Bit Dynamics Completes Canton DevKit Development Fund Project, Making Local Development Easier

The open-source toolkit brings LocalNet setup, observability, package management, and token testing into a more accessible Canton developer workflow.

The Canton Foundation is pleased to recognize Bit Dynamics for completing the four core milestones of Canton DevKit, an open-source toolkit built to simplify local application development on Canton Network.

The project’s final Development Fund milestone, focused on adoption validation and ecosystem outreach, was approved on September 10, 2026. With the core grant work delivered, Canton DevKit offers developers a more unified way to start a local Canton environment, inspect its behavior, manage Daml packages, and test token workflows.

Reducing the Work Between an Idea and a Running LocalNet

Getting started with a new application often requires more than writing code. Developers must assemble and configure local infrastructure, check dependencies, find logs, and confirm that their environment is working before they can test a single workflow.

Canton DevKit, developed by Bit Dynamics, builds on the existing Canton LocalNet stack and makes these recurring steps easier to manage. It offers command-line tools and a browser-based interface so teams can operate a local environment without having to assemble each piece of the workflow themselves.

For example, developers can use a single command to start LocalNet, then access status, diagnostics, logs, and lifecycle controls. The toolkit also supports named local instances and snapshot and restore capabilities, making it easier to repeat development and testing scenarios.

From LocalNet Management to a Developer Workspace

Across its funded milestones, Canton DevKit added capabilities aimed at the day-to-day needs of Canton application teams.

The delivered toolkit includes:

• LocalNet lifecycle management: startup, shutdown, restart, health checks, logs, and environment diagnostics through a CLI and web interface.
• Observability and exploration: integrated dashboards, metrics, transaction views, and tools to inspect contracts while developing locally.
• Daml package workflows: tools for uploading, inspecting, comparing, and working with DAR files across local participants.
• Token Standard V2 testing: local token creation, minting, transfers, balances, burns, and faucet workflows aligned with CIP-0112.
• Reusable developer resources: installation instructions, troubleshooting guidance, examples, and a documented path for using the toolkit as a DPM component.

These capabilities are designed to reduce the amount of setup and integration work application developers repeat across projects. They do not replace Canton Network’s core infrastructure or protocol standards. Instead, they make existing local development capabilities easier to access and test.

Validated by the Developer Community

The final milestone included evidence of adoption and outreach, not just a feature checklist. In the submission dated August 28, 2026, Bit Dynamics reported more than 500 downloads through its DPM component distribution channels, exceeding its stated adoption target.

The team also delivered two community learning sessions, including a July online workshop and an August Canton builders office-hours session, as well as a practical case study about running Canton locally.

External contributors provided useful feedback during the project. Teams including Certora, Moonsong Labs, and Gateway.FM described testing or using Canton DevKit in their development workflows. Reviewers also evaluated the LocalNet and token functionality as part of the milestone acceptance process.

Those examples matter because developer tooling is most valuable when it works beyond its original author. Independent testing helps surface missing features, refine documentation, and identify where a smoother onboarding experience can help other teams.

Open Source as Shared Infrastructure

Canton DevKit is published under the Apache 2.0 license, making its source code available for teams to inspect, use, and contribute to. The project provides a shared starting point for developers, workshops, and organizations working on Canton applications.

The Canton Development Fund supports initiatives that create reusable benefits for the ecosystem. Canton DevKit demonstrates this goal in a practical way: making it easier to run a local environment, understand application behavior, and test Canton-specific workflows.

Looking Ahead

With the four core funded milestones completed, the toolkit and its documentation are available for developers to try, evaluate, and help improve. 

Building on this foundation, BitDynamics has submitted a separate proposal to extend Canton DevKit with configurable multi-participant and multi-synchronizer environments, helping teams test more complex application and contract reassignment workflows locally. These proposed capabilities are currently under review and are not part of the completed grant scope.

Congratulations to Bit Dynamics and the Canton DevKit contributors on this Development Fund milestone. We look forward to seeing more developers use the project to build and test applications on Canton Network.

Explore Canton DevKit

• Source code and releases: https://github.com/bitdynamics-ab/canton-devkit
• Getting started and case study: https://bitdynamics-ab.github.io/canton-devkit/case-studies/running-canton-locally
• Development Fund proposal: https://github.com/canton-foundation/canton-dev-fund/pull/18

To learn more about the Canton Development Fund, visit https://github.com/canton-foundation/canton-dev-fund.