Archetype is delighted to lead Stackr’s $5.5M Seed round alongside Lemniscap, Superscrypt, and several other outstanding VCs and angels.

Stackr’s mission is to empower a new class of onchain builders by providing a customizable micro-rollup SDK and verification layer that resemble the conventional developer experience. By prioritizing technical flexibility in the form of micro-rollups, Stackr offers developers a way to build crypto-native applications with familiar tooling while maximizing design choice.

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Stackr

Stackr’s value proposition is targeted at two major issues prevalent across blockchains today:

First, web3 development is still very difficult. Building apps onchain is an intimidating experience with a steep learning curve – a major reason why there are less than ~10K full-time developers active today.

Second, builders need more flexibility. Web2 enterprises face unique product, regulatory, and user dynamics. How and why they integrate with blockchain varies significantly, so teams need the design freedom to tailor their onchain strategies accordingly.

Stackr’s micro-rollup framework solves these issues by allowing teams to easily launch new web3 applications, or otherwise migrate existing applications onchain by progressively decentralizing their stack at their own pace.

We’ve written before about the evolution of the interoperability stack and its implications for building scalable, performant applications. Our belief is that micro-rollups represent one of the most exciting developments in this frontier, with the potential to supercharge developer and application efficiency.

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Enter Micro-Rollups

Conceptually, micro-rollups build on the legacy of microservices in web2. These microservices dramatically simplified and enhanced technical production by breaking down monolithic systems into specialized services, and connecting them to an application’s front end via an API layer.

Micro-rollups go a step further than microservices - and even app-rollups - by transitioning a decentralized application’s architecture to a setup where individual functions can be developed and optimized as independent state machines.

The result is an evolution from app-specificity to logic-specificity which materially improves flexibility, efficiency, and overall performance for onchain applications.

Stackr’s approach to decoupling individual features as micro-rollups that serve smaller, isolated purposes ultimately accelerates production cycles. Each micro-rollup can be upgraded independently or optimized for a specific performance outcome or business need.

Further, Stackr’s SDK allows developers to use the programming language of their choice. This greatly, and immediately, increases the number of developers who are able to build on blockchain today.

Ultimately, Stackr’s micro-rollup framework and SDK expand the strategic and architectural choices offered to application builders. These range from fully onchain dapps to hybrid products for traditional web2 companies looking for finer control over deployment and integration over time.

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Stackr’s Stack

The core products underpinning Stackr’s micro-rollup framework are its SDK and accompanying decentralized verification layer.

The SDK provides developers with the tools needed to build app-specific micro-rollups with maximum flexibility around programming language, proof integration (fraud or validity), ordering (centralized or decentralized), and more.

Meanwhile, the verification layer will consist of a decentralized network of nodes that processes and bundles transactions, generates proofs and performs verification, and submits data/proofs onchain. Stackr also plans to incorporate a proof marketplace that application developers can leverage to better emphasize flexibility and performance.

To further empower developers, Stackr is building a Module Marketplace that will offer a number of modules off the shelf for things like accounting, identity, and more across different development environments and optimized applications.

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Stackr’s Roadmap

In the coming months, Stackr is focused on releasing an initial version of their SDK built atop Ethereum, which will be compatible with Python and JavaScript.

The team, led by Kautuk Kundan, is making it a point to build in public. They are optimizing for transparency and positioning Stackr to learn from – and grow alongside – the open developer community.

If you’re as excited about Stackr as we are and looking to build with them, you can join their waitlist or apply to join their team!

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Disclaimer:

This post is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any investment and should not be used in the evaluation of the merits of making any investment decision. It should not be relied upon for accounting, legal or tax advice or investment recommendations. You should consult your own advisers as to legal, business, tax, and other related matters concerning any investment or legal matters. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by Archetype. This post reflects the current opinions of the authors and is not made on behalf of Archetype or its affiliates and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Archetype, its affiliates or individuals associated with Archetype. The opinions reflected herein are subject to change without being updated.