Appchains, sidechains, omnichains, omnichains, parachains... ? | Crypto | Bitcoin | Ethereum | Altcoin | News

Appchains, sidechains, omnichains, omnichains, parachains... ? For those lost in the terminology
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All "chains" are created to solve two major problems of blockchain: interoperability and scalability. Therefore, it would be logical to categorize them into two groups

Group : Interoperability

Multichain (not to be confused with rect-bridge)
This term refers to a situation where a dApp operates with an isolated set of smart contracts on multiple blockchains. This increases overall throughput, user engagement rate, and cost efficiency. However, multichain comes with challenges such as fragmented liquidity and difficult linkability.

Crosschain
Crosschain is the ability of different blockchains to interact, exchange data or value and transact with each other. This is often done through bridges, but there are other approaches, such as Chainlink's Crosschain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP).

Omnichain
In Latin, Omni means "everything" or "everywhere." In general, this is roughly what it means - a kind of universal layer for all blockchains, ensuring their interoperability and crosschain functionality. The best known omnichain protocol is Layerzero.

Group : Scalability

Appchain
This is essentially a blockchain specifically customized for a particular application or protocol. Such an option offers more customization options than regular dApps.

Parachain
A type of blockchain in which security is provided by a central relay chain rather than a proprietary consensus mechanism. The term is commonly associated with Polkadot and Kusama networks, in which multiple parachains run in parallel. The key advantage of the model is that it allows multiple blockchains with different capabilities and purposes to operate simultaneously and interact on a common network.

Sidechain
Sidechains are separate independent blockchains linked to the core network and allowing tokens or digital assets to be transferred between them. A sidechain has its own token, protocol, consensus mechanism, and security. Projects that have implemented sidechains include Polygon, Gnosis, and Skale.

Superchain
An Optimism concept that is an interconnected network of layer 2 blockchains built on OP Stack. This single network shares security, communication layers, and development stack, making deployment of new networks as easy as deploying smart contracts.

Hyperchain
Same as above, but from zkSync (a modular framework for creating Hyperchains (Hyperchains) rollups) (and accordingly, with zk rollups instead of optimistic rollups).

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