What is Val Town?
Val Town is a browser-based, collaborative platform where you can write, deploy, run, and manage small bits of JavaScript/TypeScript code ("vals") in the cloud. It's designed to reduce the friction of deployment, setup, and maintenance by managing much of the infrastructure automatically.
Core Features & Capabilities
HTTP APIs & Web Handlers
Vals can respond to HTTP requests (GET, POST, etc.) with execution time constraints depending on your plan.
Cron & Scheduled Jobs
Schedule vals to run on intervals or cron expressions, with minimum 15-minute intervals on free plans.
Data Persistence
SQLite for structured data and blob storage for arbitrary files, with recommendations for external storage for large files.
Collaboration & Versioning
Projects group multiple vals with versioning, branches, and remixing capabilities for team collaboration.
The Functions.WTF Approach
While Val Town provides an excellent centralized solution, we're building something fundamentally different: a decentralized, peer-to-peer compute network that leverages the xOPS infrastructure with specialized services for different use cases.
Our Architecture Stack
xOPS Core Network
The foundational P2P compute network using Hyperswarm for peer discovery and Hypercore for verifiable execution logs. This provides the decentralized infrastructure that Val Town's centralized approach cannot match.
switchboard.wtf Services
Specialized microservices for common patterns: HTTP endpoints, cron jobs, webhook handlers, and API integrations. These services run on the xOPS network but provide higher-level abstractions.
flowstack.wtf Flows
Visual workflow builder for complex multi-step processes, data transformations, and conditional logic. Think of it as Val Town's project system but with visual flow design and distributed execution.
Feature Comparison: Val Town vs Functions.WTF
| Feature | Val Town | Functions.WTF |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Centralized cloud platform | Decentralized P2P network |
| Execution Model | Serverless functions on Val Town's infrastructure | Distributed execution across peer nodes |
| Verification | Platform-managed logging | Cryptographic attestations on Hypercore |
| Pricing | Freemium with usage limits | Credit-based P2P economy |
| Collaboration | Projects, branches, remixing | Open source, forkable functions |
| AI Assistant | Townie (Claude 4 Sonnet) | Integrated AI code generation |
Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1: Core Infrastructure ✅
We've completed the foundational xOPS network with P2P communication, secure execution sandbox, and cryptographic verification.
- Hyperswarm P2P networking
- VM2-based secure execution
- Ed25519 cryptographic signatures
- Credit-based economic system
Phase 2: switchboard.wtf Services 🚧
Building specialized services that provide Val Town-like abstractions while running on the decentralized network.
- HTTP endpoint service
- Cron job scheduler
- Webhook handler service
- Email integration service
- Database service (SQLite + blob storage)
Phase 3: flowstack.wtf Flows 🔮
Visual workflow builder for complex multi-step processes and conditional logic execution.
- Visual flow designer
- Conditional branching
- Data transformation nodes
- Integration with switchboard services
- Real-time execution monitoring
Why This Matters
Val Town Limitations
- • Centralized control and single point of failure
- • Vendor lock-in with proprietary platform
- • Limited by platform's resource constraints
- • No cryptographic verification of execution
- • Pricing model favors platform over developers
Functions.WTF Advantages
- • Truly decentralized with no single point of failure
- • Open source and forkable functions
- • Cryptographic verification of all executions
- • Fair P2P economic model
- • Global network of compute nodes
Ready to Build the Future?
Join us in building the next generation of serverless computing. Start with our current functions.wtf platform and be part of the decentralized future.