Dune Announces Sunsetting of evm.storage Amid smlXL Acquisition and Launch of Echo Platform

November 2023 – Dune Con | By [Your Name]

Overview

Blockchain analytics firm Dune disclosed at its annual DuneCon conference that it has acquired the technology and talent behind smlXL, a startup known for transaction‑simulation and node‑infrastructure solutions. As part of the integration effort, Dune will temporarily retire its evm.storage explorer, directing users to alternative tooling while the company builds a new, unified developer experience called Echo.

What the Announcement Means

• Acquisition Details – Dune’s purchase of smlXL merges Dune’s query‑and‑analytics engine with smlXL’s real‑time transaction simulation capabilities. The combined stack is intended to become the most comprehensive “real‑time developer platform” in the blockchain space.

• Sunsetting evm.storage – Effective immediately, the evm.storage service – a specialized on‑chain storage explorer – will be taken offline. Dune describes the move as a “focus shift” toward the development of Echo, where evm.storage’s functionality will be re‑imagined and reintegrated later.

• Interim Alternatives – While evm.storage is offline, Dune recommends developers continue using sim.io for storage hooks and differential storage analysis. Support for these workflows remains available via Dune’s official Telegram “Sim” channel.

• Continuity of Related Services – The evm.codes reference site and the sim.io platform will remain operational without interruption, ensuring that existing analytics and developer workflows are unaffected.

Strategic Rationale

1. Unified Real‑Time Tooling – By coupling Dune’s analytical query language (DuneSQL) with smlXL’s simulation nodes, developers can both query historical data and simulate prospective transactions within a single environment.

2. Resource Consolidation – Maintaining a separate, niche storage explorer would duplicate effort and split engineering resources. The decision to sunset evm.storage allows the team to allocate more bandwidth toward building Echo, which promises a broader feature set.

3. Future‑Proofing – The announcement emphasizes that evm.storage will be “re‑imagined” within the Dune ecosystem. This signals a longer‑term vision where storage introspection benefits from tighter integration with Dune’s analytics layer, potentially offering richer query capabilities and faster performance.

Potential Impact on the DeFi Community

• Short‑Term Workflow Adjustment – Analysts and developers accustomed to evm.storage will need to redirect queries to sim.io or wait for Echo’s public beta. The transition may introduce a learning curve, but Dune’s provision of a dedicated support channel should mitigate friction.

• Enhanced Developer Experience – If Echo delivers on its promise of real‑time simulation combined with Dune’s powerful query engine, developers could more efficiently audit smart contracts, model protocol upgrades, and back‑test strategies—critical tasks in the fast‑moving DeFi landscape.

• Competitive Positioning – Consolidating analytics and simulation under one roof could set Dune apart from competitors that offer either robust on‑chain data querying (e.g., The Graph, Nansen) or isolated simulation tools (e.g., Tenderly).

Key Takeaways

Outlook

The integration of smlXL’s simulation capabilities into Dune’s analytics stack marks a notable consolidation of developer‑focused tooling in the blockchain ecosystem. While the temporary loss of evm.storage may inconvenience some users, Dune’s roadmap suggests a more powerful, unified platform on the horizon. Stakeholders in DeFi, NFT, and broader Web3 projects should monitor upcoming Echo releases for potential workflow enhancements and new opportunities for on‑chain data interrogation.

Reporting from the DuneCon announcement, this article reflects publicly available information and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

Source: https://dune.com/blog/sunsetting-evm-storage