Dev Release 210
Advancing NFT Transparency & Runtime Resilience in BlockDAG
Purpose
Key Highlights
Why It Matters
Explorer
Blockchain Core Updates
Open Issues
Fixed Issues
Next Steps
Feedback
Conclusion
Advancing NFT Transparency & Runtime Resilience in BlockDAG
This dev release reflects BlockDAG’s continued momentum toward becoming a secure, scalable, and developer-first blockchain platform. It introduces deep NFT transaction insights, comprehensive support for ERC-721 and ERC-1155 standards, and infrastructure readiness for upcoming blockchain runtime upgrades. Alongside major explorer improvements and foundational blockchain research, we’re delivering tangible enhancements that improve both user trust and protocol adaptability.
By streamlining NFT operations, refining smart contract data visualization, and laying the groundwork for modular blockchain runtime evolution, BlockDAG strengthens its commitment to transparency, flexibility, and long-term network resilience.
Purpose
To provide a comprehensive update on recent developments across the Explorer and Blockchain core, focused on supporting NFT visibility, ERC token standard integrations, smart contract fidelity, and strategic runtime upgrade preparation. These changes empower developers, boost user confidence, and prepare the network for sustainable innovation.
Key Highlights
- Deployed a new API endpoint for NFT minting transaction insights, showing token metadata, minter identity, and more.
- Integrated full support for ERC-721 contracts, enabling mint, transfer, and ownership lookups.
- Enabled ERC-1155 contract compatibility, accommodating multi-token use cases within Explorer and backend services.
- Tested blockchain RPCs in isolated environments to validate performance and compatibility for future runtime shifts.
- Launched an in-depth R&D initiative for blockchain runtime upgrade strategies, including hot-swap support and state-preserving upgrades.
- Identified and are actively resolving key Explorer bugs from hex data visibility and log completeness to incorrect ERC labeling and UX inconsistencies.
Why It Matters
For Developers
- NFT creation, transfer, and ownership can now be audited in detail through the Explorer and API.
- Accurate ABI-based parsing and event rendering improve traceability, debugging, and contract monitoring.
For Ecosystem Builders
- With ERC-721 and ERC-1155 support, projects can launch advanced NFT and token economies seamlessly on BlockDAG.
- Improved labeling and contract data in the Explorer support user trust and contract discoverability.
For Infrastructure Teams
- Blockchain runtime upgrade strategies ensure that future enhancements (such as protocol improvements, state migrations, and new consensus logic) can be deployed with minimal or zero downtime.
- Isolated RPC testing environments enable safe experimentation before mainnet implementation.
For Users
- A responsive and transparent Explorer interface provides visibility into every transaction, mint, and contract interaction.
- NFT users gain clarity on minting events, token IDs, and metadata with a few clicks.
Explorer
New NFT Minting Transaction API
A powerful API endpoint has been released to allow developers and users to retrieve minting transaction data with precision. The following data points are accessible:
- Token ID
- NFT Contract Address
- Minter’s Wallet Address
- Transaction Hash
- Block Timestamp
- Token Metadata URL / IPFS CID
This endpoint forms the backbone for NFT marketplace integrations, wallet visualizations, and provenance tracking.
ERC-721 Smart Contract Support
Explorer and backend services now fully support ERC-721 standard functions:
- mint() and safeMint() visibility
- ownerOf() and balanceOf() queries
- Transfer event decoding with token ID references
- Metadata rendering from tokenURI() if hosted on IPFS or HTTPS
This enables seamless NFT discovery, browsing, and verification for single-token NFTs.
ERC-1155 Contract Integration
ERC-1155’s multi-token capabilities are now accurately represented:
- Decoding of safeTransferFrom, batchTransfer, and mintBatch methods
- Correct interpretation of both fungible and non-fungible transfers
- Event log support for TransferSingle and TransferBatch
Blockchain Core Updates
RPC Infrastructure Testing
A dedicated environment has been deployed to rigorously test the performance and compatibility of our JSON-RPC services with upgraded runtime structures. Focus areas include:
- Endpoint responsiveness across high-frequency query bursts
- State consistency validation between API and underlying ledger
- Failure case logging and request fallback mechanisms
Post-testing, the environment will be safely discarded after conclusions are documented and merged into production strategies.
Blockchain Runtime Upgrade Strategy: R&D in Progress
Recognizing the need for agile evolution without compromising consensus or chain integrity, we’ve launched a research initiative to explore viable runtime upgrade pathways. Areas under study include:
- Hot-swapping of runtime modules: Dynamically replaceable components to avoid full redeployment.
- Governance-based upgrades: Empowering token holders to vote on runtime version changes.
- State preservation and migration: Ensuring smart contract continuity and data integrity across versions.
- Node fallback and rollback support: In case of failed updates or incompatibility.
- Comparative study of Substrate, Cosmos SDK, and Ethereum upgrade mechanisms.
A formal strategy document with architecture-specific recommendations, trade-offs, and compatibility options will be published in an upcoming cycle.
Open Issues
Raw Hex Data Missing on Transaction Pages
Developers are unable to view raw calldata for transactions. Patch in progress to reintroduce this fundamental diagnostic layer.
Partial or Incomplete Event Logs
Emitted events currently miss key fields like event name, indexed topics, and parameter types. This impacts contract observability and will be resolved in the next Explorer patch.
Incorrect ERC20 Tags for Non-ERC20 Contracts
Contracts like TokenVesting are misclassified due to incorrect ABI parsing. Logic is being refactored to detect token standards based on function signatures and metadata.
Contract Name Absence in UI
Lack of contract names in the overview page makes navigation and identification cumbersome. A naming resolver module is being implemented using verified metadata and constructor naming.
Node Visualizer UX Issue
The view toggle between List and 3D lacks intuitive labels or icons. A redesign is underway to improve usability and orientation within the visualization tool.
Fixed Issues
- Resolved display inconsistencies in contract event logs for single transactions.
- Addressed rendering issues in the Explorer faucet layout on mobile and desktop.
- Previous session timeout bugs and caching inconsistencies in the Explorer UI have been permanently fixed.
Next Steps
- Roll out token metadata preview (images, descriptions) for ERC-721/1155 NFTs within transaction details and contract pages.
- Complete and publish the blockchain runtime upgrade strategy document.
- Extend Node Visualizer with node connection details, toggles, and improved filtering.
- Finalize ABI parser enhancement to accurately render function names for custom and batch methods.
Feedback
We welcome developers, testers, and community contributors to help shape the evolution of BlockDAG. Your feedback drives our roadmap.
[email protected]
Join the dev forum and participate in testing, beta access, and governance proposals.
Conclusion
This release underscores BlockDAG’s unwavering focus on scalability, transparency, and usability. With foundational improvements in NFT minting traceability, standardized contract integrations, and proactive research into blockchain runtime evolution, we’re not just catching up, we’re designing forward.
As we move toward broader runtime adaptability, smart contract flexibility, and Web3 ecosystem interoperability, your engagement is what will elevate BlockDAG from a promising protocol to a movement of decentralized excellence.
Stay with us. The future is being forged block by block.