Rethinking Web3 Efficiency with Gear.exe
In Brief
Gear.exe is revolutionizing Web3 scalability and efficiency by offering a decentralized compute network that enhances Ethereum’s performance, eliminates fragmentation, and introduces a unique reverse gas model to improve adoption.
Scaling and efficiency are major challenges in Web3, and Gear.exe is tackling them head-on. To learn more, we spoke with Luis Ramírez, Head of DevRel at Gear Foundation, about how their decentralized compute network is improving Ethereum’s performance while avoiding fragmentation.
In this interview, Luis explains how Gear.exe enables seamless scalability and discusses its unique reverse gas model. He also touches on the future of blockchain, AI, and what’s next for Gear.exe.
Can you share your journey to Web3?
I’m currently the head of the World Wide Web Foundation, and my background is primarily technical. I have been working in IT for 20 years. I started as a developer and founded my own company 10 years ago to create various products. Like almost everyone, I began in Web2 because Web3 is still relatively new.
During my journey with my company, I integrated different technologies. In 2013, I started accepting Bitcoin as payment for my development services, but nothing significant happened back then since it wasn’t the best time for Bitcoin. Later, in 2017, I began developing smart contracts on Ethereum. From that point on, I transitioned to blockchain technology.
In 2019, a Russian friend introduced me to Rust and blockchain, and later, he invited me to be part of Gear. I have now been working with Gear for three and a half years. My background is mostly focused on development, growing developer communities, and strategic initiatives across different regions where the Gear Foundation has an official presence. Currently, we have teams in the US, Mexico, Spain, India, China, and other parts of the world.
Ethereum has been facing growing challenges, such as high latency and limited computational power. How does Gear.exe address these issues? How does it compare to Layer 2 solutions?
Gear.exe is a decentralized compute network, and we focus on solving Ethereum’s computational challenges. We’re using technology already proven in Vara, such as WebAssembly, the Actor Model, and Persistent Memory. These technologies allow us to scale applications in the Web3 space securely while utilizing frameworks and programming languages like Rust.
We transferred this technology to Gear.exe to solve Ethereum’s scalability issues. However, Gear.exe is not a blockchain—it’s a decentralized compute network. This distinction is important because while Layer 2 solutions solve scalability issues, they also introduce fragmentation. Users often need to create new accounts, which fragments TVL and token balances. Gear.exe prevents this by allowing developers to interact with our network via an API while maintaining compatibility with Ethereum infrastructure.
Fragmentation of liquidity and data has been a persistent issue for Ethereum. Gear.exe claims to eliminate fragmentation. How does it achieve this while maintaining scalability?
Even though Gear.exe is not a blockchain, we use some blockchain-based technologies. For example, we validate data, but we don’t store user accounts. This means no additional user data is created, no new accounts are required, and liquidity remains entirely within Ethereum.
Our system only processes computational requests and returns the results to Ethereum within the same block. Other technologies can achieve similar results, but often in different blocks, which introduces delays. Depending on the computation required, we ensure high scalability. Our platform is compatible with WebAssembly, and smart contracts are interpreted by a WebAssembly virtual machine within our nodes. This makes our solution both fast and secure.
Gear.exe uses a reverse gas model, allowing apps to cover user fees. How does this work in practice?
In traditional Web3 applications, users interact with a frontend but need a wallet and tokens to communicate with the blockchain. This requirement can be a major barrier for adoption.
Gear.exe solves this with a reverse gas model. Instead of requiring users to hold tokens for transactions, developers can prepay transaction fees using a system called vouchers. These vouchers are stored in the smart contract, and any user interacting with the contract doesn’t have to worry about providing tokens or covering gas fees. This is a powerful feature that enhances usability and adoption.
Have you conducted performance benchmarks comparing Gear.exe-enabled dApps to traditional Ethereum or roll-up-based dApps? If so, what are the results?
Yes, absolutely. We have published videos and articles detailing our benchmarking results. We compared Gear.exe to Ethereum and Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum, both its EVM and WebAssembly versions.
Compared to Ethereum, Gear.exe is approximately 1,000 times faster and significantly cheaper. Compared to Arbitrum, Gear.exe is about 200 times more cost-efficient. Even Arbitrum’s WebAssembly-compatible implementation—arguably the best Layer 2 option for Ethereum—cannot match our performance, as we use Rust instead of Solidity and have our own smart contract platform.
Given the ongoing challenges of high fees, network congestion, and centralization risks in Layer 2 solutions, do you believe Ethereum will remain the dominant smart contract platform, or will alternative architectures take the lead?
Other platforms like Solana are gaining traction, particularly among developers. However, many of the most well-known use cases revolve around meme coins, since Web3 users primarily focus on financial gains. While technology is crucial, user behavior also plays a key role in adoption.
That said, Ethereum still has the largest developer community. We aim to attract developers through Gear.exe while remaining blockchain-agnostic. Currently, Gear.exe is integrated with Ethereum’s Holesky testnet, but in the future, we plan to expand support for additional networks.
Gear.exe leverages WebAssembly for efficiency. Do you see WebAssembly-based execution environments becoming the industry standard for next-generation blockchain platforms?
Yes, WebAssembly has significantly improved virtual machine performance. Early smart contract platforms relied on Ethereum’s EVM, but the transition to WebAssembly started with Gavin Wood when he was developing Polkadot. Our CEO, Nikolay, was involved in that shift from EVM to WebAssembly.
Today, WebAssembly has proven itself in terms of both efficiency and security. Several blockchain platforms, including Near and some Ethereum Layer 2 solutions like Arbitrum, are adopting WebAssembly. This indicates a growing trend towards WebAssembly-based execution environments.
With the increasing overlap between blockchain and AI, do you see Ethereum’s future tied to AI-driven smart contracts and decentralized compute networks?
Absolutely. Even though Ethereum is facing internal challenges within its community, it remains the largest ecosystem for developers. The intersection of AI and blockchain is already being explored, with several solutions built on Ethereum.
Currently, AI computations are not performed directly on Ethereum due to high costs. Instead, many solutions rely on off-chain processing. With Gear.exe, decentralized AI execution becomes feasible, making AI-driven smart contracts more practical. AI agents are gaining traction, and this trend will continue growing.
Will innovations like Gear.exe’s reverse gas model be enough to make Web3 as seamless as Web2, or are bigger infrastructural changes needed?
I believe it’s not enough on its own. The reverse gas model is an important step in making Web3 more accessible, especially for Web2 developers. However, the Web3 ecosystem also needs new business models that bridge Web2 and Web3. Adoption isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s also about creating viable business incentives.
Can you share the roadmap for Gear.exe?
Currently, Gear.exe is running on the Holesky testnet. The team is working on improvements to enhance compatibility, particularly with the Vara network’s smart contracts.
Our goal is to enable seamless migration of Vara smart contracts to Gear.exe without any modifications. This is a key part of our roadmap. Once this is complete, we plan to launch Gear.exe on the mainnet in the coming months.
Before the mainnet launch, we will introduce a bridge between Gear.exe, Ethereum, and Vara, allowing seamless communication and token swaps between these networks.
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About The Author
Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.
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Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.
