Ethereum researcher unveils ‘time machine’ for even smarter, smart contracts

As a seasoned crypto investor with over a decade of experience in this dynamic and ever-evolving digital economy, I must admit that the recent development by Ethereum researcher Vlad Zamfir and his team at STXN has piqued my interest significantly. The ability to reverse Smart Transactions on the blockchain is undoubtedly a game-changer, offering an unprecedented level of flexibility in smart contracts.


A “time travel” device for Ethereum users, developed by Ethereum researcher and co-founder of Smart Transactions (STXN), Vlad Zamfir, enables the reversal of specific transactions on the blockchain. This innovation has made these particular transactions somewhat mutable.

At the DevCon conference in Bangkok, STXN’s co-founder Anuj Das Gupta explained to CryptoMoon that Smart Transactions provide users with the ability to establish certain parameters for when transactions can occur and be processed.

Das Gupta stated, ‘STXN operates similarly to a time machine by enabling us to secure the future of smart contracts.’ This was shared in a statement provided to CryptoMoon.

This functionality is designed to work on blockchains similar to the Ethereum Virtual Machine, and it could be particularly useful for countless cryptocurrency users who accidentally input incorrect transaction details on the blockchain.

Ethereum smart contracts are now free from the constraints of the knowledge available at their creation, as stated by Das Gupta. This, in our view, is a crucial approach to resolving the balance between adaptability and unchangeability that blockchain systems often face.

As a researcher exploring the fascinating world of blockchain technology, I find myself often drawing parallels with other groundbreaking innovations. Just like when people first started sending emails in the latter half of the 1900s, once a message was dispatched, it couldn’t be recalled – much like the immutable nature of data on a blockchain. This enduring quality is a cornerstone of the technology, ensuring transparency and security that’s vital for our future endeavors.

However, after introducing the “undo toggle” feature, Google’s Gmail enabled users to retract sent emails within a limited timeframe, thereby enhancing its functionality and opening up additional possibilities, as stated by Mamlyuk.

Smart Transactions aim to solve that problem in Web3, Das Gupta added.

He elaborated, “It gives us the ability to move through time in our transaction sequence, going both forwards and backwards. This adds significant functionality, similar to an ‘undo’ or ‘recall’ feature in a transaction, much like the infamous ‘unsend’ button.

In simpler terms, STXN is integrating a time-traveling function into the “CleanApp”, an application created by Mamlyuk in 2013. This app allows users to offer cleaning tasks for others to do, and these tasks are rewarded using blockchain technology.

Mamlyuk said transactions will be reverted when malicious actors are caught.

“If there’s malicious use of the app, we can go back and claw back the blockchain rewards that somebody got as a result of malicious use. So it’s a force multiplier. It opens up utility.”

STXN aims to incorporate the time travel feature into additional matching platforms, like a peer-to-peer ride service similar to Uber (in a decentralized manner).

Decentralized platforms such as Uniswap include a matching mechanism specifically designed for exchanging assets (swaps), as pointed out by Das Gupta.

STXN’s job involves constructing the foundation enabling users to create matching software applications upon it.

Das Gupta and Mamlyuk want STXN to support all kinds of decentralized match-making applications. 

After striking a partnership with Ethereum infrastructure provider ConsenSys in July, the announcement has since been made.

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2024-11-13 08:09