Relaycode v0.3.0 - From Extrinsic Builder to Developer Platform

Tech Talk
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Hey everyone,

When I introduced Relaycode earlier this year, it was primarily a type-aware extrinsic builder: a visual way to build, understand, encode and submit Polkadot transactions.

Since then, Relaycode has grown into something broader.

The moment that changed its direction came during the Polkadot Solidity Hackathon:

“I went into the @Polkadot Solidity Hackathon planning to add one component. Ended up building an entire IDE.”

That is essentially what happened.

Relaycode was designed around reusable components. Every pallet parameter has its own input, while wallet connections, chain switching, encoding and transaction submission are shared across the application and can be reused easily.

The original plan was to add an editor for the Revive pallet. But the existing builder interface was too small for writing and managing real contracts. Two days before the hackathon deadline, I scrapped that approach and built Relaycode Studio instead.

Introducing Relaycode Studio

Relaycode Studio is a browser-based smart-contract workspace for Polkadot Hub.

It lets developers:

  • Write and manage Solidity contracts in a multi-file editor
  • Compile for either EVM or PVM
  • Use OpenZeppelin imports without configuring a local project
  • Review compiler output and generated artifacts
  • Estimate gas and transaction fees
  • Sign and deploy through Polkadot wallets
  • Move between supported Asset Hub networks without rebuilding their setup

There is no separate CLI installation, MetaMask configuration or manual extrinsic encoding required for the normal workflow.

Studio use the same component rails as the builder. It inherits Relaycode’s existing wallet, chain, parameter and transaction infrastructure. The Extrinsic Builder and Contract Studio are now two parts of the same developer platform.

The road to v0.3.0

As I mentioned in the previous post, Relaycode was funded through a Web3 Foundation grant with two completed milestones.

  • Milestone 1, now represented by v0.1.0, established the original Extrinsic Builder, dynamic parameter inputs, SCALE encoding and Information Pane.
  • Milestone 2, now v0.2.0, added wallet integration, type-aware inputs, validation, bidirectional decoding and the production deployment.

It had been a while since we shipped a platform-wide update. During that time, the libraries Relaycode relies on, especially Dedot and LunoKit continued to evolve. Polkadot Asset Hub’s transaction requirements also changed.

Relaycode v0.3.0 brings the platform up to date with that work.

What changed in v0.3.0

Alongside Contract Studio, this release includes a substantial refresh of the existing Extrinsic Builder:

  • Updated Dedot, LunoKit, Next.js, React and TypeScript foundations
  • Restored signing and submission on Polkadot Asset Hub
  • Improved wallet startup and RPC fallback behaviour
  • Fixed the Information Pane so call data and hashes update correctly
  • Fixed transactions remaining stuck on “Submitting…” after inclusion
  • Added clear success notifications after a transaction enters a block
  • Improved dispatch-error reporting and stale-state handling
  • Added Paseo and expanded network support
  • Updated Relaycode’s branding, metadata and browser icon
  • Expanded automated coverage to more than 1,000 tests

The goal was not simply to update package versions. I wanted to make sure we integrate the work that has happened across the libraries we use and ensure the complete flow, from connecting a wallet to seeing a transaction succeed, works reliably again.

Where Relaycode is heading

The Extrinsic Builder remains central to Relaycode. It provides a visual interface for working with runtime calls, including nested calls and complex Substrate types.

Contract Studio expands that idea into smart-contract development.

Together, they point toward a larger goal: a cohesive browser-based developer platform where Polkadot builders can inspect runtime calls, write contracts, connect wallets and submit transactions without stitching together several unrelated tools.

You can try both tools here:

Relaycode builds on Dedot and LunoKit, and this refresh incorporates important work both projects have shipped since the previous update. Thanks @sinzii and @crislee for continuing to move these libraries forward.

I would especially appreciate feedback from developers using different wallets, networks and contract workflows. What should Relaycode make easier next?