The Rise of Move: From Diem's Collapse to Powering Leading Blockchains
Move's creator, Sam Blackshear, discusses its evolution after Diem's collapse and its role in Aptos, Sui, and beyond.
Sam Blackshear initially developed the Move programming language at Facebook for blockchain-based applications, but it was meant to power Diem, Facebook’s ambitious cryptocurrency. Yet, when Diem failed to launch, it was just the beginning for Move.
The U.S. government’s regulatory pushback brought Diem to a halt, but the technology behind it, including Move, had immense potential beyond Facebook's project. Today, Move underpins several prominent blockchain platforms, most notably Aptos and Sui. Blackshear, now chief technology officer at Mysten Labs, continues to spearhead the development of Move on Sui.
Blackshear explained why Move is poised to outshine other blockchain languages like Solidity and Rust. “Move is both safer and more productive,” he said. Reflecting on his experience in static program analysis and bug prevention before joining Facebook’s Libra project (which later became Diem), Blackshear noted how Move was designed to avoid critical flaws like the infamous EthereumDAO hack caused by a reentrancy bug. “Move simply doesn’t allow reentrancy,” he pointed out.
Blackshear also highlighted Move’s productivity, crediting its object-based abstraction for making it easier for developers to translate ideas into code.
The End of Diem, the Beginning of Move
In 2018, Facebook launched an ambitious project to create a global blockchain-powered payments system. Originally named Libra, it was rebranded as Diem, with support from major partners like PayPal, Visa, and Uber. However, despite Facebook’s efforts to diffuse responsibility, regulatory concerns and public skepticism weighed down the project.
By mid-2021, it became clear to many within Facebook, including Blackshear, that Diem was unlikely to move forward. “There were several moments where it seemed like we were going to launch, but one pivotal event in the summer of 2021 made it clear: Diem would never happen,” he recalled. When the Federal Reserve expressed reluctance to approve any stablecoin without a solid regulatory framework, Diem’s fate was sealed.
Despite this setback, Blackshear and his colleagues were optimistic about Move’s potential. With Diem’s technical requirements met but regulatory obstacles insurmountable, they turned their focus to new ventures. “We realized Move was ready for broader applications,” said Blackshear.
Move Beyond Diem: Enter Mysten Labs
Although Move was initially built for Diem, Blackshear envisioned it being used in a variety of blockchains. Along with former Facebook colleagues, he co-founded Mysten Labs in 2021. Together with Evan Cheng (CEO), George Danezis, Adeniyi Abiodun, and Kostas Chalkias, the Mysten team set out to launch Sui, a layer-1 blockchain powered by Move.
Sui debuted in May 2023, following in the footsteps of Aptos, another Move-powered blockchain that launched in late 2022. Aptos was founded by two other ex-Facebook employees, Avery Ching and Mo Shaikh. Despite the competition between these Move-based blockchains, Sui’s growth has been significant. In a recent report, Sui experienced a 2,000% increase in total volume locked over just three months.
Several protocols, including Cetus, Navi Protocol, and Scallop Lend, have already contributed to Sui’s rapid rise. Solend, a major protocol on Solana, is even expanding into Sui.
Move’s Advantages: Security, Accessibility, Speed
Blackshear firmly believes that Move’s focus on safety gives it a significant edge over other blockchain languages. “Smart contract safety is key to increasing broader adoption of crypto,” he explained. Since Move eliminates common vulnerabilities like reentrancy, it provides a more secure environment for developers.
As for Sui’s future, accessibility is a top priority. Blackshear emphasized the importance of developer experience. “We obsess over making things easy for developers,” he said.
Looking ahead, one of the most exciting developments for Blackshear is Sui’s upcoming major upgrade: Mysticeti. Scheduled for early 2024, Mysticeti aims to drastically reduce latency. Payments on Sui currently take around 400 milliseconds, while decentralized exchanges operate within two to three seconds. Mysticeti is expected to bring that down to just one second — a groundbreaking improvement.
A Personal and Professional Journey
Move’s journey from Diem to its current applications is one that even Blackshear acknowledges is unexpected. A programming language created for a failed cryptocurrency now powers three flourishing blockchain platforms, including Aptos and Sui.
For Blackshear, this evolution has been more than a professional challenge — it’s been a deeply personal experience. Leading the charge at Mysten Labs has transformed him from a language designer into an entrepreneur. “Being an entrepreneur is very different,” he admitted. “But it’s a constant learning process, and it keeps me on my feet.”
Despite the blockchain world still being relatively new to Move, Blackshear has been working on the language for over six years. His vision for Move goes beyond just technology — it’s about impact. “Blockchains are a collaboration technology,” he said. “And that’s what inspires me the most.”
Move’s evolution from Diem’s collapse to powering new blockchains like Sui and Aptos demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of technology when combined with visionary leadership. For Sam Blackshear, the journey has just begun.