Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano and a central figure in the blockchain industry, has announced that he is personally building a new programming language for the Cardano blockchain, with the assistance of developer Lucas Rosa. Hoskinson has yet to disclose the name, timeline, or public release details of the project.
New programming language under development
Hoskinson shared on X that the programming language is designed specifically for Cardano, describing it as “the first of its kind, enabling intents and PCD via Groth16 proofs.” He mentioned that Rosa, whose handle is @rvcas, is working with him on this initiative.
Lucas Rosa plays a significant role in the Cardano ecosystem as one of the main developers and maintainers of Aiken, a programming language for Cardano smart contracts. Rosa is also currently listed as a tooling architect at Midnight, an infrastructure-focused project within the blockchain space.
Cardano currently supports two main programming languages for its smart contract development: Plutus, which derives from the Haskell programming language, and Aiken, which Rosa helped create and continues to maintain.
Technical innovations: Groth16, PCD, and intents
Hoskinson’s announcement responded to a community question about Cardano’s status as a decentralized root of trust and whether he still holds that perspective.
The new programming language aims to support advanced cryptographic tools such as Groth16 proofs and concepts like proof-carrying data (PCD) and intents.
Groth16 is a zero-knowledge proof protocol introduced by cryptographer Jens Groth in 2016. This scheme allows for highly efficient and compact proofs, utilizing only three group elements, which makes verification processes on blockchain platforms significantly faster and less resource-intensive.
Mini dictionary: Groth16, a zero-knowledge proof system, enables secure and compact cryptographic proofs, making it well-suited for use in smart contracts and privacy protocols within blockchain environments.
Proof-carrying data (PCD) is a computer science framework allowing each stage of a distributed computation to attach a proof that covers all prior operations. With PCD, a participant at the end of a process can verify the entire chain of work with one concise proof, increasing transparency and trust in distributed systems.
Mini dictionary: Proof-carrying data (PCD) allows chained computations on blockchains to be verified efficiently with a single proof, greatly enhancing scalability and auditability for complex operations.
Intents refer to a new paradigm in transaction design where users specify the desired outcome and entrust the transaction execution details to the network. For example, a user might request that their funds arrive on another blockchain without choosing the specific bridge or route, allowing for seamless cross-chain activity based on user goals rather than technical steps.
Future outlook
Details regarding how this new language will be integrated into the Cardano ecosystem remain unreleased. Hoskinson has not indicated whether the language will replace existing development tools or exist alongside current languages such as Plutus and Aiken.
Hoskinson wrote that the project is “the first of its kind, enabling intents and PCD via Groth16 proofs,” and clarified that he is developing the language with Lucas Rosa, known for his role as a tooling architect and as a leading contributor to Cardano’s developer tools.
The Cardano community awaits further announcements to learn more about the language’s capabilities, adoption timeline, and potential impact on smart contract development within the network.
