How to Plan Non-EVM Proofs of Concept

A Proof of Concept (PoC) for a non-EVM blockchain validates the technical feasibility of a specific application or integration before committing significant development resources. Unlike EVM chains, which share a common runtime, non-EVM ecosystems like Solana (Sealevel VM), Cosmos (CosmWasm), and Bitcoin L2s (e.g., Stacks) have distinct architectures, programming languages, and tooling. Effective planning must account for these fundamental differences in consensus models, state management, and smart contract paradigms from the outset.

The first critical step is scoping and requirement definition. Clearly articulate the PoC's primary objective: is it to test a novel consensus mechanism, validate cross-chain message passing with IBC, or demonstrate a high-throughput transaction model on Solana? Define specific, measurable success criteria, such as achieving a target transactions-per-second (TPS) rate, finalizing cross-chain swaps under a certain latency, or successfully executing a complex smart contract function. This scope dictates your choice of chain, required tooling, and the complexity of the build.

Next, conduct a technical feasibility and environment analysis. This involves selecting the target chain's testnet (e.g., Solana Devnet, Cosmos testchains) and auditing the available Software Development Kits (SDKs), local development environments (like Solana's solana-test-validator), and indexing services. For example, building on Cosmos requires setting up a wasmd node for CosmWasm, while a Bitcoin L2 PoC might need a local bitcoind regtest network. Identify gaps in documentation or tooling early, as these become major risk factors.

With the environment understood, design the PoC architecture and data flow. Create a simple diagram mapping out the core components: user interactions, on-chain programs (smart contracts), off-chain indexers or oracles, and any cross-chain communication layers. For a Solana PoC, this would detail the relationship between your on-chain program written in Rust, the client-side JavaScript/TypeScript code using @solana/web3.js, and how transactions are composed and signed. This exercise forces you to confront architectural decisions about state management and program interfaces.

Finally, plan the implementation phases and evaluation. Break the build into discrete phases: 1) Environment setup and "hello world" deployment, 2) Core logic implementation, 3) Integration with external services, and 4) Load testing and metric collection. Allocate time for each phase, with buffers for troubleshooting the unique quirks of your chosen chain's toolchain. The evaluation phase should systematically test against your initial success criteria, documenting performance data, developer experience pain points, and a clear go/no-go recommendation for further development.

Planning a proof of concept (PoC) for a non-EVM blockchain requires a different foundational checklist than for Ethereum or its Layer 2s. The primary prerequisite is a clear business or technical hypothesis you intend to test, such as validating transaction throughput, assessing developer tool maturity, or testing a novel consensus mechanism's behavior. Before writing any code, you must establish the success criteria—specific, measurable goals that determine the PoC's outcome, like achieving 10,000 TPS on Solana or finalizing cross-chain messages in under 5 seconds on Cosmos.

Next, conduct a technology stack audit. This involves evaluating the target chain's core components: its programming model (e.g., Rust for Solana, Move for Aptos/Sui, Clarity for Stacks), native tooling (CLIs, SDKs, localnets), and infrastructure availability (RPC providers, indexers, oracles). For instance, a PoC on the Cosmos ecosystem would require familiarity with the Cosmos SDK, CometBFT consensus, and the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocol. Document the learning curve and identify any missing tools you may need to build yourself.

Finally, define a tightly scoped execution plan. A successful PoC isolates variables; it is not a minimum viable product. Limit the scope to 2-3 core functionalities. For example, a PoC on Near Protocol might scope to: 1) Deploying a smart contract in Rust using near-sdk-rs, 2) Executing cross-contract calls, and 3) Measuring gas costs for complex operations. Use this phase to identify integration pain points and performance bottlenecks specific to the non-EVM architecture, providing concrete data for a go/no-go decision on further development.

Planning a proof of concept (PoC) for a non-EVM blockchain requires a different approach than for Ethereum or its L2s. The core challenge is navigating unfamiliar development environments, consensus mechanisms, and tooling. This framework provides a systematic, five-phase process to de-risk your project: Discovery & Scoping, Architecture Design, Tooling & Environment Setup, Implementation Sprint, and Evaluation & Reporting. Each phase produces concrete artifacts, ensuring your PoC delivers actionable insights for a full-scale build decision.

Phase 1: Discovery & Scoping

Begin by defining the PoC's primary objective. Is it to test a specific feature (e.g., parallel execution on Solana), validate a novel consensus mechanism, or assess developer experience? Formulate a clear, testable hypothesis, such as "Using CosmWasm on the Cosmos SDK will reduce our smart contract deployment time by 40%." Document the success criteria with measurable KPIs—transaction finality time, cost per operation, or lines of code required for key logic. This phase concludes with a one-page scope document approved by all stakeholders.

Phase 2: Architecture Design

Map your application's logic to the target chain's architectural paradigm. For a UTXO-based chain like Cardano, you'll design around unspent transaction outputs. For a high-throughput chain like Solana, you must plan for account structures and CPI (Cross-Program Invocation). Create a high-level system diagram identifying: the core on-chain programs (smart contracts), off-chain indexers or bots, and any required oracles (e.g., Pyth on Solana). Select the primary programming language and framework, such as Rust with anchor-lang for Solana or Rust with cosmwasm-std for Cosmos.

Phase 3: Tooling & Environment Setup

Non-EVM chains often have less mature tooling. This phase is dedicated to establishing a functional local development environment. Key tasks include: installing the chain's CLI (e.g., solana-test-validator, starsd), setting up a local net or connecting to a dedicated devnet, and configuring essential tools—a block explorer, a wallet (like Phantom for Solana or Keplr for Cosmos), and an IDE with proper plugins. Document every setup step and encountered hurdle; this developer experience log is a critical PoC deliverable.

Phase 4: Implementation Sprint

Execute a time-boxed coding sprint (e.g., 2-3 weeks) to build the minimal viable PoC. Focus on the core hypothesis. For example, if testing zk-rollup capabilities on Starknet, implement a simple ERC-20 token contract in Cairo and a sequencer mock-up. Use test-driven development (TDD) where possible, leveraging the chain's native testing framework. Integrate with key infrastructure like RPC providers (Helius for Solana, Alchemy for Starknet) to test network interaction. The goal is a working, albeit limited, end-to-end flow.

Phase 5: Evaluation & Reporting

Measure the PoC against the success criteria from Phase 1. Generate a report analyzing: Technical Feasibility (were there insurmountable technical blockers?), Performance Metrics (TPS, latency, cost data), Developer Experience (tooling pain points, documentation quality), and Ecosystem Fit (liquidity, existing user base). Conclude with a clear recommendation: proceed to production, iterate on a revised PoC, or abandon the approach. This data-driven report is the ultimate output, guiding strategic blockchain selection.

A Non-EVM Proof of Concept (PoC) tests a concept on a blockchain like Solana, Cosmos, or Bitcoin's L2s, which operate on fundamentally different architectures than Ethereum. The primary risk is underestimating this architectural divergence, leading to unrealistic timelines and technical dead ends. Before writing any code, you must conduct a technology compatibility assessment. This involves mapping your application's core requirements—such as finality time, transaction cost model, and state management—against the target chain's capabilities. For instance, a high-frequency trading PoC on Solana must account for its parallel execution and local fee markets, which differ drastically from Ethereum's sequential processing.

The second major risk is tooling and development environment instability. Non-EVM chains often have less mature SDKs, debugging tools, and testing frameworks. Mitigate this by first building a minimal, functional pipeline. For a Cosmos SDK chain PoC, this means setting up a local testnet with ignite, writing a simple message handler, and testing transaction lifecycle end-to-end. Allocate significant time for environment setup and expect to contribute to or work around open-source tooling gaps. Document every setup step and dependency version meticulously to ensure reproducibility.

A critical mitigation strategy is to isolate chain-specific logic. Design your PoC architecture with clear abstraction layers, so core business logic is separate from the blockchain client interactions. Use the adapter or repository pattern. For example, instead of scattering Sui's Move entry function calls throughout your code, encapsulate them in a BlockchainClient interface. This allows you to swap client implementations or mock the chain for unit testing, and it clearly reveals the complexity and lines of code dedicated solely to chain integration.

Finally, define objective, measurable success criteria for the PoC before development begins. Avoid vague goals like "see if it works." Instead, specify targets such as: achieving a throughput of X transactions per second with Y latency, keeping transaction fees below Z cost, or successfully executing a cross-chain message via IBC. These metrics will guide development, provide a clear pass/fail outcome, and generate concrete data for deciding whether to proceed to full production. This disciplined approach transforms a speculative experiment into a valuable risk-assessment exercise.

Successfully planning a non-EVM PoC requires moving beyond theoretical comparisons to hands-on validation. Your goal is to answer a specific technical or business question with a working prototype, not to build a production-ready system. The most critical step is defining a clear success criterion—a measurable outcome that proves or disproves your hypothesis, such as achieving a target transaction throughput, verifying a novel consensus mechanism, or demonstrating a unique smart contract capability that isn't possible on the EVM.

With your objective defined, structure your development sprint. Allocate time for three core phases: environment setup, core logic implementation, and testing/benchmarking. For setup, focus on getting a local testnet or devnet running for your target chain (e.g., Aptos, Solana, Cosmos SDK chain). This involves installing the correct CLI tools, SDKs, and understanding the local deployment workflow. Avoid getting bogged down in advanced DevOps; a simple, functional local environment is sufficient for a PoC.

During implementation, leverage the chain's native tools. If building on Aptos, use the Move CLI and the Aptos SDK. For Solana, use Anchor Framework and the Solana CLI. Write the minimal viable smart contract or program that tests your core hypothesis. For example, create a simple token transfer that uses the chain's parallel execution features, or implement a custom logic module in Move to explore its resource-oriented security model. Keep the code simple and focused solely on the PoC's goal.

The final phase is systematic validation. Develop a simple script to interact with your deployed contract and collect metrics. Measure what you defined in your success criteria: transaction finality time, cost per operation, or the successful execution of a non-EVM-native feature. Document any friction points, such as unfamiliar tooling, sparse documentation, or unexpected behavior. This empirical data is the primary output of your PoC and will inform the go/no-go decision for further investment.

Your next steps depend on the PoC's outcome. A successful validation might lead to a deeper technical dive, a feasibility study for a production minimum viable product (MVP), or a proposal for a larger R&D grant. An unsuccessful PoC is equally valuable—it prevents costly misallocation of resources. In either case, compile your findings into a brief report detailing the approach, results, and a recommendation. Share this knowledge with your team or the broader community through a technical blog post or workshop, contributing to the collective understanding of emerging non-EVM ecosystems.