WebAssembly Unleashed Wasm Proposal Hot Takes Part 2 | WebAssembly Unleashed
Nov 12, 2025
Hosts and their special guest dive into the latest WebAssembly proposals, exploring ESM integration for easy JavaScript imports. They discuss the benefits of wide arithmetic operations for improved performance and cryptography. The nuances between phase two and phase three proposals are dissected, alongside a look at relaxed dead code validation. The team debates custom page sizes for efficiency in embedded systems and the significance of stack switching for coroutines. Insights into the component model's status and challenges in observability complete this engaging discussion.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Native ESM Imports For Wasm
- ESM integration will let JavaScript import Wasm modules like native JS modules without manual fetching and instantiation.
- Oscar Spencer calls this a long-held dream that simplifies Wasm use from JavaScript environments.
Wider Arithmetic Speeds Numeric Code
- Wide arithmetic exposes overflow/high-part results to improve performance for big-number, crypto, and PRNG workloads.
- Matthew Yacobucci explains LLVM currently generates inefficient Wasm without these ops, causing slow native-equivalent math.
Phase Two Means Spec Work Done
- Phase two means spec text exists and the community evaluates implementability, not just the idea.
- Oscar Spencer frames phase two as the moment where proposals start "walking the walk" beyond discussion.