Introducing New Developer Features
More Tools, More Building
Key Points
We’ve shipped a bundle of new developer features including the Ronin VRF that we used for the CyberKongz Genkai launch. This feature will be available soon and will give developers the ability to experiment with random value generation backed by cryptographic proof, which opens the door to features like on-chain NFT trait randomization for new collections.
We will remove the whitelist requirement for the Ronin Wallet Javascript SDK in the coming days, and release a public version that will empower developers to tap into Ronin’s infrastructure and user base by providing a seamless wallet sign-in experience – and secure transactions.
Ronin RPC Services are LIVE and include an HTTP-RPC endpoint, WebSocket integrations, and an Archive Node. These will enable a host of on-chain data requests.
We’ve revamped our developer documentation with a new look, fresh interface, and up-to-date content including tutorials, how-to guides, references, detailed technical explanations – and more.
Our recent partnership with high-speed subgraph indexing platform Satsuma enables more complex queries of Ronin blockchain data.
Ronin has become a home for builders who want to join our movement as we spread digital property rights to users of the internet. In the past four months alone, we’ve upgraded our consensus mechanism to Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS), onboarded a growing number of game studio and DeFi partners, and even hosted our first-ever third-party NFT mint with the iconic CyberKongz community. Ronin is a blockchain for building. This is just the beginning, and we’re thrilled to introduce a bundle of new developer features that will take us even further on our journey of progressive decentralization. Here’s what’s new:
Ronin VRF
A Verifiable Random Function (VRF) generates a random value and cryptographic proof of how that value was determined. The proof is published and verified on-chain before it can be used by any consuming apps.
The Ronin VRF is more than a random number generator backed up by cryptographic proofs: it’s the engine behind NFT trait randomization, variable gameplay loop outcomes, and lottery-based in-game rewards. For example, Sky Mavis used a simple integration of the Ronin VRFConsumer contract during the CyberKongz Genkai launch. This allowed the team to distribute five different traits and assign Genkai NFT ID numbers to minters at random. We’re thrilled to announce that Ronin VRF will be accessible soon to developers and builders in our ecosystem. It’s currently in a limited release state for whitelisted addresses. Find out more in the docs.
This creates the opportunity to experiment with random value generation backed by cryptographic proof, which opens the door to features like on-chain NFT trait randomization for new collections – and more!
Ronin Wallet Javascript SDK
Ronin has an active user base, is home to the passionate Axie community, and has been onboarding an array of new communities over the past year. New wallets are created everyday regardless of market conditions, and we believe in giving builders the tools they need to connect with the people they’re building for.
The SDK integration will allow developers to reduce development time by upgrading the latest SDK version and integrating it to their Javascript dApps instead of handling all updates manually. We’ve received positive feedback about the Ronin Wallet Javascript SDK from a select group of developers we allowlisted during the testing stage.
We will be removing the whitelist requirements for the Ronin Wallet Javascript SDK in the coming days. Stay tuned for updates.
Ronin RPC Services
A Remote Procedure Call (RPC) grants access to a server node which enables communication and interaction with a blockchain.
Since 2021, the Ronin blockchain has processed over 4B USD in transaction volume. It continues to support the Axie universe, new games in development, as well as a healthy network of validators and delegators. The latest Ronin RPC services will provide developers with the RPC services necessary to make a host of on-chain data requests. That means developers will be able to interact with the Ronin blockchain’s ecosystem – without needing to set up or maintain their own node. In the past, Ronin had published an RPC endpoint to support community developers. Soon, we’ll introduce a rate limit to this endpoint. We suggest migrating to the new endpoints and their advanced features available on the Developer Portal as soon as possible.
HTTP-RPC Endpoint
The new Ronin RPC Services include an HTTP-RPC endpoint that clients can use to make requests to the Ronin node to perform actions like sending a transaction or retrieving a wallet’s balance. This will give game developers the freedom to integrate blockchain data into the experiences they create for their users.
WebSockets
The new Ronin RPC Services also include an implementation of a WebSocket protocol that enables you to subscribe to real-time updates on Ronin. Developers will no longer need to make manual HTTP requests when looking for specific information.
Archive Node
Last but not least, the Archive node will unlock the ability to query historical data on Ronin such as past transactions, activities, and balances.
Ronin Developer Documentation Revamp
At Sky Mavis, we’ve been encouraged by the growing developer interest in building on Ronin, and we’ve been working relentlessly to provide as much support as we can to both new and existing builders. That’s why we’ve revamped our developer documentation with a new look, fresh interface, and up-to-date content. The developer docs are where developers can find information ranging from API key support to walkthroughs for creating an NFT collection’s smart contract to more information about the new features announced today. Here’s what else is new:
We’ve migrated the website from ReadMe to Docusaurus – an open-source documentation site generator. This migration retains familiar sections like Docs, API, and Changelogs while enabling our team to contribute to the documentation through a docs-as-code workflow. The Developer Documentation layout has also been restructured using the Diataxis framework. This is a way to organize technical documentation that anticipates developers’ needs. Together, these updates to our Developer Documentation make it easier than ever for developers to access the content they’re looking for and contribute to our ecosystem.
Subgraphs on Ronin
On August 1st, we announced our partnership with high-speed subgraph indexing platform Satsuma. Until this partnership, easy subgraph deployment on Ronin wasn’t possible. Now, the platform’s high-speed indexing capabilities, simplicity and ease of use will allow dApp developers to manage their own subgraphs with less effort and cost. Thanks to Satsuma's high uptime and low latency, Ronin dApps can now run more efficiently, giving users a more responsive experience.
See our announcement tweet here.
Final Thoughts
These latest developer features are an important step on our collective journey of progressive decentralization. In the past four months, we’ve made huge strides together. Today, we continue to forge ahead in our fight to spread digital property rights by giving developers more tools to do what they do best. Let’s keep pushing, and let’s build together.