WebAssembly Beyond the Browser: Server-Side WASM in Production

WebAssembly is breaking free from browser constraints and emerging as a powerful runtime for server-side applications and edge computing. Companies like Cloudflare, Fastly, and Fermyon are building entire platforms around WASM, offering millisecond cold starts and near-native performance. The technology enables polyglot development, enhanced security through sandboxing, and incredible portability across different architectures. Real-world use cases span API gateways, data processing pipelines, and ML inference at the edge. As the ecosystem matures with improved tooling and language support, WASM is positioning itself as a serious alternative to traditional containerization.