Circle introduces a Web3 development platform aimed at Web2 developers.

Circle, the issuer of stablecoins, has introduced a new tool designed to help developers “simplify the process” of creating Web3 applications, as stated in an announcement and related social media update on October 19.

Named the “Smart Contract Platform,” this tool enables developers to deploy smart contracts utilizing a collection of pre-approved code templates and either a console or REST APIs, potentially making it more accessible for traditional Web2 developers.

Additionally, Circle has unveiled a Gas Station tool that allows developers to cover their users’ gas fees, which they assert may facilitate user onboarding.

1/ Introducing Gas Station and Smart Contract Platform – built for #devs & available in beta!
Our two new #Web3 Services products provide solutions for devs & businesses to eliminate cost, complexity & friction for app users. Let’s dive in to learn how our Web3 services continues… pic.twitter.com/gZnpAvYepT

— Circle (@circle) October 19, 2023

Typically, when developers deploy smart contracts, they depend on Web3 development tools such as Truffle or Hardhat. Utilizing these tools requires contracts to be written in Solidity, a programming language that some traditional developers may not be well-versed in. Furthermore, developers must create and execute blockchain deployment or “migration” scripts, a process that may be unfamiliar to some Web2 developers.

The documentation from Circle indicates that the smart contract platform offers a range of pre-approved templates for creating various smart contracts. For instance, developers can utilize these templates to generate contracts for non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain loyalty programs, and interactions with Uniswap or other decentralized finance initiatives, as well as with Circle’s stablecoin contracts. This suggests that developers can leverage the platform to bypass the need to construct an entire Solidity contract from the ground up, potentially easing the transition for Web2 developers into Web3.

Related: Account abstraction will drive a billion users to Web3: ConsenSys exec

Once a contract is established, developers can deploy it to Polygon using a “no-code” console included in the platform, as mentioned in the announcement. This indicates that developers are not required to write a “migration” script for contract deployment when utilizing Circle’s platform. The announcement also noted that the “no-code” console is currently unavailable for Ethereum or Avalanche.

Nonetheless, the platform offers a set of representational state transfer application programming interfaces (REST APIs) for deployment or interaction with contracts on these networks. REST APIs are the conventional method developers use to engage with Web2 databases, making them more recognizable to developers who have not previously created Web3 applications.

Circle intends to expand the availability of both the “no code” console and REST APIs to additional networks in the future, as stated in the announcement.

The platform’s documentation also indicates that developers can deploy a custom contract that does not utilize one of the templates; however, in this scenario, they must supply the compiled bytecode. Even in this case, the developer can avoid writing a deployment script, as this can be managed by either the console or REST APIs.

Circle has also introduced a second feature for developers called “Gas Station.” This feature enables Web3 application developers to cover their users’ gas fees, potentially simplifying the onboarding process by eliminating the need for users to pre-fund their wallets with the native currency of a network.

Gas Station employs Ethereum’s account abstraction capability to facilitate these gas-free transactions. The Grab super-app has already adopted this new feature, allowing users to incur no gas fees when redeeming NFT vouchers, as noted in the announcement.