EdgeDB 1.0 alpha 2 release introduces several improvements and features, including enhanced standard library stabilization, an improved EdgeDB binary protocol, and significantly better GraphQL support. The release also debuts a high-performance native JavaScript driver for NodeJS, which is noted to be more efficient than current PostgreSQL JavaScript drivers. New functionality such as dump/restore tools and support for arbitrary precision types like std::bigint are also included. Benchmarks comparing EdgeDB's performance against various JavaScript ORMs, such as Loopback, TypeORM, and Sequelize, reveal that EdgeDB is significantly faster, particularly when handling complex queries and aggregations. The efficiency is attributed to EdgeDB's advanced query capabilities and the less verbose code required for setting up database schemas and fetching data. The development team plans to accelerate its release schedule, with Alpha 3 focusing on improved schema migration support, encouraging users to engage and provide feedback as they progress towards a stable 1.0 release.