# ElizaOS Developer Update (2026-03-16 → 2026-03-19)

This update summarizes core framework and plugin-ecosystem changes discussed and shipped across GitHub + Discord over the past week, with emphasis on V2 architecture direction and plugin registry hygiene.

---

## 1) Core Framework

### V2 “skills” folder structure (architecture direction)
Work is underway to formalize a `skills/` folder as part of the ElizaOS v2.0.0 layout to reduce the “anything goes” contribution dynamic that caused bloat in the 0.x era.

- **PR:** Skills folder structure for v2.0.0: https://github.com/elizaos/eliza/pull/6597
- **Design question raised (not finalized):** Ship **v2.0.0 with zero default skills** and rely on **external skill discovery/hosting** (e.g., `yourdomain.com/skills.md`) to keep the core runtime minimal while still enabling community distribution.

**Implications for developers**
- Expect the v2 runtime to treat “skills” as **optional, externally sourced artifacts** rather than core-bundled defaults.
- If you ship skills, plan for **out-of-tree distribution** and a discoverability format (see “API Changes” for recommended patterns).

---

## 2) New Features

### Ensoul persistence plugin: encrypted decentralized agent state (“consciousness”)
A new third-party persistence plugin was announced:

- **Package:** `@ensoul-network/plugin-elizaos`
- **Repo:** https://github.com/suitandclaw/ensoul
- **Docs:** https://ensoul.dev/docs/quickstart.html
- **Explorer:** https://explorer.ensoul.dev

**What it does**
- Extracts and persists agent identity + memory + learned behavior.
- Encrypts persisted data using **agent-owned keys**.
- Uses **erasure coding** to shard data across a **distributed validator network** for fault tolerance (reconstructable even with node failures).
- Introduces:
  - **Ensouled Handshake:** cryptographic proof to verify persistent identity in interactions.
  - **Consciousness Age:** an “unfakeable” trust metric indicating continuous ensouled duration.

**Install**
```bash
npm install @ensoul-network/plugin-elizaos
```

**Minimal integration sketch (runtime wiring)**
> Exact APIs depend on your ElizaOS runtime/plugin host; this shows the intended shape: register the plugin, then enable persistence for your agent instance.

```ts
import { createAgentRuntime } from "@elizaos/core";
import { ensoulPersistencePlugin } from "@ensoul-network/plugin-elizaos";

const runtime = await createAgentRuntime({
  plugins: [
    ensoulPersistencePlugin({
      // expected: agent key material + network configuration
      // see https://ensoul.dev/docs/quickstart.html
      validatorNetwork: "mainnet",
    }),
  ],
});

// On boot: restore persisted identity/memory if present
await runtime.start();
```

**Operational note**
- Ensoul is offering **free storage for the first 100 agents** (per announcement). Validate assumptions around quotas, retention, and key custody in production.

---

## 3) Bug Fixes (critical/impactful)

### Plugin ecosystem maintenance: `plugin-evm` issue cleanup + expanded onchain data coverage
Community work is in progress to:
- Fix multiple open issues in `plugin-evm`
- Add **100+ onchain data sources** via **goldrush.dev** integration

While specific PR numbers were not provided in this week’s discussions, this is a meaningful reliability upgrade for EVM-based agents that depend on consistent chain data/decoding.

**Developer impact**
- Expect improved coverage for onchain lookups and fewer edge-case failures in EVM data fetching once merged.
- If you maintain downstream tooling, watch for changes in supported endpoints/data shapes from the goldrush-backed expansion.

---

## 4) API Changes (developer-facing)

### Plugin naming standardization (registry + framework)
To reduce ambiguity, form-related plugins were renamed:

- `plugin-form` → `plugin-form-chain`
- `plugin-forms` → `plugin-form` (plural → singular)
- Registry updated to reflect these names

**Where**
- Discussed in the `xfn-framework` channel; registry entries updated accordingly.
- Registry: https://github.com/elizaos-plugins/registry

**Action required**
- Update dependencies/imports in any agent or plugin referencing the old names.

**Example: update dependencies**
```bash
# remove old packages (names illustrative; use your actual package scopes)
npm remove @elizaos/plugin-form @elizaos/plugin-forms

# install new packages
npm install @elizaos/plugin-form-chain @elizaos/plugin-form
```

**Example: update imports**
```ts
// before
import { formPlugin } from "@elizaos/plugin-forms";

// after (plural renamed to singular)
import { formPlugin } from "@elizaos/plugin-form";
```

---

## 5) Social Media Integrations (Twitter / Telegram / Discord / Farcaster)

No direct changes landed this week to the official Twitter/Telegram/Discord/Farcaster plugins based on the provided GitHub + Discord extracts.

**Related developer note**
- There is renewed focus on ecosystem distribution via the plugin registry; social connectors should continue to be packaged/registered through:
  - https://github.com/elizaos-plugins/registry
  - Docs: https://docs.elizaos.ai (plugin creation/distribution guidance referenced in dev discussion)

---

## 6) Model Provider Updates (OpenAI / Anthropic / DeepSeek / etc.)

No provider integration changes were captured in the provided activity for this week.

---

## 7) Breaking Changes (V1 → V2 migration warnings)

### A) Plugin rename breakages (immediate)
If you upgrade and your agent fails at startup with “module not found” / “cannot resolve package”, audit for references to:
- `plugin-form` (now `plugin-form-chain`)
- `plugin-forms` (now `plugin-form`)

This is a **hard break** at dependency resolution time.

### B) V2 skills: expect “no defaults” and external distribution patterns
The v2.0.0 direction being explored is to ship with **0 default skills** and push skill discovery to externally hosted manifests (e.g., `skills.md`).

**What this breaks**
- Any V1/V0 workflows assuming “skills are bundled in core” or “skills come preinstalled” may silently degrade (agents start, but capabilities are missing).

**Recommended mitigation (for skill authors)**
- Treat skills as versioned artifacts and publish a manifest endpoint:
  - `https://<your-domain>/skills.md` (proposed convention)
- Provide install instructions that pin to immutable versions (tag/commit) and register your skill package in the registry when applicable.

**Tracking**
- Skills folder PR: https://github.com/elizaos/eliza/pull/6597
- Plugin registry: https://github.com/elizaos-plugins/registry

---

### Appendix: Integration signals from community dev discussions

**“Unbrowse” (API-first agent browser) plugin pathway**
A new agent-browsing approach (“unbrowse”: API traversal over DOM, targeting major speedups) is looking for an integration point. The recommended path remains:
- Build it as a plugin and publish via the registry distribution system:
  - https://github.com/elizaos-plugins/registry
- Follow plugin authoring docs:
  - https://docs.elizaos.ai