Polkadot achieved notable advancements and ecosystem expansion by hitting many key benchmarks on the Polkadot Roadmap. At the most recent Polkadot Decoded in Copenhagen, staff members of OAK Network had the chance to talk about OAK and heard directly from Gavin Wood about what many in the ecosystem are referring to as Polkadot 2.0, or the future of Polkadot.
Polkadot is a multi-chain network designed to facilitate interoperability and scalability across different blockchains. It enables the transfer of data and assets between different chains, fostering a more interconnected and efficient blockchain ecosystem. Polkadot operates on a relay chain, which serves as the main chain responsible for network consensus and security. Parachains, on the other hand, are individual blockchains that connect to the Polkadot network and run in parallel to the relay chain.
What Are Parachains?
Parachains are individual blockchains that run parallel to the relay chain in the Polkadot network. Each para chain operates independently, with its own set of rules, governance mechanisms, and token economies. Parachains connect to the relay chain through a process called parachain leasing, where they lease a slot on the relay chain to secure their transactions and consensus.
The primary function of parachains is to enable decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts to operate within the Polkadot ecosystem. They facilitate the execution of transactions, storage of data, and deployment of custom functionalities specific to their use cases. Parachains can be customized to suit various applications, such as decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, supply chain management, identity verification, and more.
What Are The Functions of Parachains?
Parachains allow Polkadot to scale horizontally by accommodating multiple blockchains simultaneously. With each Parachain operating independently, the network can process transactions and execute smart contracts in parallel, significantly increasing throughput and performance compared to traditional blockchain architectures.
Parachains offer developers the flexibility to design and deploy blockchains tailored to their specific use cases and requirements. This customization enables innovation and experimentation within the Polkadot ecosystem. Parachains benefit from Polkadot’s shared security model, where the relay chain provides security services to all connected parachains.
Parachains play a crucial role in enhancing scalability within the Polkadot ecosystem by enabling parallel processing of transactions and data. Parachains enhance interoperability within the Polkadot ecosystem by facilitating seamless communication and data transfer between different blockchains.
1. Moonriver
Moonriver aims to provide a scalable and interoperable blockchain platform that supports a wide range of decentralized applications, including DeFi protocols, gaming platforms like Trader Repo AI, NFT marketplaces, and more. As a parachain, Moonriver operates within the Polkadot network, leveraging its shared security model and interoperability features to facilitate communication and data transfer with other parachains and the Polkadot relay chain.
Moonriver is fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), allowing developers to easily port existing Ethereum-based applications and smart contracts to the Moonriver network. Moonriver leverages the scalability features of the Polkadot network to achieve high transaction throughput and low latency.
2. Ternoa
Ternoa is a blockchain project that aims to revolutionize the way individuals manage and secure their digital assets and memories. While Ternoa initially launched on its blockchain, it has been working towards integrating with the Polkadot ecosystem as a parachain. Ternoa focuses on providing a decentralized solution for individuals to securely store and manage their digital memories, such as photos, videos, documents, and messages.
Ternoa introduces several key features and innovations that differentiate it within the blockchain space. Ternoa enables users to create time capsules, which are encrypted containers for storing digital assets and memories. Time capsules can be programmed to unlock at specific dates or milestones, allowing users to share their memories with loved ones or future generations.
3. Centrifuge
Centrifuge is a blockchain-based platform that seeks to bridge the gap between real-world assets and decentralized finance (DeFi) by providing a framework for asset tokenization and financing. Centrifuge operates as a Parachain within the Polkadot ecosystem, leveraging Polkadot’s interoperability and scalability features to enable the seamless integration of real-world assets into decentralized finance applications.
Centrifuge aims to democratize access to financing and liquidity by allowing users to tokenize real-world assets and use them as collateral for loans and financial services on the blockchain. The platform enables businesses and individuals to unlock the value of their assets, such as invoices, inventory, royalties, and real estate, by representing them as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on the blockchain.
Centrifuge enables users to tokenize real-world assets by representing them as NFTs on the blockchain. Centrifuge facilitates decentralized financing by allowing users to use their tokenized assets as collateral for loans and financing. Centrifuge is built on Polkadot’s Substrate framework, making it compatible with other Parachains and blockchain networks within the Polkadot ecosystem.
4. Shadows
Shadows is a decentralized synthetic asset issuance and trading platform that operates as a Parachain within the Polkadot ecosystem. Shadows aims to democratize access to synthetic assets by enabling users to create and trade tokenized representations of real-world assets on the blockchain. Synthetic assets are programmatically generated tokens that mirror the value and performance of underlying assets without requiring direct ownership.
Shadows enables users to tokenize real-world assets, commodities, and financial instruments by creating synthetic versions of these assets on the blockchain. These synthetic assets, also known as shadows, are pegged to the value of their underlying assets and can be traded and exchanged on the Shadows platform.
Shadows operates a decentralized exchange (DEX) where users can trade synthetic assets with minimal slippage and fees. Shadows incentivize liquidity providers by rewarding them with fees generated from trading activities on the platform. Shadows implement a decentralized governance model that allows users to participate in decision-making processes and protocol upgrades.
5. Celer Network
Celer Network is a layer-2 scaling platform that aims to bring fast, secure, and low-cost transactions to blockchain networks. While Celer Network operates independently of the Polkadot ecosystem, its technology and solutions can potentially integrate with Polkadot and other blockchain platforms to enhance scalability and improve user experience.
Celer Network is designed to address the scalability challenges facing blockchain networks by leveraging layer-2 scaling solutions. Celer Network introduces several key features and innovations to enhance scalability and usability. Celer Network utilizes state channels and side chains to enable off-chain scaling solutions. State channels allow users to conduct transactions directly with each other off-chain, reducing latency and transaction costs.
