A Stellar developer discusses Mercury, a data indexing service for Soroban contracts, covering how to use indexers to convert blockchain data into queryable formats, the Zephyr VM for parallel processing, and design decisions around contract storage, events, and data architecture.
The speaker explores Mercury and Zephyr VM as critical tools for Soroban development. Mercury provides data indexing services that convert XDR-formatted blockchain data into accessible databases. The Zephyr VM runs as a parallel network to Stellar, processing ledger closes and enabling developers to build indexed databases without storing everything on-chain. Key topics include RetroShades for automatic event-to-database conversion, storage optimization strategies (instance vs persistent vs temporary), when to use events versus on-chain storage, and emerging possibilities with AI agents, smart wallets, and autonomous transaction execution. The discussion emphasizes minimizing on-chain storage costs while leveraging indexers for off-chain data management.
