Move’s next move:

moving Move forward in 2024, on Sui

Sam Blackshear

Creator of Move, co-founder + CTO @Mysten

w/ Move Core + Move Innovation teams @ Mysten

+ Sui developer community

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Huge thank you to MoveFunsDAO + the APAC Move developer community!

Agenda

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• Move 2022-2023 Recap
• 3 foundational improvements that give Sui devs superpowers
• Examples of these superpowers in action

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• Move 2024 Preview

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Move 2022-2023: safe + expressive foundations

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1. Object Data Model

Core building block for Move smart contract programming

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• Programmable Transaction Blocks (PTBs)

Code composability

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• Dynamic fields

Data composability

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Sui objects: core smart contract building blocks

Native implementation of

• Globally unique identifiers
• Transfers (with store ability)
• Ownership (in metadata)
• By address
• By another object
• Shared/immutable
• Client-side visualization (with Display standard)

struct Obj has key, store {

id: UID,

// … other fields

}

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fun f(o: Obj, a: address) {

transfer(o, a)

}

What Sui objects do for programmers

• Object access control checks performed by Sui runtime
• Manual checks introduce vulns (if missing/wrong), boilerplate
• Consistent vocabulary throughout the stack
• Devs create objects, APIs read objects, apps/wallets/explorers display objects…
• Enable advanced standards like kiosk, closed loop tokens that rely on native transfers + ownership
• Enable ultra-low latency txes (480ms e2e latency) via Sui’s consensus fast path

Example: universal claim-object-via-link app

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How objects enable universal claim links

• “Create link page” shows all objects with store, uses display standard to render. For object type T
• App doesn’t need to explicitly support T
• Creator of T doesn’t need to explicitly enable app
• Create link = transfer objects to temporary account A
• Claim via link = transfer objects from A to wallet/zkLogin address
• Using sponsored tx or gas coin included in object bundle
• Can also specify that objects must be claimed by specific email, can be reclaimed by sender after delay, …

Superpower for onboarding/growth: send asset to anyone with an email, no wallet install needed

Programmable transaction blocks (PTBs): code composability

• Sui txes can directly accept objects as input
• Single tx can contain up to 1024 Move calls
• Batching (e.g. payments, NFT minting)
• Heterogeneous composition: call different functions, pass output objects into subsequent call inputs
• Supports on-the-fly-construction in client

Example: Flash loan + multi-pool arbitrage

PTBs: safer and more powerful than interfaces

Superpower for DeFi builders

• Touches 4 protocols
• No on-chain interfaces or explicit integration needed
• No code published
• Gas fee < $0.01

Dynamic fields: data composability

1. Add or remove fields to an object on-the-fly
2. Can be done in declaring package, upgrade, or (if desired) external package
3. Can add unlimited dynamic fields (do not count toward object size)

struct Obj has key{

id: UID,

f: u64 // normal field

}

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fun add_coin<T>(o: &mut Obj) {

let t = type_name::get<T>();

// dynamic field

o.id[t] = coin::zero<T>()

}

What dynamic fields do for programmers

• Collections (e.g., Table, LinkedTable)
• Heterogeneous collections (e.g., Bag).
• Custom collections (e.g., BigVector)
• Upgradeable objects
• Composable object hierarchies
• NFT with accessories
• Game character with inventory
• DOM element with children
• Multi-asset deposit in a lending protocol

Example: SuiFrens x Pebble City accessory mashup

Native and external objects compose seamlessly

Superpower for NFT, game, social devs

SuiFren

id: 0x34b

AccessoryV2<NHN>

owned by 0x7d1

id: 0x938

Field<AccessoryKey,ID>

owned by 0x34b

id: 0x7d1

key: “torso”

value: 0x938

Field<AccessoryKey,ID>

owned by 0x34b

id: 0x84b

key: “eyes”

value: 0xdaf

Accessory

owned by 0x84b

id: 0xdaf

torso

eyes

Agenda

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• Move 2022-2023 Recap
• 3 foundational improvements that give Sui devs superpowers
• Examples of these superpowers in action
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• Move 2024 Preview

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Move 2024: strong foundations => advanced tools

Safe + expressive foundations

1. Source language 2024 edition
2. New zkLogin features (multisig!)
3. Kiosk + closed loop token standards
4. Transfer to object
5. Secure native on-chain randomness

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Advanced Tools to accelerate development

• Package and source management
• Object-centric GraphQL powered RPC
• Comprehensive linters
• Enhanced IDE support
• Move to app compiler + LLM support

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Secure on-chain randomness

(on mainnet in Q1)

• New Random type
• Generate random integers, bytes, …
• Call using Random must be last in PTB
• Discourages composition attacks (e.g., play lottery with flash loan, abort if you lose)
• Great for loot boxes, random NFTs, games, lotteries …

entry fun mint_random_nft(

r: &mut Random,

ctx: &mut TxContext

) {

let rarity = r.generate_u64();

// … generate NFT, transfer to sender

Object-centric RPC via GraphQL

(on mainnet Jan 22)

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• Objects now truly common vocabulary throughout the stack
• Map/filters over large object sets are highly efficient
• No pagination unless final result is large
• Atomic query batching
• Get a consistent view of state at time t
• Examples (all single query, no back-and-forth):
• Get object + all its dynamic fields
• Get all objects of a specific type
• Get all dynamic fields that match a filter
• RPC providers and apps can add custom post-processing

Move-to-app compiler (launching Q2/Q3)

• Typical app is ~5% Move, 95% frontend + other stuff
• Idea: leverage the nice structure of Move code + objects to codegen a lot of that 95%
• Examples
• TS type definitions and serializers + deserializers, TS function bindings, PTB construction, useful GraphQL queries + bindings
• Goal: generate an app that works e2e, from Move source
• Interactive visual aid for testing/prototyping
• Instant starter code for building a real app (manually, or with LLM-powered assistance…)

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Move 2024: strong foundations => advanced tools

Safe + expressive foundations

• Source language 2024 edition - Feb
• New zkLogin features (multisig!) - Q1
• Kiosk + closed loop token standards - Ongoing
• Transfer to object - Jan 17
• Secure native on-chain randomness - Q2

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Advanced Tools to accelerate development

• Package and source management - Ongoing
• Object-centric GraphQL powered RPC - Jan 22
• Comprehensive linters - Ongoing
• Enhanced IDE support - Ongoing
• Move to app compiler + LLM support - Q2/Q3

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