Making Cross-Chain Smart Contracts on ARK via Hyperledger Fabric

The services and consulting group called Ark Labs has successfully completed a cross-platform integration of the ARK blockchain with Hyperledger Fabric technology.

Hosted by The Linux Foundation, Hyperledger Fabric is a blockchain framework implementation intended as a foundation for developing blockchain applications, products, and solutions.

ARK boasts a whole host of new and exciting technologies, with one of the most prominent ones being SmartBridge functionality. The integration of SmartBridge functionality allows ARK to bypass one of the most common issues surrounding different blockchains, which is the isolation between each one.

The open-source, standards-based, cross-platform integration between the two technologies will contribute to accelerating mass adoption of blockchain technologies for businesses and beyond.

The integration marks a significant achievement for the ARK Ecosystem, bringing support for smart contracts directly from the ARK blockchain using SmartBridge technology. The ability to seamlessly create, launch and manage smart contracts between two different blockchain technologies opens the realm of possibilities further for anyone to create compelling business solutions using ARK and Hyperledger technology.

Hyperledger adds support to ARK for smart contracts written in Javascript, Go, and Solidity. The Hyperledger integration plug-in is added to ARK core v2 running on relay nodes connected to the main ARK blockchain. The custom Hyperledger chain may be added to the same relay nodes or run on a cluster of independent nodes. As an option, ARK may be cloned to a new chain with its own token which supports the Go, JS, and Solidity contracts using the Hyperledger Ark core plug-in.

“ARK as the enabler of a fractal economy interconnecting all blockchains is a mission coming into view. By connecting with Hyperledger, we are extending the cooperation and reach of blockchain technology between distinct verticals. This allows anyone to build their own solutions using open source, proven technology, and make their business more efficient. Be sure to stay tuned for more exciting developments coming to the ARK Ecosystem and beyond.” - Mike Doty, co-founder of ARK

SmartBridge technology allows for the linking of different blockchains through the method of bridging, which creates simultaneous utilization of multiple blockchain networks by simplifying the process of having to endlessly trade assets on public exchanges to gain access to rival networks. The most recent ARK technical update focuses on keeping our new version 2 API simple, clean and allowing for easy access for new developers to quickly jump in and extend it.

“This particular integration was easy after grasping the architecture of both technologies, I was able to complete the integration in less than a week, thanks to the new ARK plugin functionality and the ARK v2 API. I look forward to doing even more product integrations between ARK and Hyperledger by the end of the year and beyond.” - Vadym Ustymenko, Lead Developer at Ark Labs

If you are interested in the full scope, example, and guide on how this can be set up and used, be sure to give this series of blog posts a read:

• How to install Ark 2.0 blockchain node on a cloud server
• Launch your own blockchain with Hyperledger Composer
• Running smart contracts in ARK via Hyperledger Fabric
• ARK, Solidity smart contracts and Hyperledger Burrow

The ARK team is very proud to see that the new ARK Core and it’s modular design is being used to show the potential of plugins and what power they possess. We can’t wait to see more similar projects emerge in the upcoming months.

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