Detailed explanation of Conflux's latest upgrade: Conflux eSpace

In February 2022, Conflux introduced a new EVM-compatible space called Conflux eSpace in its Hydra hard fork.

What is Conflux eSpace? How to use it? Today we will explain Conflux eSpace in detail.

Why is EVM compatibility needed?

Ethereum has a large user base and developer ecosystem. While it is not a clearly defined concept, people often say that a blockchain system is "EVM-compatible" if you can interact with it as if you were interacting with Ethereum. If a blockchain offers the same standard API as Ethereum, then existing tools such as MetaMask and Hardhat will support it without any additional development work.

Since its founding in 2018, Conflux has been working hard to maintain EVM compatibility. Any smart contract that works on Ethereum can be directly deployed on Conflux with no or minimal modifications. However, Conflux Tethys (the version before the Conflux Hydra upgrade) is incompatible with Ethereum in terms of address format, transaction data structure, and API. This means there is no easy way to get tools like MetaMask to run on Tethys.

Conflux uses CIP-37 base32 checksum addresses, while Ethereum uses EIP-55 mixed case checksum hexadecimal addresses. Comparing the two, you can see the difference:
CIP-37 : cfx:aakdjzx2xm8r76kdjzx2xm8r76awgvnhver2d62mnh
EIP-55 : 0x123456789AbCdef123456789aBcdeF0123456789

By supporting existing Ethereum tools, the entry barrier for users and developers can be lowered. For this reason, Conflux Hydra introduces a new EVM-compatible space called eSpace .

What are the two “Spaces”?

Conflux Hydra has two spaces: Core Space and eSpace. Essentially, these are two different smart contract execution environments. Conflux Core is owned by Conflux Tethys, while Conflux eSpace is a new EVM-compatible space. However, Core Space and eSpace are not two blockchains: both spaces reside on the Tree-Graph ledger.

Think of these two spaces like this: We have a distributed ledger - the tree graph, which now contains Conflux and EVM transactions. This ledger can be viewed from two different perspectives.

• If you view it from Conflux Core, you will see the ledger as before: you will see Conflux accounts with CIP37 addresses sending Conflux transactions. You can also use Conflux-specific features such as PoS staking and transaction sponsorship.

• On the other hand, if you view it from within Conflux eSpace, you will see the ledger as a standard EVM chain, with hexadecimal addresses, EVM transactions, and EVM APIs.

In this way, both Core Space and eSpace provide the same advanced security, guaranteed by Conflux Hydra’s hybrid PoW+PoS consensus mechanism.

As a design decision, the two spaces are separated and cannot directly affect each other. Core Space and eSpace are like two parallel dimensions.

• If you use Fluent wallet on Conflux Core, you can send transactions to other Core Space accounts and interact with Core Space dapps.

• If you use MetaMask on Conflux eSpace, you can send transactions to other eSpace accounts and interact with eSpace dapps.

It is important to note that transactions cannot be sent directly from a Metamask wallet to a Core Space wallet because Metamask cannot resolve CIP-37 addresses.

However, there is a way to move assets between Core Space and eSpace: Cross-space bridge .

The Cross-Space Bridge allows users to move assets (CFX, CRC20/ERC20, NFT) back and forth between Core Space and eSpace. If you have used any cross-chain technology before, such as ShuttleFlow, this may sound familiar. However, this time we are transferring assets between two spaces on the same ledger. Cross-Space operations are atomic, decentralized, and provide the same security guarantees as any other Conflux transaction.

Wallet interaction between Core Space and eSpace

How to use?

To start using Conflux Core, just install Fluent Wallet. To use Conflux eSpace, install MetaMask, then visit chainlist.org, search for Conflux eSpace, and click “Add to MetaMask”.

If you already have assets in Conflux Core, you can use the cross-space bridge Fluent Wallet to transfer them to eSpace. Alternatively, you can use multichain.org or meson.fi to directly move assets from other chains to eSpace.

In addition, cBridge, a cross-chain payment network launched by Celer Network, recently announced a partnership with Conflux to achieve bridge support for Conflux eSpace. The two parties will also achieve multi-chain expansion by establishing open native asset standards. Users can now use cBridge to conduct high-speed and low-cost cross-chain transfers of USDT, USDC, DAI, ETH, and WBTC between Ethereum and Conflux.