Celo Foundation: cLabs Introduces Dango, a New Layer-2 Testnet for Celo

The
Celo
Foundation
has
announced
the
successful
launch
of
the
Layer-2
testnet,
Dango,
developed
by
core
contributor
cLabs.
This
development
marks
a
significant
milestone
in
the
evolution
of
the
Celo
blockchain
ecosystem,
according
to

Celo
Foundation.

Transition
to
Layer-2

Originally
proposed
during
EthCC
2023,
the
transition
to
Dango
involves
forking
the
Alfajores
testnet.
This
move
allows
ecosystem
developers
to
begin
migrating
their
projects
to
the
new
Layer-2
blockchain,
which
is
designed
for
fast,
low-cost
payments
globally.
The
migration
ensures
that
all
historical
data,
including
smart
contracts,
accounts,
and
balances
from
Alfajores,
are
preserved
and
carried
over.

Technical
Specifications

Dango
is
built
upon
Optimism’s
OP
Stack,
a
modular
and
open-source
framework
for
scalable
and
interoperable
blockchains.
This
architecture
supports
the
Optimism
Superchain
and
incorporates
EigenDA
as
an
alternative
data
availability
layer
to
maintain
sub-cent
transaction
fees.
The
testnet
aims
to
improve
on
several
core
aspects
of
Celo’s
Layer-1
(L1)
blockchain,
including:

• Bridging
  of
  
  
  
  
  
  WETH
  and
  ERC-20
  tokens
  between
  Ethereum
  and
  Celo
• Decreasing
  block
  time
  from
  5
  seconds
  to
  2
  seconds,
  increasing
  total
  throughput
  by
  50%
• Maintaining
  1-block
  finality
• CELO
  token
  duality,
  allowing
  interaction
  natively
  or
  via
  the
  ERC20
  interface
• Fee
  Abstraction,
  supporting
  multiple
  ERC-20
  tokens
  as
  gas
  currencies,
  including
  USDT
  and
  USDC
• Sending
  money
  to
  a
  phone
  number,
  email
  address,
  or
  other
  social
  identifiers
  via
  SocialConnect
• Maintaining
  low
  gas
  fees
  for
  greater
  accessibility
  and
  adoption
• Higher
  security
  bridging
  to
  Ethereum
  for
  asset
  transfers
• Continuing
  Celo’s
  commitment
  to
  Ultragreen
  Money

Future
Outlook

The
successful
launch
of
Dango
enables
infrastructure
providers
to
upgrade
to
the
latest
Layer-2
node
code.
Once
all
key
infrastructure
providers
have
updated,
the
Alfajores
testnet
will
be
upgraded
without
creating
a
new
fork,
allowing
developers
to
test
their
end-user
dApps.
The
cLabs
team
anticipates
that
the
migration
will
culminate
in
the
launch
of
the
Celo
Layer-2
mainnet
by
early
winter
2024.

Community
and
Support

The
launch
follows
the
Eigen
Foundation’s
strategic
grant
to
the
Celo
community
and
subsequent
community
support
for
cLabs’
governance
proposal.
The
community’s
involvement
has
been
crucial
in
shaping
the
testnet’s
development
and
ensuring
its
alignment
with
the
ecosystem’s
needs.

About
Celo

Celo
is
an
emerging
Ethereum
Layer-2
and
mobile-first
blockchain
network
built
for
real-world
applications,
focusing
on
fast,
low-cost
payments.
The
ecosystem
includes
a
decentralized
proof-of-stake
blockchain,
the
CELO
native
token,
and
several
Mento
stable
assets
like
cUSD,
cEUR,
and
cREAL.
Launched
on
Earth
Day
in
2020,
Celo
supports
a
diverse
range
of
projects
aimed
at
achieving
global
prosperity.

Image
source:
Shutterstock