Standards and Improvement Proposals
Tracks Algorand Request for Comments (ARCs), Algorand Improvement Proposals (AIPs), and AVM/TEAL language standards that define token interfaces, wallet interoperability, smart contract patterns, and on-chain application logic. Builders and protocol teams depend on these standards for composability; wallets and exchanges rely on them for asset support and safe transaction parsing. This group differs from Network Upgrades by covering the specification layer rather than consensus-level protocol changes.
ARC-3 Fungible Token Standard
Impact and implementation page for the foundational fungible token standard on Algorand. Covers parameter choices (decimals, total supply, freeze/clawback addresses), safe parsing requirements for wallets and exchanges, and how deviations from the standard create integration risk. Teams building or listing ASAs need a review of their ARC-3 compliance to prevent display errors and transaction-signing ambiguity.
ARC-19 Templated Asset Parameters
Operational guide to the standard for upgradeable and mutable asset parameters using on-chain data. Analyzes the trust and display implications for wallets and explorers when metadata can change post-creation, and the developer patterns for building flexible token logic. A critical review point for any protocol using mutable ASA metadata.
ARC-69 NFT Standard
Integration-focused page on the community standard for embedding NFT media and metadata in the asset URL and note field. Covers rendering consistency requirements for marketplaces, wallets, and explorers, and the risks of non-conformant metadata causing broken user experiences. Teams launching NFT projects should validate their metadata against this spec.
ARC-72 Secure NFT Transfer
Security and implementation analysis of the smart contract escrow standard for permissionless NFT trading. Details how it prevents front-running and enables atomic swaps compared to simple ASA transfers. Marketplace and DeFi teams integrating NFT trading need a security review of their escrow contract implementation against this standard.
ARC-200 Token Interface
Developer impact page for the standard smart contract interface enabling contract-native tokens with logic beyond ASA constraints. Covers composability requirements for DeFi protocols and the migration considerations for projects moving from ASA-based tokens to contract-native implementations. A key review area for protocol architects building complex on-chain financial applications.
ARC-1 Wallet Transaction Signing API
Security-critical integration page for the standard dApp-to-wallet transaction signing interface. Tracks evolution of the API, transaction parsing security considerations, and how it underpins the WalletConnect-compatible ecosystem. Wallet and dApp teams should audit their signing flow against this standard to prevent blind-signing vulnerabilities.
ARC-2 Algorand URI Scheme
Implementation guide for the standard URI format representing Algorand transactions and accounts. Covers deep linking, QR code generation, and parsing requirements for mobile wallets and point-of-sale systems. A core integration point where incorrect implementation leads to failed payments or malformed transactions.
ARC-25 Algorand Wallet Standard
Comprehensive reference page for wallet behavior including account discovery, network handling, and signing algorithms. The canonical implementation guide for any team building a new Algorand wallet, covering compatibility requirements and common integration pitfalls that cause user-facing errors.
ARC-59 ASA Inbox Router
Usability pattern analysis for the standard that decouples asset sending from recipient application logic. Covers wallet and dApp implementation requirements for the inbox pattern, and the user-experience and security implications of routing assets through an intermediary contract. Teams building payment or airdrop flows should review this pattern.
ARC-4 Application Binary Interface (ABI)
Foundational developer page for the standard encoding and decoding of smart contract method calls. Critical for all composable dApp development, enabling type-safe interactions between contracts and off-chain clients. Incorrect ABI implementation is a leading cause of failed contract interactions and requires rigorous review.
ARC-28 Algorand Event Specification
Data infrastructure page for the standard for emitting and parsing structured event logs from smart contracts. Covers how indexers, data teams, and off-chain bots monitor on-chain application state, and the consequences of non-standard event emission for protocol observability. A key review area for any protocol requiring reliable off-chain indexing.
ARC-32 Application Specification
Developer tooling page for the JSON-based standard describing a smart contract's ABI, source code, and state schema. Enables automated client generation and contract verification. Explorer and tooling teams rely on this for accurate contract representation; protocol teams should ensure their specs are complete and correct.
ARC-56 Smart Contract Access Control
Security architecture page for the standard managing permissions and access control within smart contracts. Covers patterns for granular admin, manager, and user roles, and the risks of privilege escalation or misconfiguration. A critical security review point for any complex protocol with multiple permissioned functions.
TEAL Language Evolution and Opcode Standards
Advanced developer tracking page for new TEAL opcodes and language features expanding AVM capabilities. Covers the introduction of new cryptographic primitives, state manipulation features, and the implications for contract security and gas costs. Protocol architects pushing on-chain logic boundaries need to monitor this evolution for new attack surfaces and optimization opportunities.
ARC-26 Algorand to Ethereum Bridge Standard
Risk and integration page for the official Algorand-Ethereum bridge specification. Covers asset locking, minting mechanics, and validator set trust assumptions. Cross-chain DeFi teams and security auditors must understand these trust assumptions to assess the systemic risk of bridged asset positions.
State Proofs for Cross-Chain Communication
Infrastructure architecture page tracking the standardization of Algorand state proofs for trustless consensus verification on other chains. Covers the implications for decentralized bridge design, the removal of validator trust assumptions, and the integration requirements for receiving chains. A high-value topic for protocol architects building trust-minimized cross-chain infrastructure.
The ARC Lifecycle and Governance Process
Process guide explaining how an idea progresses from draft to final ARC through community rough consensus. Covers the stages, forums, and decision-making criteria. Essential reading for any team proposing a new standard, and for integrators needing to assess the maturity and stability of a given ARC.
Algorand Improvement Proposals (AIPs) for AVM Changes
Protocol-level tracking page for AIPs proposing consensus-required changes to the AVM, distinct from application-layer ARCs. Covers the technical specification of proposed changes before they become a Network Upgrade. Node operators and validators must track this to anticipate consensus rule changes that require client updates.
Deprecated and Superseded Standards
Risk management page tracking standards that are no longer recommended, explaining the reasons for deprecation and required migration paths. Prevents developers and auditors from implementing insecure or outdated patterns. A critical reference for security reviews of legacy contracts and for teams planning protocol upgrades.