WebAssembly, known as WASM, has evolved from a low-level compilation target for C and C++ into a key technology in today’s computing. It now supports browser applications, edge compute platforms, embedded systems, and an expanding range of languages aimed at a portable and secure execution model.
Andreas Rossberg, a programming languages researcher and a former member of Google’s V8 team, contributed to the architecture of WebAssembly from its earliest stages to its most recent advancements. This includes the significant 3.0 specification, which introduces garbage collection, enhanced reference types, and crucial steps toward multi-language interoperability.
In this episode, Andreas talks with Kevin Ball about the development of WebAssembly, the constraints influencing its initial design, the major changes in versions 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, and upcoming developments for WebAssembly.
Kevin Ball, or KBall, is the vice president of engineering at Mento and works as an independent coach for engineers and engineering leaders. He co-founded and served as CTO for two companies, started the San Diego JavaScript meetup, and leads the AI inaction discussion group through Latent Space.
Please click [here](http://softwareengineeringdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SED1890-WASM.txt) to view the transcript of this episode.