cyscale

What it is and what it does

cyscale is a Cython-compiled SCALE codec library for Substrate-based blockchains. It keeps the same module name and most of the API surface as py-scale-codec but diverges in a key way: its optimized decode paths return plain Python values (int, str, bool, dict, list, tuple, None) directly rather than wrapping them in ScaleType objects. This makes it faster but breaks drop-in compatibility for code that expects the object tree structure.

The library supports encoding and decoding SCALE types used across Polkadot, Kusama, and Bittensor networks. It includes a batch_decode API for amortizing Python dispatch overhead across multiple decodes. The classic object API remains available as a fallback for types not covered by the optimized paths, so encode operations and exotic types behave as before. No external runtime dependencies.

Use it for:

• Decode Polkadot or Kusama blockchain extrinsics, events, and calls at high throughput in indexers or monitoring tools.
• Parse large metadata payloads from Substrate chains during chain inspection or code generation.
• Batch-decode account IDs or other SCALE types in bulk operations, leveraging the batch_decode API.
• Encode and decode Bittensor network data and metadata in machine-learning pipelines that require fast serialization.
• Build Substrate chain explorers or wallets where decode latency directly impacts user-facing responsiveness.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Cython-accelerated encoder and decoder for the SCALE codec used by Substrate-based blockchains (Polkadot, Kusama, Bittensor), producing plain Python values instead of object trees.

Yes, if you are working with Substrate-based blockchains and can accept that decode output is plain Python values rather than ScaleType objects. The performance gains are substantial for high-throughput indexing or metadata parsing. If your codebase relies on the object tree API or expects `.value` / `.value_object` wrappers, migration is required but the shapes of the returned data remain the same. No known vulnerabilities, active maintenance, and permissive licensing make it a sound choice.

Install

cyscale on PyPI

pip install cyscale

uv add cyscale

poetry add cyscale

Installing cyscale

Before you install

Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; however, wheels are pre-built for Python 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, and 3.14 across macOS, Linux, and Windows, so installation is typically straightforward. Actively maintained with a recent release.

License in practice

Licensed under Apache-2.0 (permissive), allowing use in most commercial and open-source projects without significant restriction.

Quickstart

pip install cyscale

from cyscale import Codec

codec = Codec('u32')
value = codec.decode(b'\x2a\x00\x00\x00')
print(value)

Requires Python 3.10 or later; pre-built wheels are available for common platforms but installation on unsupported architectures may require compilation.

Verify before relying

• Whether the plain-value decode output is sufficient for all use cases that previously relied on ScaleType object trees.
• Performance gains on real-world metadata decoding workloads in production Substrate applications.
• Compatibility status with ecosystem tools that may expect the original py-scale-codec object API.
• Actual API surface and method names available in cyscale for encoding and decoding operations.

Package facts

Evidence: cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp310-cp310-win_arm64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp311-cp311-win_arm64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_10_13_x86_64.whl; cyscale-0.8.0-cp312-cp312-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl

Keywords: scale, codec, polkascan, polkadot, substrate, blockchain, kusama, cython, bittensor

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