and resume execution later at exactly the same point. This functionality, familiar to video game emulator users in the form of "save states", is applied here systematically and automatically to solve blockchain's inherent constraints. This approach thus allows transcending traditional block limitations while preserving system security and coherence.

Here's how this mechanism works:

1. Program Execution:

   • The program starts normally
   • When the gas limit is reached (end of block)
   • The complete program state is saved

2. Save Mechanism:

   • The execution stack is preserved
   • Registers are saved
   • Memory state is preserved
   • This data is stored in a data availability layer (DA layer)

3. Execution Resume:

   • At the next block, the state is reloaded
   • Execution resumes exactly where it stopped
   • The process repeats until the program ends

Source: Goku sur X

A New Development Approach

This architecture radically transforms the developer experience. Instead of having to:

• Manually fragment their code to adapt to block constraints
• Explicitly manage states between blocks
• Design applications specifically for blockchain

Developers can now:

• Write their code naturally and continuously
• Focus on business logic rather than technical constraints
• Deploy traditional applications in a decentralized environment

Impact on the Ecosystem

This technical revolution has profound implications:

1. Accessibility:

   • Traditional developers can enter the Web3 ecosystem without specific learning
   • Standard development tools and practices become usable

2. Expanded Possibilities:

   • Any type of application can now be decentralized
   • Traditional smart contract limitations are overcome
   • New use cases become possible

3. Performance and Scalability:

   • Applications can run continuously
   • Resources are used more efficiently
   • Scalability is improved through better resource management

This technical revolution doesn't just improve what exists; it fundamentally redefines what's possible in Web3. By abstracting blockchain complexity while preserving its advantages, JAM and PVM pave the way for a new generation of decentralized applications that are more powerful, more flexible, and more accessible than ever.

Polkadot Cloud: The Emergence of World-Class Web3 Infrastructure

A Decentralized Alternative to Traditional Cloud Services

Polkadot Cloud positions itself as a true decentralized alternative to traditional cloud services, offering Web3 equivalents to the most popular cloud computing services:

Service Offerings

Decentralized Execution Service

• Comparable to Amazon EC2
• Integrated elastic scaling
• On-demand pricing model
• Native high availability
• Consensus-guaranteed execution

Object Storage Service

• Decentralized equivalent to Amazon S3
• Persistent storage on the relay chain
• Non-persistent storage options via data availability layer
• Intrinsic redundancy and resilience
• Validator network-guaranteed access

Smart Contract Services

• Web3 alternative to AWS Lambda
• Serverless deployment
• Automatic scaling
• Pay-per-use
• Decentralized availability guarantees

Unprecedented Technical Specifications

Polkadot Cloud distinguishes itself through impressive technical characteristics that demonstrate its capability to support enterprise-scale applications:

Validation Infrastructure

• Over 1000 active validators
• Nakamoto coefficient greater than 300
• 341 processing cores available
• 85x single CPU load multiplication

Processing Capabilities

• 852 MB input/output bandwidth
• 2 petabytes data storage capacity
• Over one million transactions per second
• Transaction finality in 18 seconds on average

Resilience and Availability

• Global geographical distribution
• Native fault tolerance
• Censorship resistance
• Design-guaranteed high availability

A New Infrastructure Model

Polkadot Cloud's approach represents a fundamental change in how Web3 applications can be deployed and operated:

A New Infrastructure Model (continued)

Complexity Abstraction

• Developers interact with familiar services
• Blockchain complexity is masked
• User experience similar to traditional cloud

Enhanced Guarantees

• Network intrinsic security
• Complete operation transparency
• Data immutability when needed
• Manipulation resistance

Usage Flexibility

• Modular and composable services
• Ability to use only necessary services
• Easy integration with existing systems
• Scalability according to needs

This infrastructure represents a major evolution in the Web3 landscape, offering for the first time a truly viable alternative to centralized cloud services. By combining the power of traditional cloud computing with decentralization guarantees, Polkadot Cloud opens the way for a new generation of applications that can benefit from the best of both worlds.

Source: Alice & Bob on X

Economic Aspects and Comparative Advantages: The Value Equation of Web3

The economic analysis of Polkadot Cloud reveals a complex reality where higher operating costs are offset by significant strategic advantages. This cost structure, inherent to the decentralized nature of the network, is explained by the necessity to maintain a distributed, redundant, and secure infrastructure. The natural question that arises is why businesses would opt for a seemingly more expensive solution.

The answer lies in the differentiating advantages offered by Polkadot Cloud. The first major asset is shared security: each application benefits from the overall security level of the Polkadot network, creating a protective barrier whose attack cost is equivalent to that required to compromise the entire network. This pooling of security resources represents a considerable economic advantage.

• Key benefits of data sovereignty:

• Direct control over user interactions
• Elimination of traditional intermediaries
• Native programmability of transactions
• Significant reduction of third-party fees

The use of the DOT token as the native currency of the network constitutes another pillar of the economic architecture. This mechanism not only ensures payment transparency but also guarantees the network’s economic stability. The resulting economic model fosters a natural alignment of interests among different ecosystem participants.

Economically viable use cases on Polkadot Cloud are numerous and varied. Critical applications, particularly in the financial sector or services requiring high availability, find in this infrastructure the necessary guarantees for their operation. The emergence of new business models, made possible by native programmability and decentralization, opens up unexplored economic opportunities.

• Tangible benefits for businesses:

• Long-term infrastructure cost optimization
• Elimination of intermediation fees
• Enhanced protection against interruptions
• Increased resilience to disruptions

Return on investment must be assessed from a long-term strategic perspective. Beyond purely financial aspects, positioning in the emerging Web3 market and independence from centralized providers represent significant competitive advantages. Enhanced innovation capacity and adaptation to future regulations are also major assets.

Key strategic advantages:

• Privileged position in the Web3 market
• Strengthened technological autonomy
• Exponential innovation potential
• Anticipated compliance with future regulations

The value proposition of Polkadot Cloud goes beyond a simple comparison of direct costs with traditional centralized solutions. It is part of a strategic vision where decentralization, security, and autonomy constitute sustainable competitive advantages. For businesses that understand these challenges, the initially higher investment proves to be a wise strategic choice, paving the way toward the infrastructure of the future.

Future Perspectives and Implications: Toward a Mature Web3 Ecosystem

Polkadot’s evolution toward a modular architecture marks a decisive turning point in the history of decentralized infrastructures. This transformation now allows developers and businesses to precisely select the services they need, creating unprecedented flexibility in the Web3 ecosystem. For example, a project can choose to use only Polkadot’s data availability layer to secure an Ethereum rollup, perfectly illustrating this new modularity.

The opportunities arising from this evolution are considerable for the entire ecosystem. Developers can now create specialized Web3 cloud services or applications for end users, relying on a mature and flexible infrastructure. Businesses, on the other hand, benefit from "turnkey" blockchain solutions and can progressively integrate Web3 elements into their existing infrastructure.

• Key benefits for developers:

• Creation of specialized Web3 cloud services
• Development of end-user applications
• Ability to create value-added services
• New opportunities for technical innovation

The transformation of Polkadot’s role is particularly significant. From a specialized blockchain, it is evolving into a true decentralized cloud, establishing a new paradigm in the industry. This evolution deeply impacts the entire ecosystem, redefining the role of existing parachains and opening new avenues for collaboration.

However, this transformation comes with significant challenges. On the technical level, maintaining overall consistency and optimizing performance remain major concerns. Adoption is also a significant challenge, requiring considerable efforts in education and adaptation of existing practices.

The long-term vision of this evolution is ambitious: to create a global infrastructure that will serve as the foundation for tomorrow’s Web3. This infrastructure is not merely a network of services; it aspires to become a critical component of the internet’s future, facilitating the massive adoption of decentralized applications.

• Major strategic implications:

• Need for existing players to rethink their services
• New opportunities for emerging businesses
• Evolution of traditional business models
• Democratization of access to Web3 technologies

This transformation represents far more than just a technological shift—it is a fundamental redefinition of what a Web3 infrastructure can be. By establishing new standards of accessibility and performance, Polkadot paves the way for a new era of innovation in decentralized technologies.

The success of this evolution will depend on the ecosystem’s ability to maintain a delicate balance between technical innovation and accessibility while preserving the fundamental principles of decentralization that underpin Web3’s strength. The future of Polkadot Cloud looks promising, carrying the seeds of a profound transformation in our relationship with digital infrastructures.

Source: VizDotVal on X

Challenges and Technical Considerations: Balancing Performance and Decentralization

The implementation of Polkadot Cloud presents significant technical challenges that require careful attention to maintain a balance between performance and decentralization principles. These challenges primarily manifest in three critical areas: system consistency, latency management, and performance optimization.

The issue of system consistency is a fundamental concern. Polkadot Cloud prioritizes a global consistency approach, where the entire network must reach consensus on the system’s state within an average of 18 seconds. While this consistency requirement is demanding in terms of pure performance, it is essential to ensure the system’s reliability and security.

• Key consistency challenges:

• Synchronization of states among validators
• Data conflict management
• Maintenance of transaction finality
• Balancing speed and security

Latency management is another major challenge. Unlike traditional centralized cloud solutions, Polkadot Cloud cannot simply optimize geographical proximity to reduce latency. The system must maintain its decentralized nature while delivering acceptable performance for real-time applications.

Polkadot Cloud’s technical architecture provides innovative solutions to these challenges. The "continuations" system efficiently manages long-running operations without compromising network responsiveness. The data availability (DA) layer offers an elegant solution for temporary state storage, facilitating operation resumption between blocks.

• Key technical innovations:

• Continuations system for long-running operations
• Optimized data availability layer
• Efficient consensus mechanisms
• Adaptive modular architecture

The issue of overall system performance remains a constant area of focus. With its impressive capabilities (over one million transactions per second, 2 petabytes of storage), Polkadot Cloud must still efficiently manage this power to maintain a smooth and predictable user experience.

Security considerations add an additional layer of complexity. The system must not only be performant and consistent but also resistant to various forms of attacks while preserving data confidentiality when necessary. This requirement directly influences architectural choices and acceptable technical trade-offs.

Security priorities:

• Protection against coordinated attacks
• Preservation of data confidentiality
• Resistance to malicious manipulations
• Maintenance of network integrity

Scalability is also a major challenge. The system must be able to adapt to significant growth in the number of users and applications without compromising its performance or security guarantees. This scalability must be native and not require fundamental modifications to the architecture.

In conclusion, managing these technical challenges requires a balanced approach, where each architectural decision must be evaluated based on its impact on the entire system. The success of Polkadot Cloud will depend on its ability to maintain this delicate balance between performance, security, and decentralization while remaining true to its vision of an accessible and high-performing Web3 infrastructure.

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