The DFINITY Foundation has long used physical elements to represent stages in its roadmap. For example, the last quarter of 2019 was referred to as Copper and included the release of the Motoko programming language. The second quarter of 2021 was called Mercury, and this included the genesis launch of the Internet Computer. We are just now in the Titanium phase of the roadmap, but there are many elements to come in the year ahead, so here is a basic overview of the next five major Internet Computer updates and beyond.
Titanium: DeFi Comes to the Internet Computer
The Titanium phase is scheduled to wrap up imminently, and many features required for true DeFi on the Internet Computer are already in place. For example, canisters can control ICP tokens. This lays the groundwork for everything else in the Titanium phase. Now we are watching as developers start to make DeFi a reality. When DFINITY completes its simple APIs for ledger transactions, this will surely push things forward even faster. The developer preview for BTC integration is also a part of this phase that has been completed.
Chromium: Direct Bitcoin Integration
Since last year’s vote, Bitcoin integration has been discussed in hushed tones. Now, we’re ready to shout it from the rooftops. When the Chromium phase is completed towards the end of Q1 2022, direct integration with Bitcoin will allow the first advanced smart contracts to be written using the largest pool of blockchain assets. This isn’t a bridge – it is true integration. That makes it fast, secure, and affordable. Also, as a part of Chromium, we are looking forward to custom subdomains and the enabling of HTTPS requests from canisters.
Carbon: Revamping the Nervous System
After BTC integration, the Internet Computer is going to focus on its own in-house maintenance for a while. This will complete the DeFi upgrades that are already starting now. Any projects waiting for full tokenization and DAO capabilities will be anxiously awaiting this upgrade, which is anticipated for Q2 2022. In the meantime, upgrades will be made to the Nervous System itself that will improve proposals, node operation security, and neuron custody. This upgrade will also enhance scalability, increasing the already impressive abilities of the Internet Computer to meet the present and future needs of the ecosystem.
Vanadium: Direct Ethereum Integration
With Bitcoin integration in the rearview mirror, the stage is set to add the other major blockchain in existence and turn ICP into the center of the cryptocurrency and metaverse worlds. Direct integration with ETH assets on the Internet Computer blockchain will fuse the ecosystem with the largest blockchain for smart contracts and will utilize the reverse-gas model to change how we interact with Ethereum forever. The goal is for Ethereum integration to happen during Q3 2022.
Iridium: Multi-Chain Integration
If you thought DFINTIY was going to stop after Bitcoin and Ethereum integration, guess again. The fourth quarter of 2022 will continue to work toward the Internet Computer’s goal of becoming the blockchain singularity and bringing all Web3 together under one ecosystem. It’s an ambitious roadmap, but it means that 2022 could very well be the year of the Internet Computer. So what happens once these five elemental upgrades are completed?
Futurium: Looking to the Future of the Internet Computer
If all goes according to plan, 2023 and beyond can begin the Futurium phase. The innovation won’t stop once the blockchain singularity is in motion. The DFINITY Foundation has some of the most brilliant minds on the planet working together to ensure crypto innovation fast forwards us into the future. For more of the technical details, you can read the Internet Computer Roadmap here on their website.
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