Here’s a checklist to keep in mind when designing a programming language for validity rollups:

Efficient proof generation: since everything that is computed must be proved, you need short proving time

Modern language: since developers will be spending nights and days writing code in it, the language should “feel right” and incorporate “best practices” as we understand them today

Safe Code: since developers will be writing smart contracts that control immense value, you want the language to help them not mess things up.

Safe Execution: preventing infinite loops and other forms of non-halting code

Cairo 1.0 and Sierra (Safe Intermediate Representation) are an attempt to address all of these challenges. In this STARK @ Home Episode we’ll ask Cairo 1.0 creators - Lior, Ori and Shahar - all the hard questions. There’s no one better to do this questioning than Vitalik Buterin.

Why Cairo 1.0?