From: thepipeline_xyz
Move-based blockchains represent a new generation of blockchain technology, emphasizing performance, security, and developer experience. Movement Labs is a key player in this space, building the first network of Move-based blockchains, including M2, the first Move Rollup on Ethereum [01:37:37].
Origin and Vision of Move
The Move concept was originally developed by Facebook through the Diem (formerly Libra) project [01:27:14]. This project invested over a billion dollars in research to create a novel programming language and virtual machine, as the existing Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) was perceived as “slow, clunky, and broken” [01:13:35]. The vision for Move-based blockchains is to bring this advanced concept to networks like Ethereum, leveraging their liquidity and user bases [01:32:00].
Key Advantages of Move-based Blockchains
Move-based blockchains offer several significant advantages over older architectures, directly addressing challenges in current blockchain infrastructure:
1. Performance and Scalability
High-performance blockchains, like those based on Move, are designed to handle a billion users, unlike older EVM chains that struggle with 50,000 users due to prohibitive gas fees and instability [02:09:00]. These next-generation blockchains can actually meet the demands of a world where everyone is on-chain [02:44:00]. They enable performance gains in blockchain transactions necessary for widespread adoption.
2. Enhanced Security
A critical advantage of Move-based blockchains is their focus on security through formal verification [02:59:00]. The MoveVM has built-in provers, inheriting formal verification methods [02:16:00]. This directly combats the billions of dollars lost annually to smart contract hacks [02:03:00]. The language’s typed bytecode allows for checks at execution time, which improves security [02:50:00]. For Solidity code transpiled to Move, it maps to statistically typed Move opcodes with baked-in security, though not 100% equivalent to native Move code [02:39:00].
3. Developer Experience and Compatibility
While Rust, used by some high-performance chains like Solana, can be difficult for developers [07:03:00], Move-based projects aim to make development more accessible. Movement Labs has developed “Fractal,” a transpiler that allows Solidity code (EVM opcodes) to be mapped to Move opcodes and launched on the MoveVM [02:39:00]. This means developers can bring their existing Solidity code to a next-generation network without needing to hire a new engineering team or learn a new programming language [07:33:00]. The goal is for it to feel, work, and look like an EVM, but with the MoveVM underneath [02:47:00].
Movement Labs’ Approach (M2)
Movement Labs’ M2 is a prime example of a Move-based blockchain leveraging a hybrid architecture:
- Execution Environment: It uses the Move Virtual Machine (MoveVM), originally built by the Diem project and adopted by other Move chains like Aptos and Sui [03:41:00].
- Layer 2 on Ethereum: M2 is a Layer 2 on Ethereum, inheriting Ethereum’s security and liquidity [03:56:00].
- Data Availability (DA): To overcome the data availability bottleneck and high gas fees seen in traditional rollups, M2 partners with Celestia for data availability [04:05:00]. This combination aims to offer Layer 1-like performance with extremely low gas fees, while maintaining Ethereum mainnet’s security and decentralization [04:26:00].
- Decentralized Sequencer: M2 will feature a decentralized sequencer set that uses Snow Consensus (from the Avalanche ecosystem) [04:31:00]. Snow Consensus has low hardware requirements and is highly decentralized, allowing anyone to run a validator from home [04:50:00]. Validators are incentivized by staking the native token, creating an ecosystem that ensures network uptime [05:30:00].
- “L1.5”: This unique combination of Move, Avalanche (Snow Consensus), Ethereum, and Celestia has been jokingly referred to as “L1.5,” reflecting its mix of Layer 1 and Layer 2 characteristics due to its decentralized sequencer set on Ethereum [05:53:00].
Industry Context and Future Outlook
The industry is moving towards a future where high throughput blockchains and infrastructure challenges are being solved [02:00:00]. There is a general consensus that the “old EVM needs to burn” [16:16:00], and new virtual machines like MoveVM and Monad’s approach are seen as crucial next steps [15:35:00].
Developers are increasingly recognizing that the need for performant blockchain systems is paramount for mainstream adoption [08:31:00]. While infrastructure is becoming more capable, a single app with web2-level users (like Instagram or Facebook) would still break every blockchain today, including Solana [11:07:00]. However, there is now “line of sight on the solution” for this scalability challenge [11:43:00].
This shift in infrastructure readiness opens up opportunities for application development on highperformance blockchains that were previously impossible [21:14:00]:
- Payments: Ready for disruption, enabling efficient cross-border transactions with stablecoins and improved user experiences via account abstraction [35:54:00].
- Retail Trading: On-chain order books with reasonable slippages are becoming viable [37:19:00].
- Gaming: Building fun games with on-chain asset and state tracking is now feasible, moving beyond “Ponzi games” towards sustainable economics and unique social coordination experiences [37:45:00].
The blockchain space is also seeing a breakdown of tribalism, with different ecosystems showing more collaboration and respect for each other’s technical advancements [14:41:00]. This collaborative mindset, especially among execution layer teams, aims to expand the overall market (“grow the pie”) rather than just competing for existing users [17:09:00]. The focus is on solving specific problems and providing developers with choices tailored to their needs [18:42:00]. This represents a significant shift from past cycles, fostering a more cohesive community to achieve the Future of high performance and scalable blockchains where users can truly benefit from next-generation blockchain technology [16:04:00].