About Nexera Standard

The Nexera Standard (ERC-7208) is one of three major Architecture Design Patterns for smart contract engineering. The two others you are probably already familiar with: the Upgradeable Proxy and the Diamond Proxy (ERC-2535).

Each pattern can be used independently or alongside with the others, as they provide frameworks for addressing different architectural challenges.

For example:

• You would use the Upgradeable Proxy if you need your implementation to be upgradeable,
• You would use the Diamond Standard if your contract exceeds the 24KB maximum contract size,
• You would use the Nexera Standard if you require a standardized framework for storage-logic segregation.

The Nexera Standard introduced a data-oriented paradigm shift. The development of complex smart contract architectures can now separate the storage from the business logic. Traditionally, both data and functionality are stored within the same smart contract. This may be good for small smart contract architectures but it may introduce maintainability, stability and even security concerns.

The separation of domain between Data and Logic promotes:

• Deeper Domain Knowledge: As correct data separation can be hard, on large smart contract architectures
• Adaptability: Contracts can switch governing logic as needed, even integrating with existing standards to adapt over time.
• Composability: Data Objects can be shared across different smart contracts, supporting multiple applications concurrently.
• Security: Data and Logic live independent lives, allowing end-user applications to evolve with new requirements without risk of compromising the data storage.
• Future-Proofing: Existing token standards can be interoperable or expanded through a modular architecture design, and remain compatible with new standards.

Why?

The Nexera Standard is designed to address interoperability challenges. This framework provides a flexible and efficient mechanism for managing asset interactions, regardless of the ERC used for the asset. This abstraction acts as an adapter between assets tokenized using any logical interface. Consider adopting this design pattern if your architecture requires:

• Data Abstraction: A standardized interface separating data storage from token logic. ERC-7208 reduces the need for multiple (often conflicting) interfaces and enables independent storage and management of data. For example: if your architecture requires data and logic to be stored on separate smart contracts.
• Standard Neutrality: Data that can be interacted through different token standards. ERC-7208 improves interoperability and reduces fragmentation by decoupling asset data storage from token representation. For example: if your architecture requires the use of ERC-1155 to represent fractions, but your business requires them to be ERC-20 to tap into AMM liquidity.
• Consistent Interface: A uniform set of functions abstracting data storage. ERC-7208 enables both data and metadata to be stored on-chain and accessed consistently across different domains. For example: if your architecture requires the use of simple read() and write() functions for the logic to access the storage.
• Data Portability: The movement of large amounts of on-chain data across different implementations. For example: if your architecture requires the migration from a single-chain to a cross-chain access-control layer.