The Edge Runtime is a new library designed to help framework authors adopt edge computing and provide open-source tooling built on web standards. It's designed to be integrated into frameworks like Next.js and not for usage in application code, aiming to enable running code at the edge to democratize web performance. The runtime provides tools for framework authors to test code in edge environments, enabling any framework author to support the edge with web APIs and standards defined by WinterCG. With the release of Edge Runtime, Vercel aims to focus on open standards, not introduce new APIs, and supports API interoperability along with partners like Cloudflare and Shopify. The goal is to enable developers to build a future of an open, interoperable, edge-first Web.