INTRODUCTION
Parachains represent diverse blockchains that operate alongside layer 0, also known as the Relay Chain, within the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystems. Derived from the term ‘parallel,’ these parachains serve as a Layer 1 foundation intended to enhance Polkadot’s fundamental scalability by enabling concurrent transaction processing alongside the primary chain.
This piece delves into the realm of parachains, covering their operational mechanisms, distinctive attributes, deployment procedures, and the associated cost considerations for users.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PARACHAINS IN SIMPLE TERMS
The Polkadot ecosystem uses a number of distinct layer-1 blockchains called parachains, which may be found on both the Polkadot and Kusama Networks.
These parachains can share in and benefit from Polkadot’s security, scalability, interoperability, and governance capabilities since they are connected to and made secure by the main Relay Chain.
The capacity of Polkadot to enable cross-chain connections makes it feasible to transport any kind of data or asset between various parachains, opening up a variety of new potential uses. Additionally, para chains have the capacity to communicate with external networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum by utilizing cross-network bridges.
Polkadot was designed as a layer-0 multi-chain network, suggesting that the core Relay Chain provides layer-0 security and interoperability, accommodating about 100 layer-1 blockchains acting as parachains.
WORKING MECHANISM OF PARACHAINS
Polkadot and Kusama take a different tack than Ethereum, where DApp creators must follow the predetermined limitations of the blockchain’s architecture. The freedom to function without restrictions provided by these platforms gives developers more options.
With the help of these networks, producers can create independent, bespoke parachains that are tailored to their individual requirements. This implies that any parachain can have its own distinctive properties, such as block time, mining rewards, transaction costs, and more.
Collator nodes are in charge of administering parachains; they keep thorough records of the history of each parachain and combine transaction data into blocks. The Relay Chain can then simply incorporate these blocks.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PARACHAINS
INTEROPERABILITY
Blockchain communities can now preserve total independence and control over each of their layer-1 blockchains thanks to parachains. Furthermore, they benefit from trading with other parachains and external networks concurrently freely.
The cross-chain composability of Polkadot makes it possible to transfer multiple types of data, including smart contract calls, verifiable credentials, and off-chain information obtained via oracles like stock market price feeds and token exchange.
This method eliminates the isolated features of the blockchain industry and creates new chances for applications to work together and develop cutting-edge services.
By transcending fragmentation and the exclusivity of specific chains, embracing parachains signifies a commitment to open economies and free trade.
SCALABILITY
Polkadot’s parachain methodology enables blockchains to scale on the primary layer rather than relying on secondary layer solutions. This approach to achieving blockchain scalability is both more decentralized and successful.
Throughput and scalability are significantly increased because to the use of parachains, which allow transactions to be distributed and processed concurrently across a network of specialized primary-layer blockchains.
SPECIALIZATION AND FLEXIBILITY
The parachains idea from Polkadot was created in the hope that the internet of the future would have a variety of blockchains working together in unison.
Blockchains must provide a variety of functions, much like the current internet offers a variety of activities. For example, certain blockchains may be designed specifically for gaming, others may be designed for managing identities, and others may be designed for conducting financial operations.
Polkadot thus does not impose any particular constraints on parachain design other than the requirement that each parachain show Polkadot validators that it adheres to the agreed protocol.
Each para chain can have its own unique structure, token, and governance mechanism because of its adaptability, which allows it to be perfectly tailored for the use case(s) it is intended for.
Parachains have the flexibility to function as either public or private networks, supporting businesses or communities, serving as development platforms for outside application development, and/or acting as shared resources for the benefit of the entire Polkadot ecosystem, among other potential strategies.
GOVERNANCE
The Polkadot ecosystem gives parachains the freedom to select their chosen form of governance. They can set up various on-chain governance systems using pre-designed components.
Teams benefit from the opportunity to use cutting-edge on-chain governance techniques by reducing the possibility of disruptive chain divisions caused by hard forks.
Furthermore, on-chain governance guarantees open accountability for parachain groups, which is a vital prerequisite for organizations and trustees interested in utilizing blockchain technology and calls for clearly defined decision-making processes.
PARACHAINS VS PARATHREADS
Parachains and parathreads have a similar developmental pattern but are economically different. They use a pay-as-you-go connection to the Polkadot ecosystem and conduct auctions for every block.
For projects looking for a temporary rather than a permanent link with Polkadot, the parathread functionality is helpful. It is also appropriate for projects that could not secure a full slot in the auction.
They keep the same levels of security and interoperability as parachains but have a slower block time. Depending on their demands and the availability of slots, users can switch between parachains and parathreads.
USES OF PARACHAINS
The idea behind the Polkadot network, which uses layer-1 blockchains called Parachains, is to expand the use cases that may be applied to Parachain through interoperability, design flexibility, and scalability. Some of the regions, companies, or sectors that have expressed interest in using Parachains for projects include:
Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
In decentralized finance (DeFi), blockchain technology plays a crucial role. Many parachains seek to use cryptocurrencies to mimic traditional financial structures like banks and exchanges. These initiatives offer customers alternatives for managing their digital assets, including buying, selling, and transferring capabilities. They could serve as cross-chain DeFi hubs, autonomous stablecoin projects, decentralized exchange (DEX) systems, or cross-chain money marketplaces. Projects are also available that provide thorough multi-chain DeFi solutions.
Smart Contracts
The use of smart contracts is a further application of parachains. This relates to initiatives that let Ethereum developers move their contracts to the Polkadot network. By taking this measure, the Polkadot ecosystem will now be able to support a significant number of developers and a wide variety of well-liked DApps.
The Polkadot ecosystem already includes a self-updating WebAssembly-based smart contract platform (WASM) and a community-driven platform replicating Ethereum’s accounts, keys, subscriptions, and logs.
Different interoperability bridges are actively being built by the Polkadot community. These include a decentralized cross-chain bridge joining Ethereum and Polkadot, a trustless bridge connecting Bitcoin to Polkadot, and bridges for other various chains. In addition, a bridge enables communication between Ethereum and other blockchains based on Substrate.
Polkadot’s architecture also includes privacy protocols, providing ways to guarantee dependable data operations while preserving secrecy.
Some ecosystem projects introduce decentralized data storage options. These protocols ensure that files are distributed across a decentralized network, maybe encrypted, and not stored in a single location.
Additionally, parachains that act as cross-chain platforms are built using data infrastructure protocols. By providing dependable and simple to coordinate data collecting and analysis capabilities, they serve to revitalize the data economy inside the Polkadot framework.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Projects using specialized use cases can also be found in the Polkadot ecosystem.
For instance, there is a parachain platform for decentralized censorship-resistant social networks and an open-source future Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics solution that integrates robots as a service for end users with a decentralized system globally monitoring their activities.
As many possibilities as the Polkadot design offers, there are many possible uses for the parachain. Parachains can also be used for the following purposes:
- Digital wallets
- Gaming
- Credentials
- Identity Verification
- Oracles (Price Feeds)
HOW TO RUN PARACHAIN ON POLKADOT
The operation of a Parachain on the Polkadot network is a prerequisite for anyone wishing to develop a Parachain-based project. It’s imperative to reserve a spot on the Relay Chain to achieve that.
These spaces are acquired via a Parachain slot auction, where bidders use the DOT native token of Polkadot. Winners of the auction receive a Parachain position on Polkadot for a duration of six months to two years.
To participate in a Parachain slot auction, you must lock your bid amount in DOT for the selected lease term.
The locked DOT amount is released when the lease expires. The DOT, however, is not permitted to be used for tasks like staking or transfers throughout the lease term.
Two alternatives available to interested parties for financing their bids are either self-funding or obtaining crowd loans, where DOT holders contribute in exchange for rewards.
COST IMPLICATIONS OF RUNNING A PARACHAIN
A slot lease must be obtained to run a Parachain on Polkadot. The total DOT amount reserved for the Parachain slot is released after the leasing period is up, which helps to keep associated costs to a minimum.
Using necessary computing resources, the Parachain can operate without paying additional fees or “gas” costs.
The cost of operating a Parachain, however, simply amounts to a missed opportunity because the DOT is unreachable for the duration of the lease and serves no use.
When slot lease money is obtained through crowd loans, paying contributors is a separate expense associated with the transaction. Running collator nodes on individual Parachains has a small cost associated with it.
CONCLUSION
The purpose of the Parachain blockchain network, centered around projects, is to increase Polkadot’s and Kusama’s efficiency.
Polkadot wants to improve user interactions within its ecosystem by leveraging parachains and strengthening security, scalability, and interoperability.
An essential component of Polkadot’s training endeavor is the parachain auction, where projects can obtain slots and smoothly link to the primary chain. Numerous initiatives are fighting for a seat on Polkadot’s parachain right now.
The upcoming trajectory shows encouraging potential for the Polkadot platform’s growth and development.