Have you ever struggled to build on the Cardano platform? Meet Mesh, the toolkit that aims to change that. With a focus on empowering developers to create innovative projects, Mesh provides a platform and set of resources to help streamline the building process. But that’s not all – Mesh also strives to foster a thriving ecosystem of developers and projects on Cardano. Could Mesh be the key to unlocking the full potential of the Cardano platform?
What is Mesh
Mesh is a software development toolkit that allows developers to build WEB3 applications on the Cardano blockchain. It includes a starter kit, documentation, guides, and an open-source library with various components for developers to use. The goal of Mesh is to empower developers to build innovative projects and foster a thriving ecosystem of developers and projects on the Cardano platform.
The Team behind Mesh
The toolkit was created by Jingles and Abdelkrim. Jingles is currently a Ph.D. researcher in Machine Learning and Neuroscience, while Abdelkrim has a background in engineering and has worked in the fintech industry for seven years.
How The Idea of Mesh Was Born
The idea for Mesh first came about when the team recognized a gap in the developer experience within the Cardano ecosystem. They noticed that there was a lack of proper documentation and tools available for building applications on the platform, and many developers were struggling to get their projects off the ground. This was frustrating and disheartening, as they strongly believed that building on Cardano should not be such a difficult and convoluted process.
As a team, they were motivated to fill this gap and make it easier for developers to onboard into the ecosystem. They wanted to create a platform that provided the necessary resources and support for developers so that they could focus on building innovative and impactful applications.
Mesh’s Value Proposition
One way that Mesh aims to improve the developer experience on Cardano is by providing a starter kit that gives developers a strong foundation to build their front-end applications. The starter kit includes all the necessary components and tools to get started, allowing developers to focus on creating their projects rather than worrying about technical details.
In addition to the starter kit, Mesh has also put a lot of effort into creating comprehensive documentation for its APIs, complete with live demos so that developers can see how they work in action. This helps developers understand how to use the APIs in their own projects and ensures they have the necessary information to get started.
Finally, Mesh offers a range of guides and tutorials to help developers navigate the process of building on Cardano and is in the process of creating a free course covering everything from getting started to interacting with smart contracts. All of these resources aim to make the process of building on Cardano as smooth and straightforward as possible and significantly reduce developer onboarding time.
The toolkit went live just two months ago and has already made significant strides toward achieving this goal.
Mesh Components & Open-Source Library
There are currently starter kits covering different types of projects, e.g.:
NFT Project:
For example, if a developer wants to build a project centered around NFTs, they can use the multisig minting starter kit. This kit includes all the necessary components and tools to sell NFTs, including a React component for the connect wallet button, which allows users to easily interact with the Cardano blockchain from the website.
Stake Pool:
Similarly, stake pool operators can use the stake pool operator starter kit to build a website that allows delegators to stake their ADA directly on their pool. With just a few lines of code, developers can turn their website into a fully-functional stake pool operator platform.
Miscellaneous:
In addition to these starter kits, the Mesh library also includes a range of React components and other resources that can be easily integrated into a project. The toolkit’s documentation is more than just a list of definitions and specifications – it is an educational tool that includes live demos of the APIs in action in the Mesh Playground, allowing developers to try out the APIs and see how they work before implementing them in their own projects.
Documentation As a Major Cornerstone Of Mesh
At Mesh, documentation is given a strong emphasis, as it is believed to be a crucial component of the platform. It is believed that documentation is important for encouraging knowledge sharing and enabling developers to build on the Cardano platform.
By providing an extensive documentation library, Mesh aims to allow users to tweak the parameters, increase the collective knowledge of the developer community, and ensure that everyone has the necessary information to build successful projects.
Additionally, Mesh aims to be a role model for other tools by focusing on providing thorough and helpful documentation and setting a standard for other tools to follow in order to create a stronger and more supportive ecosystem for developers.
Why is Mesh Open Source?
Mesh is an open-source toolkit because it is believed that this is the best way to foster a thriving ecosystem of developers and projects on the Cardano platform.
Building on Cardano is still in its early stages, much like the early days of the internet when protocols like HTTPS and IP addresses were being discussed. In order for the Cardano ecosystem to reach its full potential, it is essential that developers have the tools and resources they need to build innovative and impactful projects.
By making Mesh and its technology open source, anyone is allowed to build on the Cardano platform and contribute to the growth of the developer community. The Mesh team believes that the only way this community can thrive and reach its full potential is by sharing knowledge and resources and enabling developers to build any application they can imagine, freely and without barriers.
This approach is similar to what CERN did when they released their web technology into the public domain, available with an open license. By making the software required to run a web server freely available, CERN helped the web to flourish and reach widespread adoption.
In the same way, it is hoped that by making Mesh open source, it can contribute to the growth and widespread adoption of the Cardano platform and help create a thriving ecosystem of developers and projects.
Short-Term Project Roadmap
Mesh has a number of exciting developments planned for the coming months, with a focus on rolling out pre-built smart contracts and tools for stake pool operators (SPOs). They also plan to prepare materials and videos for education and training for developers.
One of their main goals is to make it as easy as possible for developers to get started on the Cardano platform, and they believe that providing pre-built smart contracts and tools for SPOs will be a significant step towards achieving this. These resources will help streamline the process of building on Cardano and make it more accessible to developers regardless of their level of experience.
In addition, Mesh is committed to educating and training developers to build the best possible projects on the platform. To support this, they will be preparing materials and videos that provide developers with the necessary information and skills to succeed.
Long-Term Inspiration & Vision
The creation of Mesh and the accompanying SDK was inspired by companies that have successfully empowered their respective communities of developers. One such example is Stripe, which has empowered payments through its platform and API. Another example is Unity, which has empowered game developers by providing them with the necessary tools and resources. Similarly, companies like Apple have turned apps into opportunities for developers and created thriving ecosystems of innovative and impactful apps.
The goal of Mesh is to do the same thing for the blockchain developer community on Cardano by providing a platform and set of resources that empower developers to build on the Cardano platform and create innovative and impactful projects.
By offering developers the tools and support they need to succeed, Mesh aims to foster a thriving ecosystem of developers and projects on Cardano. It is hoped that, like Stripe, Unity, and Apple, Mesh can become a source of empowerment and opportunity for developers looking to build on the Cardano platform.
References:
Interview Conducted with Mesh Team on 17th of December 2022
Mesh Website: https://meshjs.dev/, Visited on 12.27.2022
Great article Laura. I def was not aware of Mesh. I tested the make a SPO website and Live Demo was super slick and easy. Very impressed.
Thank you:) Cool, that you directly tried it out and had such a great experience!