## Kusama (KSM) (کُساما) کیا ہے؟

خود کو "Polkadot کا پرجوش کزن" کہلانے والا Kusama ایک تجرباتی [بلاک چین](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/blockchain) پلیٹ فارم ہے جو ڈویلپرز کے لیے بڑے پیمانے پر [قابلِ ہمکاری](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-karura) اور وسعت پذیر فریم-ورک فراہم کرنے کے لیے ڈیزائن کیا گیا ہے۔

Kusama کو Substrate پر تعمیر کیا گیا ہے — ایک بلاک چین-بلڈنگ-کٹ جسے Parity Technologies نے ڈویلپ کیا۔ Kusama تقریباً اُسی کوڈ-بیس کا حامل ہے جیسا کہ خود Polkadot — کامیاب ترین قابلِ ہمکاری بلاک چینز میں سے ایک۔

Kusama پر نفاذ کے ذریعے، تیز رفتار پراجیکٹس، انتہائی وسعت پذیر، قابل ہمکاری، خُرد شُدہ نیٹ-ورک کی دسترس اُن خصوصیات سمِیت حاصل کر لیتے ہیں جو ابھی تک Polkadot پر دستیاب نہیں۔ اس مقصد کے لیے، Kusama خود کو "کینیری-نیٹ-ورک" سے تشبیہ دیتا ہے۔

اس پلیٹ فارم کو اُن ڈیولپرز کے لیے ایک آزمائشی میدان کئ حیثیت سے ڈیزائن کیا گیا ہے، جو خُود اپنے بلاک چین کی بطور اختراع تعیناتی کے خواہشمند ہیں تاکہ اسے Polkadot پر لانچ کرنے سے پہلے ایک ابتدائی نیٹ-ورک کے طور پر استعمال کیا جا سکے— حالانکہ بہت سے پراجیکٹس اپنی حتمی مصنوعات کے لیے Kusama کے ساتھ وابستہ رہنے کا انتخاب کرتے ہیں۔

Kusama پیرا-چینز کے نفاذ کی غرض سے داخلے میں پیش آنے والی کم رُکاوٹ، توثیق کاروں کے لیے کم بانڈ کی ضروریات وغیرہ سے استفادہ کرتے ہوئے، عام طور پر ابتدائی مراحل کے آغاز اور تجربات کے لیے کام میں لایا جاتا ہے۔

### Kusama کے بانی کون ہیں؟

Kusama کو اُسی ٹیم نے بنایا جس نے Polkadot کو تخلیق کیا، یعنی وہ کمپنی جو Parity Technologies کے نام سے پہچانی جاتی ہے۔ اس کے بانی ایک عالمی شہرت یافتہ کمپیوٹر سائنسدان اور پروگرامرDr. Gavin Wood ہیں، جنہوں نے Ethereum کی مشترکہ بنیاد بھی رکھی۔

Parity Technologies ایک جامع ٹیم کی حامل ہے، جو دنیا کے کامیاب ترین بلاک چین انجینئرز پر مشتمل ہے، جس کے 100 سے زیادہ ملازمین پوری دنیا میں پھیلے ہوئے ہیں۔

مزید برآں، Kusama کو Web3 فاؤنڈیشن کی طرف سے مالی اعانت فراہم کی جاتی ہے، جسے "غیر مرکزی ویب سافٹ ویئر پروٹوکولز کے شعبوں میں ٹیکنالوجیز اور ایپلیکیشنز کی پرورش اور نگہداشت" میں مدد فراہم کرنے کے لیے لانچ کیا گیا۔ اپنی گروتھ ٹیم کی بدولت، تحقیق اور ویب کمیونیٹی ڈویلپمنت کے ذریعے Web3 فاؤنڈیشن بھی Kusama کو سپورٹ کرتی ہے۔

### Kusama کو کیا چیز منفرد بناتی ہے؟

Kusama بلاک چین پلیٹ فارمز میں غیر معمولی حیثیت رکھتا ہے، کیونکہ یہ ارادتاً ایسے ڈویلپرز کے لیے بنایا گیا ہے جو جرأتمندی کا مُظاہرہ کرتے ہوئے پرجوش پراجیکٹس شروع کرنے کے آرزومند ہوں۔

اسے ملٹی-چین، متفرّق عناصر پر مبنی شارڈ ڈیزائن کے تحت تیار گیا ہے جو ایک نامزد پروف-آف-اسٹیک (NPoS) مُتفق-علیہ سسٹم کوکام میں لاتا ہے — یعنی بے پایاں توانائی کے طلبگار [پروف-آف-ورک](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/proof-of-work-vs-proof-of-stake) (POW) کی مُتبادل [اجماعی](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/consensus) مکینزم سکیم جس کا تفاذ کئی اور بلاک چینز بھی کرتے ہیں۔

یہ نظام بغیر کسی فورک کے، اِسے تیزی سے آن-چین اپ-گریڈ کرنے کے قابل بناتا ہے، Kusama نیٹ-ورک پر دیگر پیرا-چینز کے ساتھ مواصلات کے لیے کراس-چین بیغام رسانی (XCMP) کو سپورٹ کرتا ہے۔

Polkadot کی طرح، Kusama آن-چین حاکمیتی صلاحیتیوں پر مبنی خصوصیات کا مُظاہرہ کرتا ہے۔ یہ آن-چین حاکمیت دونوں طرح کی ہے، یعنی غیر مرکزی اور بِلا-اجازت، جس سے کوئی بھی شخص Kusama (KSM) ٹوکن یا پیرا-چین (parachain) ٹوکنز کے ذریعے اپنی متعلقہ حاکمیتی تجاویز پر رائے دہی کے قابل ہو جاتا ہے۔ ان تجاویز میں، قیاس پر مبنی اپ-گریڈ، پروٹوکول میں تبدیلیاں، اور خصوصیات سے متعلق درخواستیں شامل ہو سکتی ہیں۔ یہ آن-چین حاکمیتی طریق کار Polkadot کی طرف سے انجام دیے جانے والے طرز عمل سے تقریباً چار گنا تیز رفتار ہے، جس میں رائے دہی اور نفاذ کے مابین وقفہ صرف 15 دن ہے — اسی وجہ سے Kusama پر تعمیر کیے گئے پراجیکٹس کی بڑھوتری تیز رفتاری سے ہوتی ہے۔

یہ پروجیکٹ ایسے منصوبوں کے لیے کام کرتا ہے جو کسی نئی سرگرمی میں فوری طور پر کامیابی کے ساتھ کام کرنا چاہتے ہیں، اور کسی فورک کو لاگو کیے بغیر اپ-ڈیٹس کرنے کے ساتھ ساتھ مزید بہتری لانا چاہتے ہیں — اس طرح کمیونٹی کے مابین زیادہ سے زیادہ ہم آہنگی کو یقینی بنایا جاتا ہے۔

#### متعلقہ صفحات:

[Polkadot (DOT)](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/currencies/polkadot-new/) کے بارے میں مزید پڑھیے — جو انٹرپرائز پر مرکوز، لیکن Kusama (KSM) کی مانِند ہے۔

[Ethereum (ETH)](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/currencies/ethereum/) مُلاحظہ کیجیے — Kusama کے بڑے مُسابقت کاروں میں سے ایک۔

[CoinMarketCap الیگزینڈریا](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/). کے ساتھ کرپٹو کے بارے میں اپنی معلومات کو تازہ کیجیے۔

تازہ ترین خبروں، ٹپس، ٹرکس اور مارکیٹ کی بصیرت کے لیے [CoinMarketCap بلاگ](https://blog.coinmarketcap.com/) مُلاحظہ فرمائیے۔

### فی الوقت کُل کتنے Kusama کوائنز (KSM) گردش میں ہیں؟

نومبر سن 2020 تک کی معلومات کے مُطابق، Kusama کے پاس 8.47 ملین ٹوکنز کی گردشی سپلائی موجود تھی، جبکہ کل سپلائی 10 ملین ٹوکنز پر مُشتمل ہے۔ کچھ دیگر بلاک چینز کے برعکس، یہ زیادہ سے زیادہ سپلائی طے شُدہ نہیں ہے۔ بلکہ، یہ 10% افراطِ زر سالانہ کی شرحِ سے بڑھتی ہے۔

[اسٹیک کردہ](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/staking) KSM کا تناسب اُس طریق کار کے مُطابق تبدیل ہوتا رہتا ہے، جس کے تحت نئے مِنٹ ہونے والے KSM ٹوکنز (افراطِ زر سے) تقسیم کیے جاتے ہیں۔ اگر تمام KSM کا ہو بہو نصف حصہ اسٹیکنگ پر لگایا گیا ہو، تو Kusama کے توثیق کار نئے مِنٹ کیے گئے ٹوکنز کا 100% وصول پاتے ہیں، جبکہ، اگر یہ 50% سے زیادہ یا اس سے کم ہو، تو افراط زر سے متعلق کچھ انعامات Kusama کے خزانے میں جمع ہو جائیں گے۔

ابتدائی طور پر Kusama ان لوگوں کے لیے ایک ایئر-ڈراپ کی حیثیت سے لانچ کیا گیا، جنہوں نے Polkadot (DOT) ٹوکن سیل میں حصہ لیا تھا۔ انہیں 1:1 کی شرح کے مُطابق تقسیم کیا گیا تھا، جبکہ DOT سے محرومی پر فرکشن لیس فاسیٹ استعمال کرنے سے KSM کا حصول مُمکن ہو جاتا تھا — جسے اس کے بعد سے منسُوخ کر دیا گیا۔ Polkadot کے برعکس، Kusama کو اپنی گردشی سپلائی بڑھانے کے لیے ریڈینومینیشن سے گُزرنا نہیں پڑا۔

### Kusama نیٹ-ورک کو کیسے محفوظ بنایا جاتا ہے؟

Kusama ایک نامزد پروف-آف-اسٹیک (NPoS) اجماعی طریق کار استعمال کر کے بنایا گیا ہے۔

یہ اُن نامزد کنندگان (KSM اسٹیکرز) کا نیٹ-ورک استعمال کرتا ہے جو لین-دین کی توثیق کاری میں حصہ لینے کے لیے نوڈز کو مُنتخب کرتے ہیں۔ نامزدگی کرنے والوں کو افراط زر کے انعام کا ایک حصہ اس صورت میں ملتا ہے کہ ان کے نامزد کنندہ کو اگلے چکر میں منتخب کر لیا جائے۔ بے ایمانی کا مُظاہرہ کرنے والے، یا کارکردگی کے تقاضوں کو پورا نہ کرنے والے تصدیق کاروں کی اسٹیکنگ کم کی جا سکتی ہے۔

مزید یہ کہ کُساما، کراس-چین لین-دین کی انجام دہی کے لیے Merkle کے درختوں پر مبنی قطار بنانے والا سادہ طرز عمل اختیار کرتا ہے۔ ریلے چین کے توثیق کار لین-دین کو ایک پیرا-چین کی آؤٹ-پُٹ قطار سے ہدف پیرا-چین کی اِن-پُٹ قطار تک منتقل کرنے کے ذمہ دار ہوتے ہیں — یہ ایک محفوظ، بِلا اعتماد طریق کار ہے، جو ہر چین پر موجود اُنہی توثیق کاروں کو پیغام رسانی کے لیے استعمال کرتا ہے۔

### Kusama (KSM) کہاں سے خریدے جا سکتے ہیں؟

فی الوقت Kusama (KSM) تجارت کے لیے درجنوں مقبول ایکسچینج پلیٹ فارموں پر موجود ہے، بشمول [Binance](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/binance/)[OKEx](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/okex/) اور [Huobi Global](https://coinmarketcap.com/ur/exchanges/huobi-global/)۔ فی الوقت سب سے زیادہ مائع تجارتی پیئرزKSM/USDT, KSM/BTC اور KSM/ETH ہیں۔

اُن کرپٹو کرنسیوں کے بارے میں جاننے کے لیے جن کے ساتھ فیاٹ کی سہولت وابستہ ہے، ہماری [جامع گائیڈ](https://coinmarketcap.com/how-to-buy-bitcoin/) مُلاحظہ فرمائیے۔

ذیل میں ایسے چند مزید آرٹیکلز پیش ہیں جو شاید آپ کو دلچسپ معلوم ہوں:

* [کرپٹو Faucet کیا ہوتا ہے؟](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-a-crypto-faucet)
* [کرپٹو کے ڈیبٹ کارڈز کیا ہوتے ہیں؟](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-are-crypto-debit-cards)
* [ویب 3.0 کیا ہے؟](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-web-3-0)
* [منافع جاتی فارمنگ کیا ہوتی ہے؟](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-yield-farming)
* [کرپٹو ادھار میں دینے کا عمل کیا ہوتا ہے؟](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/what-is-crypto-lending)

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P2P.org

Binance

Kusama

Ledger

Trezor

Trust Wallet

Math Wallet

In a nutshell, Cosmos bills itself as a project that solves some of the “hardest problems” facing the blockchain industry. It aims to offer an antidote to “slow, expensive, unscalable and environmentally harmful” proof-of-work protocols, like those used by Bitcoin, by offering an ecosystem of connected blockchains.

The project’s other goals include making blockchain technology less complex and difficult for developers thanks to a modular framework that demystifies decentralized apps. Last but not least, an Interblockchain Communication protocol makes it easier for blockchain networks to communicate with each other — preventing fragmentation in the industry.

Cosmos’ origins can be dated back to 2014, when Tendermint, a core contributor to the network, was founded. In 2016, a white paper for Cosmos was published — and a token sale was held the following year. ATOM tokens are earned through a hybrid proof-of-stake algorithm, and they help to keep the Cosmos Hub, the project’s flagship blockchain, secure. This cryptocurrency also has a role in the network’s governance.

Cosmos

Polkadot is an open-source sharded multichain protocol that connects and secures a network of specialized blockchains, facilitating cross-chain transfer of any data or asset types, not just tokens, thereby allowing blockchains to be interoperable with each other. Polkadot was designed to provide a foundation for a decentralized internet of blockchains, also known as Web3.

Polkadot is known as a layer-0 metaprotocol because it underlies and describes a format for a network of layer 1 blockchains known as parachains (parallel chains). As a metaprotocol, Polkadot is also capable of autonomously and forklessly updating its own codebase via on-chain governance according to the will of its token holder community.

Polkadot provides a foundation to support a decentralized web, controlled by its users, and to simplify the creation of new applications, institutions and services.

The Polkadot protocol can connect public and private chains, permissionless networks, oracles and future technologies, allowing these independent blockchains to trustlessly share information and transactions through the Polkadot Relay Chain (explained further down).

Polkadot’s native DOT token serves three clear purposes: staking for operations and security, facilitating network governance, and bonding tokens to  connect parachains .

Polkadot has four core components:

Relay Chain: Polkadot’s “heart,” helping to create consensus, interoperability and shared security across the network of different chains;

Parachains: independent chains that can have their own tokens and be optimized for specific use cases;

Parathreads: similar to parachains but with flexible connectivity based on an economical pay-as-you-go model;

Bridges: allow parachains and parathreads to connect and communicate with external blockchains like Ethereum.

Polkadot

MultiversX is a blockchain protocol that offers true horizontal scalability by using all aspects of sharding (Network, Transaction & State). The project describes itself as a technology ecosystem for the new internet, which includes decentralized finance, real world assets and the Metaverse. Its smart contracts execution platform is reportedly capable of up to 100,000 transactions per second, 6-second latency and a $0.002 transaction cost.

MultiversX is governed and secured through the EGLD token. EGLD, or Electronic Gold, is MultiversX's native token. It acts as a store of value currency to pay for network usage. The coin also serves as a medium of exchange between platform users and validators. Users pay transaction fees in EGLD and validators participate in the consensus process.

EGLD allows developers to deploy smart contracts, protocols, and dApps on the platform. It empowers participants to perform any network action. Through staking and validation rewards, as well as transaction fees, EGLD manages the MultiversX network. Plus, EGLD is endowed with the functionality of a governance token, so its holders can vote on network decisions.

MultiversX

Flow

Enjin Coin is a project of Enjin, a company that provides an ecosystem of interconnected, blockchain-based gaming products. Enjin's flagship offering is the Enjin Network, a social gaming platform through which users can create websites and clans, chat, and host virtual item stores.

Enjin allows game developers to tokenize in-game items on the Ethereum blockchain. It uses Enjin Coin, an ERC-20 token, to back the digital assets issued using its platform, meaning that items can be bought, sold and traded with real-world value.

Enjin Coin was first announced in July 2017, and it launched on the Ethereum mainnet in June 2018.

Enjin Coin (ENJ) is a digital store of value used to back the value of blockchain assets like non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Every asset minted with the Enjin Platform contains ENJ, a minting resource which is locked inside NFTs and removed from circulation. Minting blockchain assets with ENJ provides a variety of benefits to creators and users:

Infuses them with a reserve value

Ensures their transparency and scarcity

Gives them instant liquidity

Provides utility in games and apps

Anti-inflationary

Enjin's "melting" functionality allows users to destroy their blockchain assets at any time to retrieve the ENJ value from within.

The Enjin blockchain ecosystem aims to offer software products that make it easy for everyone to develop, trade, monetize, and market with blockchain.

Founded in 2009, Enjin has roots in the gaming industry, with the company’s first product, a gaming community platform called the Enjin Network, growing to 20 million users over the course of a decade.

In 2017 following an ICO, Enjin established itself as a leading blockchain ecosystem developer, building a suite of software products that enable anyone to easily mint, manage, trade, distribute, and integrate blockchain assets.

Enjin’s co-founder Witek Radomski wrote the code for one of the first ever non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and is also the co-author of the ERC-1155 Ethereum token standard.

Built on top of an on-chain infrastructure, the Enjin ecosystem enables game developers and businesses of all sizes to use tokenized digital assets as part of their acquisition, retention, engagement, and monetization strategies. The Enjin ecosystem is fueled by Enjin Coin (ENJ), a cryptocurrency used to back the value of blockchain assets.

Enjin Coin

Aave

Compound is a DeFi lending protocol that allows users to earn interest on their cryptocurrencies by depositing them into one of several pools supported by the platform.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Compound.

When a user deposits tokens to a Compound pool, they receive cTokens in return. These cTokens represent the individual’s stake in the pool and can be used to redeem the underlying cryptocurrency initially deposited into the pool at any time. For example, by depositing ETH into a pool, you will receive cETH in return. Over time, the exchange rate of these cTokens to the underlying asset increases, which means you can redeem them for more of the underlying asset than you initially put in — this is how the interest is distributed.

On the flip side, borrowers can take a secured loan from any Compound pool by depositing collateral. The maximum loan-to-value (LTV) ratio varies based on the collateral asset, but currently ranges from 50 to 75%. The interest rate paid varies by borrowed asset and borrowers can face automatic liquidation if their collateral falls below a specific maintenance threshold.

Since the launch of the Compound mainnet in September 2018, the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, and recently passed more than $800 million in total locked value.

Compound

Harmony is a blockchain platform designed to facilitate the creation and use of decentralized applications (DApps). The network aims to innovate the way decentralized applications work by focusing on random state sharding, which allows creating blocks in seconds.

According to the project’s website, Harmony is expected to introduce cross-shard contracts and a cross-chain infrastructure by the end of 2021.

Harmony

Tezos is a high-performing blockchain and open-source platform for assets and applications, with a strong focus on code security, on-chain governance, and decentralization. Tezos 2.0, the upcoming step in the evolution of Tezos, aims to improve scalability (via layer 2s), composability, and to implement support to mainstream programming languages (like Javascript, Typescript, Python, and many others).

Initially built with formal verification in mind, the Tezos protocol enables builders to avoid bugs when developing smart contracts, making it particularly suited to applications that require a high degree of security and certainty.

Tezos’ LPoS (Liquid Proof-of-Stake) consensus mechanism enables any stakeholder to take part, directly or by delegation, in the consensus process, and to be rewarded for securing the network. Rather uniquely, Tezos’ on-chain governance system also enables stakeholders to create and vote on protocol upgrade proposals. This pioneering system allows the protocol to self-amend and upgrade itself without leading to a split (or fork) in the blockchain, empowering the community without slowing down innovation.

First proposed in 2014 and launched in 2018, the Tezos Mainnet has a proven track record of running uninterrupted ever since, having earned a strong reputation for technical excellence and a supportive community.

Tezos

Moonbeam is an Ethereum-compatible smart contract parachain on Polkadot. Moonbeam makes it easy to use popular Ethereum developer tools to build or redeploy Solidity projects in a Substrate-based environment.

Moonbeam is much more than just an EVM implementation: it’s a highly specialized parachain that mirrors Ethereum’s Web3 RPC, accounts, keys, subscriptions, logs, and more. The Moonbeam platform extends the base Ethereum feature set with additional features such as on-chain governance, staking, and cross-chain integrations.

Moonbeam’s Ethereum compatibility is unmatched:

Minimal Changes: developers can use existing Solidity smart contracts right away, with no need to rewrite or reconfigure

Use Existing Developer Tools: connect popular tools like MetaMask, Hardhat, Waffle, Remix, and Truffle via a complete set of Web3 RPC endpoints. Use well-known Javascript libraries such as Web3.Js or Ethers.Js.

Unified Accounts, Addresses, and Signatures: use your existing Ethereum H160 accounts & ECDSA signatures to interact with Moonbeam

Tap into the Most Integrations on Polkadot: use existing oracles, bridges, wallets, and other tools that are already building on Moonbeam

Moonbeam provides integration and connectivity between Polkadot Parachains as well as with other chains such as Ethereum and Bitcoin via bridges. Moonbeam was started in 2019 by Derek Yoo of Pure Stake.

Moonbeam

Fantom is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) smart contract platform providing decentralized finance (DeFi) services to developers using its own bespoke consensus algorithm.

Together with its in-house token FTM, Fantom aims to solve problems associated with smart-contract platforms, specifically transaction speed, which developers say they have reduced to under two seconds.

The Fantom Foundation, which oversees the Fantom product offering, was originally created in 2018, with the launch of OPERA, Fantom’s mainnet, coming in December 2019.

Fantom is an open-source decentralized smart contract platform for DApps and digital assets that was created as an alternative to Ethereum. Fantom has the goal of overcoming the limitations of previous generation blockchains and balancing three components: scalability, security and decentralization. The project offers a set of tools to simplify the process of integrating existing DApps, as well as a detailed staking reward system and built-in DeFi instruments.

Fantom is a Layer-1 blockchain that uses a scratch-built consensus mechanism and independent consensus layer, Lachesis, to facilitate DeFi and related services on the basis of smart contracts. Lachesis provides security for other layers as well, including Opera, Fantom's EVM-compatible smart contract chain. The long-playing mission of the project is to “grant compatibility between all transaction bodies around the world.”

One of Fantom's key strengths is its performance and efficient transaction processing, namely thousands of transactions per second, where transactions are settled in 1-2 seconds, and the cost is fractions of a cent per transaction. As a result, Fantom provides higher scalability but at a lower cost.

The ecosystem is based on two main technologies: Lachesis protocol and Opera.

The Lachesis protocol is the core consensus layer that secures the Fantom network by providing both transaction speed and security.

Lachesis is an aBFT consensus engine that uses a directed acyclic graph (DAG) algorithm. How it works: network data can be processed at different times, and the network filters the participants, allowing only one third, which are allocated due to erroneous or malicious behavior, without compromising network processes.

Fantom's Asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant (aBFT) Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism maintains the efficiency of the entire network, its design provides security at maximum speed. Fantom developers emphasize that the PoS mechanism is a leaderless phenomenon — there are no leaders of blocks and participants, and anyone can join (or leave) the network of nodes at a convenient moment.

The key qualities of Lachesis are: asynchronous, leaderless, Byzantine fault-tolerant, and near-instant finality.

As for Opera, it's an application development layer or Fantom's mainnet deployment platform, permissionless and open-source hosting DApps. Thanks to EVM integration and support for the Solidity programming language, Fantom has a full set of smart contract capabilities, which allows users to seamlessly interact with Ethereum platforms while maintaining the advantage of Fantom's transaction efficiency.

The Fantom Foundation concluded that removing block leaders improves network security, so Opera uses a PoS model and leaderless validators (validators do not determine which blocks are valid).

In addition to being a fast, secure and cheap payment platform that enables to make fast and secure payments at minimal cost, Fantom also features on-chain governance where users vote with FTM tokens (one token equals one vote). Of the features: users have the right to express the degree of agreement / disagreement on a scale from 0 to 4.

FTM is the native utility in-house PoS token of Fantom that powers the ecosystem and is applied for payments, network fees, staking, and governance. FTM forms the backbone of transactions, and allows fee collection and staking activities, along with the user rewards the latter represents.

Fantom

Theta Network

Algorand is a self-sustaining, decentralized, blockchain-based network that supports a wide range of applications. These systems are secure, scalable and efficient, all critical properties for effective applications in the real world. Algorand will support computations that require reliable performance guarantees to create new forms of trust.

The Algorand mainnet became live in June 2019, and was able to handle almost 1 million transactions per day as of December 2020. Algorand transaction metrics can be viewed here. Algorand initial coin offering (ICO) was held in June 2019, with the Algorand price of $0.24 per token.

Algorand

Filecoin is a decentralized storage system that aims to “store humanity’s most important information.” The project raised $205 million in an initial coin offering (ICO) in 2017, and initially planned a launch date for mid-2019. However, the launch date for the Filecoin mainnet was pushed back until block 148,888, which is expected in mid-October 2020.

The project was first described back in 2014 as an incentive layer for the Interplanetary File System (IPFS), a peer-to-peer storage network where users pay for data storage and distribution services in $FIL. Filecoin is open protocol and backed by a blockchain that records commitments made by the network’s participants, with transactions made using FIL, the blockchain’s native currency. The blockchain is based on both proof-of-replication and proof-of-spacetime.

Filecoin is open-source and decentralized, which means that all governance is in the hands of the community. On the Filecoin platform, developers have the opportunity to create cloud file storage services like Dropbox or iCloud. Anyone can join Filecoin and start storing their data or earn money by providing space for someone else's funds. The creators of Filecoin opted for their blockchain technology to run the network and their token with their own consensus.

$FIL is the native currency of Filecoin that powers the entire network and all processes. Clients pay for transactions in FIL tokens. Miners place FIL as collateral, guaranteeing their services.

The developers claim that Filecoin solves the problem of inefficient file storage and retrieval. Customers can find the right solution with an efficient set of tools and its core development, IPFS.

Filecoin

Moonriver is an Ethereum-compatible, smart-contract parachain on Kusama. It is intended to be a companion network to Moonbeam, where it will provide a permanently incentivized canary network. New code will ship to Moonriver first, where it can be tested and verified under real economic conditions. Once proven, the same code will ship to Moonbeam on Polkadot.

It does this by providing a full EVM implementation, a Web3-compatible API, and bridges that connect Moonriver to existing Ethereum networks.

This allows developers to deploy existing Solidity smart contracts and DApp frontends to Moonriver with minimal changes.

Moonriver

Avalanche is a layer one blockchain that functions as a platform for decentralized applications and custom blockchain networks. It is one of Ethereum’s rivals, aiming to unseat Ethereum as the most popular blockchain for smart contracts. It aims to do so by having a higher transaction output of up to 6,500 transactions per second while not compromising scalability.

This is made possible by Avalanche’s unique architecture. The Avalanche network consists of three individual blockchains: the X-Chain, C-Chain and P-Chain. Each chain has a distinct purpose, which is radically different from the approach Bitcoin and Ethereum use, namely having all nodes validate all transactions. Avalanche blockchains even use different consensus mechanisms based on their use cases.

After its mainnet launch in 2020, Avalanche has worked on developing its own ecosystem of DApps and DeFi. Different Ethereum-based projects such as SushiSwap and TrueUSD have integrated with Avalanche. Furthermore, the platform is constantly working on improving interoperability between its own ecosystem and Ethereum, like through the development of bridges.

Avalanche

Helium (HNT) is a decentralized blockchain-powered network for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Launched in July 2019, the Helium mainnet allows low-powered wireless devices to communicate with each other and send data across its network of nodes.

Nodes come in the form of so-called Hotspots, which are a combination of a wireless gateway and a blockchain mining device. Users who operate nodes thus mine and earn rewards in Helium’s native cryptocurrency token, HNT.

Helium’s goal is to prepare IoT communication for the future, identifying inadequacies in current infrastructure from its birth in 2013.

Helium

Founded in 2017, Chainlink is a blockchain abstraction layer that enables universally connected smart contracts. Through a decentralized oracle network, Chainlink allows blockchains to securely interact with external data feeds, events and payment methods, providing the critical off-chain information needed by complex smart contracts to become the dominant form of digital agreement.

The Chainlink Network is driven by a large open-source community of data providers, node operators, smart contract developers, researchers, security auditors and more. The company focuses on ensuring that decentralized participation is guaranteed for all node operators and users looking to contribute to the network.

To learn more about this project, check out our deep dive of Chainlink.

Chainlink

Uniswap is a popular decentralized trading protocol, known for its role in facilitating automated trading of decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens.

An example of an automated market maker (AMM), Uniswap launched in November 2018, but has gained considerable popularity this year thanks to the DeFi phenomenon and associated surge in token trading.

Uniswap aims to keep token trading automated and completely open to anyone who holds tokens, while improving the efficiency of trading versus that on traditional exchanges.

Uniswap creates more efficiency by solving liquidity issues with automated solutions, avoiding the problems which plagued the first decentralized exchanges.

In September 2020, Uniswap went a step further by creating and awarding its own governance token, UNI, to past users of the protocol. This added both profitability potential and the ability for users to shape its future — an attractive aspect of decentralized entities.

Uniswap

Pancakeswap was originally built on the BNB Chain and allows users to trade tokens without using a centralized exchange. It provides an array of products, such as:

An exchange to swap tokens

A yield farm to earn rewards

Syrup pools to stake CAKE tokens

Ethereum liquid staking (wBETH) and simple staking

Pancake Protectors game

v3 position manager (new feature)

A prediction market

Initial Farm Offering (IFO) token launches

A bridge to bridge CAKE to Ethereum and Aptos

A lottery

An NFT marketplace

Pancakeswap innovates quickly and ships new products regularly. In April 2023, PancakeSwap voted to transition to a deflationary token model called "Ultrasound CAKE." The protocol passed a proposal called CAKE Tokenomics v2.5 to create a structure combining real yield (no supply impact) and reduced token emissions. Over 102% of minted CAKE is burned weekly. This is intended to provide a multi-year runway for emissions and incentivize locking up CAKE, making the token more valuable long-term.

PancakeSwap has an anonymous team of “Chefs,” working in the PancakeSwap “Kitchen.” The platform is open-source and has been audited by multiple reputable blockchain security firms like Peckshield and Slowmist.

Although the bear market has impacted TVL and trading volume for the protocol, PancakeSwap still boasts an annualized revenue of $27 million, with 42% of CAKE is staked: