Blockchain technology can be classified into various types based on its design goals, permission models, and application scenarios. Below are the main classifications of blockchain and their corresponding mainstream projects:
One, classified by permission model
1. Public blockchain
- Features: Fully open, anyone can participate in bookkeeping (mining), trading, and verification. Data is transparent and highly decentralized, but performance is relatively low.
- Mainstream projects:
- Bitcoin: The first blockchain application, focusing on a peer-to-peer electronic cash system, using PoW (Proof of Work) consensus.
- Ethereum: A general platform supporting smart contracts, transitioning to PoS (Proof of Stake) consensus (Ethereum 2.0).
- Solana: A high-performance chain with high throughput (tens of thousands of transactions per second), using PoH (Proof of History) mechanism.
- Cardano: An academically driven PoS chain, focusing on sustainability and scalability.
2. Consortium blockchain
- Features: Jointly managed by multiple organizations, nodes require authorization to join, balancing efficiency and privacy, suitable for enterprise collaboration.
- Mainstream projects:
- Hyperledger Fabric (supported by IBM): Modular architecture, supports private transactions and complex business scenarios.
- R3 Corda: Designed specifically for financial institutions, focusing on data privacy and compliance.
- AntChain: Under Alibaba, serving supply chain finance, cross-border trade, and other scenarios.
- Baidu Super Chain (XuperChain): Supports multi-chain parallelism and high-performance computing.
3. Private blockchain
- Features: Controlled by a single organization, node permissions are closed, high performance but strong centralization, suitable for internal management.
- Typical scenarios: Internal data management, audit tracking, etc., such as JPMorgan's Onyx used for payment clearing.
Two, classified by technical architecture
1. Single-chain
- Single main chain structure, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
2. Multi-chain/Sharding
- Enhancing scalability through sharding technology, such as Ethereum 2.0, Zilliqa.
3. Cross-chain
- Achieving interaction between different chains, such as Polkadot (relay chain architecture), Cosmos (IBC protocol).
4. Sidechain
- Expansion solutions attached to the main chain, such as Bitcoin's Liquid Network.
Three, classified by application scenarios
1. Finance and payments
- Bitcoin (digital currency), Ripple (cross-border payment), Stellar (low-cost transfers).
2. Smart contract platforms
- Ethereum, BNB Chain (Binance ecosystem), Avalanche (low-latency contract execution).
3. Privacy protection chains
- Monero (anonymous transactions), Zcash (zero-knowledge proof technology).
4. Storage and computing
- Filecoin (distributed storage), Arweave (permanent storage).
5. Games and NFTs
- Flow (NBA Top Shot platform), Immutable X (NFT Layer 2 solution).
Four, emerging trends and Layer 2 solutions
1. Layer 1 expansion chain
- Such as Solana, Aptos (high TPS), Sui (parallel processing transactions).
2. Layer 2 expansion solutions
- Ethereum's Optimism, Arbitrum (Rollup technology), Polygon (sidechain + ZK Rollup).
3. Modular blockchain
- Celestia (focused on data availability), Fuel Network (modular execution layer).
Summary
- Public blockchains are suitable for decentralized applications (DeFi, NFT), consortium blockchains meet enterprise collaboration needs, and private blockchains optimize internal processes.
- Mainstream projects vary by scenario: Bitcoin (value storage), Ethereum (smart contracts), Hyperledger (enterprise chain), Solana (high performance), each with its own characteristics.
- Future trends will focus on cross-chain interoperability, modular architecture, and Layer 2 expansion.
