Joining the wallet 💵 display party – balances and amounts are now displayed in USD on the Juno Console too! 🎉
Kudos to KongSwap for sharing their exchange rate endpoint! 🙌
While I was at it, I fixed a few navigation leftovers from the last version, reviewed the UX of all transaction modals, integrated the exchange feature into each of them, and... had some fun with the colors 🎨
I’m thrilled to unveil the first big feature of the year: a brand-new way for Juno devs to monitor your wallet and modules automatically! 🚀
✅ Keeps cycles topped up when balances run low
🔔 Sends email notifications for top-ups (opt-in)
🔁 Set it up once, never again — it’s automatically applied to all future projects
Everything is controlled through the Mission Control — which means that developers remain the sole controllers!
🔥 Exciting update! A new feature to automatically monitor your wallet and modules is here! 🚀
✅ Auto-refills cycles when balances run low 📩 Sends email notifications when a top-up occurs
In this version, I also revised the navigation to integrate Analytics, Monitoring, Mission Control, and Wallet within the main panel. This update led to the introduction of new colors. 🎨
November’s been an exciting month, especially since I’ve officially started working full-time on Juno — thanks to the recently announced funding! This shift has already led to delivering some fantastic new features for developers, like automated backups (finally!!!), support for large WASM modules, the ability to buy cycles with Stripe, and a few other goodies.
These updates are all about making development smoother and more efficient, whether you’re building dapps, smart contracts, or managing your projects. Let’s dive into what’s new!
To kick things off, I’d like to highlight the introduction of backups—a feature I’ve been waiting for forever!
This addition brings a crucial layer of security for developers, letting you safeguard your modules and restore them whenever needed.
Here’s how it works: Currently, one backup per module is supported. You can manage backups manually via both the Console UI and the CLI, with options to create, restore, or delete them. Additionally, backups are automatically created during the upgrade process, taking a snapshot before transitioning to a new version. For those who prefer full control, advanced options let you skip creating a backup or avoid overwriting an existing one.
For anyone who, like me, feels a bit tense whenever it’s time to execute an upgrade, this feature is a huge relief. It’s really a great addition!
Getting cycles has become more straightforward, particularly for newcomers and non-crypto-native users, with the ability to buy cycles directly through Stripe, thanks to our friends at cycle.express.
With this integration, developers can simply make a payment, and the cycles are added directly to their module.
This was both a useful feature, as it makes it easy to transfer ICP from OISY to the developer's wallet on Juno, and an opportunity for me to try out the integration with various ICRC standards I implemented for the foundation.
I also used the opportunity to improve the UI/UX of the Receive feature by displaying wallet addresses with a QR code. This update wraps up a few related tasks, such as adding support for sending ICP to the outside world.
Support for larger WASM modules (over 2MB) has been added. While none of Juno's stock modules—such as Satellites, Mission Control, or Orbiter (Analytics)—come close to this size when gzipped, this limit could quickly be reached by developers using serverless functions.
By extending this limit, developers have more flexibility to embed additional third-party libraries and expand their module capabilities.
This support has been implemented across the CLI, the Console UI, and even local development environments using Docker, ensuring a consistent experience for all workflows.
Until recently, new Satellites launched lacked a default page for web hosting. This meant that developers opening their project right after creation would just see a blank page in the browser.
That’s why every new Satellite now comes with a sleek, informative default web page—delivering a great first impression right out of the box! ✨
Another handy tool introduced this month is support for pre- and post-deploy scripts in the CLI. With this feature, developers can now define a list of commands to be executed at specific stages of the deployment process.
The pre-deploy scripts are perfect for automating tasks like:
Compiling assets.
Running tests or linters.
Preparing production-ready files.
Likewise, post-deploy scripts come in handy for follow-up tasks, such as:
Sending notifications or alerts to administrators.
Cleaning up temporary files.
Logging deployment information for auditing.
import{ defineConfig }from"@junobuild/config"; /** @type{import('@junobuild/config').JunoConfig} */ exportdefaultdefineConfig({ satellite:{ id:"ck4tp-aaaaa-aaaaa-abbbb-cai", source:"build", predeploy:["npm run lint","npm run build"], postdeploy:["node hello.mjs"] } });
Maybe not the most groundbreaking update, but the dark theme got even darker. 🧛♂️🦇 Perfect for those late-night coding sessions—or if you just enjoy the vibe!
Another area that saw improvement is the documentation. I aimed to make it more intuitive and useful for both newcomers and experienced developers. That’s why I revamped the guides section. Now, when you visit, you’ll be greeted with a simple question: “What are you looking to do? Build or Host?” 🎯. This approach should hopefully make onboarding smoother and more straightforward for developers.
The CLI documentation also received an upgrade. Updating it manually was a hassle, so I automated the process. Now, CLI help commands generate markdown files that are automatically embedded into the website every week. No more manual updates for me, and it’s always up to date for you! 😄
I also dedicated time to documenting all the configuration options in detail, ensuring every setting is clearly explained.
And as a finishing touch, I refreshed the landing page. 👨🎨
I hope these features get you as excited as they got me! I’m already looking forward to what’s next. Speak soon for more updates!
David
Stay connected with Juno by following us on X/Twitter.
As you may know, I recently proposed transforming Juno into a Decentralized Autonomous Organization through an SNS swap. Unfortunately, it didn’t reach its funding goal, so Juno didn’t become a DAO.
After the failure, three options came to mind: retrying the ICO with a lower target, continuing to hack as an indie project for a while, or simply killing it.
In the days that followed, I also received a few other options, including interest from venture capitalists for potential seed funding which wasn’t an option for me.
Then, something unexpected happened:
The DFINITY foundation’s CTO, Jan Camenisch, reached out and proposed an alternative: funding the project through 2025.
I took a few days to consider the offer and ultimately accepted.
This support is a tremendous vote of confidence in Juno’s potential and importance within the ecosystem.
It’s worth emphasizing that the foundation’s support comes with no strings attached. They do not receive any stake in Juno, have no preferential treatment, and will not influence decisions. Should I ever consider another SNS DAO or any other funding route in the future, the foundation would have no special allocation or shares. This remains my project, and I am the sole decision-maker and controller.
This support also strengthens the relationship between Juno and the foundation, allowing us to stay in close contact to discuss the roadmap. It’s an arrangement that respects autonomy while fostering collaboration to advance the Internet Computer. As they say, it takes two to tango.
This funding opens up a world of possibilities and marks the first time I’ll work 100% on a project I created. I’m thrilled to continue building Juno as a resource that makes decentralized development accessible and impactful for everyone.
Obviously, while Juno remains under my sole ownership for now, I still believe that Juno should eventually become a DAO. Promoting full control for developers while retaining centralized ownership would be paradoxical. When the time is right, a DAO will ensure that Juno’s growth, security, and transparency are upheld through community-driven governance.
Thank you to everyone who believed in Juno through the SNS campaign and beyond 🙏💙. Your support has been invaluable, and this new phase wouldn’t be possible without you. Here’s to what lies ahead—a new chapter indeed.
To infinity and beyond,
David
Stay connected with Juno by following us on X/Twitter.
The SNS DAO on the Internet Computer failed on Saturday, October 12, 2024 (ICP swap data). As a result, Juno did not become a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO).
Hey everyone 👋
I hope you’re all doing well! I’m excited to share some big news with you today. Over the next few weeks, we’re taking some significant steps toward shaping the future of Juno, and I wanted to keep you in the loop about what’s coming.
As you may know, Juno is a blockchain-as-a-service ecosystem that empowers developers to build decentralized apps efficiently. One of its strengths is that it gives developers full and sole control over their work. For this reason, it would be paradoxical to continue operating the platform with a centralized model—i.e., with me being the sole controller of services, such as the administration console or our CDN. That’s why I’m thrilled to unveil that, in the upcoming weeks, I’m aiming to fix this bias by proposing that Juno becomes a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO).
While this potential shift is on the horizon, there are a few key steps you can take to stay informed and involved in the process. Here’s how you can help shape the future of developing on Web3:
To ensure you don’t miss any crucial updates, I encourage you to sign up for our newsletter. The journey to proposing a DAO and making it a reality involves multiple steps, each requiring your participation. By signing up, you’ll receive timely notifications whenever there’s an opportunity to get involved and make a real impact.
The white paper has been updated to continue presenting the vision; however, the tokenomics aspect has been notably removed, as it is no longer relevant following the failure of the SNS DAO.
I’ve put together a white paper that outlines the reasoning and vision I have for a Juno Build DAO. I highly recommend giving it a read to fully understand what I’m aiming to achieve.
Questions are always welcome at any time, but if you’re looking to engage directly, I’ll be hosting a Juno Live session on 9 September at 3:00 PM CET. Join the livestream on YouTube to interact in real-time.
The proposal was approved and executed on September 26, 2024.
While I typically avoid relying on third parties for core features, transforming Juno into a DAO without leveraging such services would be an immense task. That’s why I’m proposing to use the Internet Computer’s built-in solution for creating and maintaining DAOs, known as SNS.
To kickstart the process of transforming our ecosystem, this framework requires submitting a proposal to the Internet Computer’s governance, known as NNS. This step ensures a decentralized and democratic process. It also prepares for the handover of control of the smart contracts and allows all participants to review the parameters involved.
Once this proposal is live, your voice will be crucial! You’ll have the opportunity to vote on whether to accept or reject it.
Please note that the following does not constitute financial advice.
If the proposal is approved, an initial decentralization swap will be kicked off. The goal here is to raise the initial funds for the DAO and to decentralize the voting power. Think of it like crowdfunding, where people contribute ICP tokens. In return, participants are rewarded with staked tokens, giving them a share of the DAO's voting power.
For the swap to succeed, it requires at least 100 participants and 200,000 ICP tokens. Otherwise, the entire journey of transforming Juno into a DAO fails. So, if you’re excited about being part of this adventure, this could be the step where you make a real difference — if you decide on your own will to do so.
If the swap fails, it will mark the beginning of the end. While the platform won’t be deprecated immediately, I will gradually phase it out over the course of, let's say, a year. During this time, Juno will stop accepting new developers, and I will no longer develop new features, promote the eco-system, or invest in it beyond maintenance.
For those already using Juno, I want to reassure you that I won’t leave you stranded. I’m committed to offering support to help you transition and find suitable alternatives. I’m not, I hope, that much of an a-hole. I try to maintain good karma.
On a personal note, I would also be deprecating all of my personal projects, such as proposals.network, as I have no intention of using any developer tooling other than Juno for my own Web3 projects.
If the swap is successful, hooray! Juno will officially become a DAO, allowing you to actively participate in the governance of the project and start using the new JUNOBUILD token, among other exciting developments.
This will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter, with the community at the heart of Juno's future.
Renaming a route in your web application is a common task, but it’s crucial to handle it correctly to avoid breaking links and negatively impacting your SEO. Redirecting the old route to the new one ensures a seamless user experience and maintains your site's search engine rankings.
In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the steps to set up a redirection after renaming one of your pages.
Are you looking to extend Juno's features? Stop right there, because it is now possible!
I'm thrilled to unveil today's new addition to the set of features offered by Juno: the introduction of serverless Functions enabling developers to extend the native capabilities of Satellites. This groundbreaking update opens a plethora of opportunities for developers to innovate and customize their applications like never before.
In the realm of cloud computing, serverless architecture allows developers to build and run applications and services without the burden of managing infrastructure. This model enables the execution of server-side code based on user demand, allowing for direct interactions with APIs, databases, and other resources as part of your project's deployment. It's a paradigm that significantly reduces overhead and increases the agility of software development processes.
The introduction of serverless blockchain functions by Juno innovatively takes this concept a step further by integrating blockchain technology into this flexible and efficient framework. This groundbreaking development opens the door for extending the native capabilities of Satellites smart contracts, pushing the boundaries of what's possible within the blockchain space.
This means you can now enhance the functionality of Satellites smart contracts and extend those capabilities with anything that can be achieved on the Internet Computer blockchain.
At the core of Juno's serverless blockchain functions are hooks, which are essentially the backbone of how these functions operate within the ecosystem. These hooks are defined to automatically respond to event triggers related within your Satellite, including operations such as creating, updating, and deleting to documents and assets.
An essential feature of these optional hooks is their ability to spawn asynchronously, a design choice that significantly enhances the efficiency and responsiveness of applications built on Juno. This asynchronous spawning means that the hooks do not block or delay the execution of calls and responses between your client-side decentralized application (dApp) and the smart contract.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a simplified schematic representation of a hook that is triggered when a document is set:
In addition to unveiling this new feature, we're also excited to introduce a brand-new developer experience we hope you're going to enjoy. This is built on the local development environment we released earlier this year, designed to make your work with Juno smoother and more intuitive.
note
Make sure you have Juno's CLI tool installed on your machine.
Start by ejecting the Satellite within your project. This step prepares your project for local development. Open your terminal and run:
juno dev eject
In a new terminal window, kick off the local development environment that leverages Docker:
juno dev start
Now, your local development environment is up and running, ready for you to start coding.
Once you're ready to see your changes in action, compile your code:
juno dev build
One of the key benefits of Juno's local development environment is its support for hot reloading. This feature automatically detects changes to your code and deploys them in the local environment. It means you can immediately test your custom code locally, ensuring a fast and efficient development cycle.
This sample application illustrates the use of Juno's serverless functions to perform asynchronous data operations with a small frontend client and backend hook setup.
The frontend client is designed to save a document in the Datastore, while the backend hook modifies this document upon being triggered. This process exemplifies the asynchronous capability of functions to read from and write to the Datastore.
To begin exploring this functionality, clone the example repository and prepare the environment with the following commands:
git clone https://github.com/junobuild/examples cd rust/hooks npm ci
After setting up the project, to start and debug the sample in your local environment, please follow the steps as outlined in the previous chapter Getting Started.
The core of this sample is the hook code, which is triggered upon the document set operation in a specific collection. Here’s the hook's logic:
#[on_set_doc(collections =["demo"])] asyncfnon_set_doc(context:OnSetDocContext)->Result<(),String>{ // Decode the new data saved in the Datastore letmut data:Person=decode_doc_data(&context.data.data.after.data)?; // Modify the document's data data.hello =format!("{} checked", data.hello); data.yolo =false; // Encode the data back into a blob let encode_data =encode_doc_data(&data)?; // Prepare parameters to save the updated document let doc:SetDoc=SetDoc{ data: encode_data, description: context.data.data.after.description, updated_at:Some(context.data.data.after.updated_at), }; // Save the updated document set_doc_store( context.caller, context.data.collection, context.data.key, doc, )?; Ok(()) }
This hook demonstrates asynchronous processing by reading the initial data saved from the frontend, modifying it, and then saving the updated version back to the Datastore. It's triggered specifically for documents within the "demo" collection and showcases how to handle data blobs, execute modifications, and interact with the Datastore programmatically.
As mentioned in the introduction, the serverless functions extend Juno's capabilities to anything that can be achieved on the Internet Computer. With this in mind, let's explore implementing HTTPS outcalls to a Web2 API in another sample.
To explore this advanced functionality, follow the steps below to clone the repository and set up the project:
git clone https://github.com/junobuild/examples cd rust/https-outcalls npm ci
After cloning and navigating to the correct directory, proceed with starting and debugging the sample in your local environment, as outlined in the Getting Started chapter.
The hook implemented in this sample interacts with the Dog CEO API to fetch random dog images and update documents within the dogs collection in the Datastore. Here's how it works:
// The data of the document we are looking to update in the Satellite's Datastore. #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)] structDogData{ src:Option<String>, } // We are using the Dog CEO API in this example. // https://dog.ceo/dog-api/ // // Its endpoint "random" returns such JSON data: // { // "message": "https://images.dog.ceo/breeds/mountain-swiss/n02107574_1118.jpg", // "status": "success" // } // // That's why we declare a struct that matches the structure of the answer. #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)] structDogApiResponse{ message:String, status:String, } #[on_set_doc(collections =["dogs"])] asyncfnon_set_doc(context:OnSetDocContext)->Result<(),String>{ // 1. Prepare the HTTP GET request let url ="https://dog.ceo/api/breeds/image/random".to_string(); let request_headers =vec![]; let request =CanisterHttpRequestArgument{ url, method:HttpMethod::GET, body:None, max_response_bytes:None, // In this simple example we skip sanitizing the response with a custom function for simplicity reason. transform:None, // We do not require any particular HTTP headers in this example. headers: request_headers, }; // 2. Execute the HTTP request. A request consumes Cycles(!). In this example we provide 2_000_000_000 Cycles (= 0.002 TCycles). // To estimate the costs see documentation: // - https://internetcomputer.org/docs/current/developer-docs/gas-cost#special-features // - https://internetcomputer.org/docs/current/developer-docs/integrations/https-outcalls/https-outcalls-how-it-works#pricing // Total amount of cycles depends on the subnet size. Therefore, on mainnet it might cost ~13x more than what's required when developing locally. Source: https://forum.dfinity.org/t/http-outcalls-cycles/27439/4 // Note: In the future we will have a UI logging panel in console.juno.build to help debug on production. Follow PR https://github.com/junobuild/juno/issues/415. // // We rename ic_cdk::api::management_canister::http_request::http_request to http_request_outcall because the Satellite already includes such a function's name. matchhttp_request_outcall(request,2_000_000_000).await{ Ok((response,))=>{ // 3. Use serde_json to transform the response to a structured object. let str_body =String::from_utf8(response.body) .expect("Transformed response is not UTF-8 encoded."); let dog_response:DogApiResponse= serde_json::from_str(&str_body).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?; // 4. Our goal is to update the document in the Datastore with an update that contains the link to the image fetched from the API we just called. let dog:DogData=DogData{ src:Some(dog_response.message), }; // 5. We encode those data back to blob because the Datastore holds data as blob. let encode_data =encode_doc_data(&dog)?; // 6. Then we construct the parameters required to call the function that save the data in the Datastore. let doc:SetDoc=SetDoc{ data: encode_data, description: context.data.data.after.description, updated_at:Some(context.data.data.after.updated_at), }; // 7. We store the data in the Datastore for the same caller as the one who triggered the original on_set_doc, in the same collection with the same key as well. set_doc_store( context.caller, context.data.collection, context.data.key, doc, )?; Ok(()) } Err((r, m))=>{ let message = format!("The http_request resulted into error. RejectionCode: {r:?}, Error: {m}"); Err(message) } } }
This sample not only provides a practical demonstration of making HTTP outcalls but also illustrates the enhanced capabilities that serverless functions offer to developers using Juno.
In conclusion, Juno's serverless functions mark a significant advancement in blockchain development, offering developers the tools to create more sophisticated and dynamic applications. This feature set not only broadens the scope of what can be achieved within Juno's ecosystem but also underscores the platform's commitment to innovation and developer empowerment. As we move forward, the potential for serverless technology in blockchain applications is boundless, promising exciting new possibilities for the future.
👋
Stay connected with Juno by following us on X/Twitter.
I'm excited to share that local dApp development and end-to-end testing are now available on Juno through our new Docker image.
This update serves as a key addition to our upcoming features for the year to come, offering developers a practical solution to build or test their projects in a sandbox environment.
The documentation for this new feature is available here. Moreover, the container's code is open source, and you can access it here for more insights.
In this blog post, rather than reiterating the documentation, I'll provide an example to demonstrate how you can effectively utilize this feature in your development workflow.
I've prepared a sample project to demonstrate how a dApp can be run and persist data in a local environment. Open your terminal and clone the sample project developed with Astro:
git clone https://github.com/junobuild/examples/ cd examples/astro npm ci
To start the container, head to the subfolder containing the configuration I prepared for you.
cddocker
In this folder, you will find two files. A docker-compose.yml file contains essential information for the image, such as the port and a volume. For more details, refer to the documentation.
There's also a juno.dev.json file, which is designed to set up a collection once the Satellite is populated locally, similar to what you can do in Juno's administration console.
Given that everything is set for you, you can run the following command to start the container:
docker compose up
And that's it! The container is designed to manage serving a local Internet Computer replica. It also embeds a custom CLI which handles deploying and populating the Internet Identity and a Satellite. With this setup, you have everything necessary for efficient local development.
To get the sample dApp up and running, open another terminal window. Navigate back to the root folder of the project and start the dApp using the following command:
npm run dev
This project leverages our Vite Plugin and libraries, streamlining the setup process with minimal configuration needed. I've already configured it for you, but typically, you would only need to set a container option for the plugin:
With the local dApp server active, you can now access it in your browser at http://localhost:4321.
Upon visiting the site, you'll find an option to sign in using Internet Identity. Since everything is deployed locally in a sandbox, your existing identity (anchor) won't be recognized, that's why you will have to create a new one.
Once signed in, you'll see a "count" action, a simple feature that increments a counter and saves a value associated with your identity.
This demonstrates the dApp's capability to interact with local data and user identities.
In conclusion, the integration of local development capabilities with Juno, using Docker, marks a significant step forward in streamlining and simplifying the development process for dApps.
This setup not only facilitates a more efficient development cycle but also offers a practical environment for thorough testing. It's a straightforward, no-frills approach that underscores Juno's commitment to improving the developer experience without overcomplicating the process.
I am excited to see the innovative applications and solutions the developers of our community will create with these enhanced tools at their disposal.
👋
Stay connected with Juno by following us on X/Twitter.
