R&D: MultiVM Support

[orkunkilic]

We need to explore and develop a research prototype for implementing MultiVM support on Citrea, allowing for the seamless integration of both EVM and WebAssembly (Wasm)-based smart contracts. The objective is to build an environment where contracts can be written in languages like Solidity (EVM) or Rust, C, C++ (Wasm), and interact natively.

There are two possible approaches for this implementation:

• Integrating Stylus into the existing sov_evm module: This approach would involve adapting Stylus (Arbitrum's Wasm execution model) to Citrea’s current sov_evm module.
• Building a Wasm-based sovereign module from scratch: In this approach, a dedicated Wasm execution environment would be built and connected to the sov_evm module via custom precompiles.

Objectives:

• Research Stylus & MultiVM Models: Investigate the Stylus implementation on Arbitrum and other MultiVM approaches in blockchain ecosystems to determine how they can be adapted for Citrea.
• Evaluate Integration Approaches:
  • Stylus in sov_evm Module: Explore how to implement Wasm execution within the existing EVM module using Arbitrum’s Stylus as a reference.
  • Wasm Sovereign Module: Design a Wasm-based sovereign module from scratch and investigate its interaction with the EVM module via custom precompiles.
• Cross-VM Communication: Ensure smooth communication and interoperability between EVM contracts and Wasm-based contracts, enabling contracts on different VMs to call and interact with each other efficiently.
• Performance Benchmarks: Define success criteria for performance, comparing gas costs, execution speed, and resource utilization between EVM and Wasm contracts.
• Developer Experience: Ensure that both approaches maintain a developer-friendly experience, enabling easy contract deployment, debugging, and integration in Citrea.

Expected Outcomes:

• A proof-of-concept implementation of MultiVM support on Citrea, either through Stylus integration or a custom Wasm-based sovereign module.
• A report analyzing performance trade-offs, security implications, and feasibility of each approach.
• Documentation on how to deploy and interact with EVM and Wasm contracts seamlessly.

Dependencies:

• Current sov_evm module
• Stylus design and Wasm execution models from similar platforms (Arbitrum).
• Precompiles and cross-VM communication protocols.

Priority: Low