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Cardano founder Hoskinson is personally building a new programming language, pairing transaction intents with cryptographic proofs; name and launch date not disclosed
CoinDesk reports that Charles Hoskinson, founder of the Cardano blockchain, says he is developing a new programming language with Input Output Global engineer Lucas Rosa, which could be used to build future Cardano apps. This piece covers what is known and what remains undisclosed: the name, code and launch date.
About 4 min read
What happened
CoinDesk reports that Charles Hoskinson, founder of the Cardano blockchain, says he is personally developing a new programming language together with Lucas Rosa, an engineer at Input Output Global, Hoskinson's company.
As quoted by CoinDesk, Hoskinson wrote on X on Sunday: "I’m actually personally developing a programming language for Cardano." CoinDesk says Rosa is a software engineer at Input Output Global and a co-creator of Aiken, one of Cardano's main smart contract languages. A smart contract is a program that runs automatically on a blockchain according to pre-written rules.
CoinDesk also reports that Hoskinson says this would be the first language to combine what a user wants a transaction to achieve with a cryptographic proof that the rules have been followed. A cryptographic proof is mathematically generated evidence that lets others confirm something is true. "First" is Hoskinson's own claim, relayed by CoinDesk.
The three core technologies
According to CoinDesk, the language will support three tools: intents, proof-carrying data and Groth16 proofs.
- Intents: CoinDesk explains that users simply state what they want done and leave the steps to the application. For example, a trader could ask to swap one token for another only if the final price meets set conditions, without spelling out how to get there.
- Proof-carrying data: CoinDesk explains that this attaches cryptographic evidence to information showing it follows certain rules; other applications can check that evidence without redoing every underlying computation.
- Groth16: CoinDesk describes this as a widely used proof system that produces small proofs computers can check quickly, and can show a condition has been met without revealing private data.
CoinDesk notes that, combined, the three could let developers build applications that coordinate trades, check complex conditions and pass verified information between services, while Cardano only has to check a single small proof.
Comparison with existing languages
| Language | Description as reported by CoinDesk |
|---|---|
| Plutus | Used by Cardano developers to write smart contracts; built on the programming language Haskell |
| Aiken | One of Cardano's main smart contract languages; Lucas Rosa is a co-creator |
| Compact | Midnight's language for applications handling confidential data; Midnight is a privacy blockchain built by Input Output Global |
| New language (unnamed) | Said to combine intents, proof-carrying data and Groth16 proofs; name, code and launch date not disclosed |
What this means for ordinary readers
For now this is only a public statement by the founder, not a product anyone can use. CoinDesk reports that Hoskinson has not disclosed the language's name or any public code, nor announced when developers can start using it.
If the idea is eventually realized, CoinDesk's description suggests that using applications could move closer to stating the outcome you want, with verification handled by small proofs. These are possibilities described in the report; actual results remain to be seen.
Frequently asked questions
Can the new language be used yet?
Not yet. According to CoinDesk, Hoskinson has not disclosed the language's name or any public code, nor announced when developers can start using it.
Who is involved in building it?
CoinDesk reports that Hoskinson says he is working with Input Output Global engineer Lucas Rosa, who is a co-creator of Aiken.
What is the source of this information?
It comes from CoinDesk's reporting, mainly CoinDesk's paraphrase and explanation of Hoskinson's post on X. The claim of being the first language to combine intents with cryptographic proofs is Hoskinson's own.
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