4TH.ENERGY

The Goal

I want to create a computer system that is open to anyone who wants to program it or use it.

Background

This is my 3rd attempt at creating 4TH.ENERGY as a way to achieve "apps without gatekeepers". The previous 2 iterations provide a solid sense of direction:

• I have learnt many of the technical limitations of web2/web3 integration, EVM constraints, and ecosystem constraints.
• I also learnt some pretty cool EVM and onchain deployment techniques in the process that I can leverage into the next phase.
• Creating/running an L1 testnet and running L1 mainnet/L2 optimism nodes together has been informative of the emergence of new approaches.
• I have definitely learnt to focus on very specific tools to start.

An evolution that has occured since attempt #2 is the push by the ETH community for a billion users and the resulting emergence of L2 networks connected to L1 mainnet, and even experimental L3 networks connecting to L2s. The emerging hierarchy looks to me like:

• L1 - Base ETH value management.
• L2 - Gas efficient ERC* token creation/transacting.
• L3 - Custom nodes beyond simple L2 execution clients with features and functions such as account abstraction mempools.

To me, current L2 and L3 architectures are simply emerging intermediary networks by another name, and so there is still work to be done if "apps without gatekeepers" is to be realised.

And so I've been convinced to continue on... And besides, I couldn't stop anyway.

Proof Of Concepts

The published Proof of Concepts (POCs) from attempt #1 worked well and so I am bringing them back for attempt #3. I still have a big picture but let's start focused on some tasks that carry on from attempt #2 various essays. I can develop the bigger ideas as as I deliver the POCs.

• POC1 - 32bit MISC (Minimum Instruction Set Computer) on the EVM.
• POC2 - MISC assembler and debugger.
• POC3 - Threaded Interpretive Language (TIL) Compiler.
• POC4 - Contract libraries
• POC5 - Onchain deployment

Off to the studio to throw around some paint.

Pete Horne
fc:horneps