How Many Blockchains Are There, and What Are the Different Types?

The Web3 area is huge, and it’s rising larger and larger every single day. And never solely are we seeing new decentralized purposes (dapps) pop up incessantly, however new blockchains repeatedly emerge as nicely. So, what number of blockchains are there? And what are the several types of blockchains? Be part of us on this article as we handle each of those queries to offer readability into the ever-expanding panorama of Web3!  

Overview

We’ll kickstart at the moment’s article by answering the query: ”What number of blockchains are there?”. From there, we’ll dive straight into the several types of blockchains. In doing so, we’ll discover what they’re, why they exist, and canopy some distinguished examples for every sort. Subsequent, we’ll additionally discover several types of blockchains for builders. To go together with that, we’ll prime issues off by introducing you to the simplest technique to construct blockchain purposes: Moralis’ industry-leading Web3 API suite! 

Moralis’ Web3 APIs are the final word instruments for those who’d wish to get into blockchain app growth. With our industry-leading interfaces, you’ll be able to construct every thing from block explorers to NFT video games very quickly. 

Additionally, do you know which you can join with Moralis totally free? It solely takes a few clicks, and also you’ll acquire fast entry to all our premier Web3 growth instruments so you’ll be able to construct dapps each sooner and smarter! 

How Many Blockchains Are There? 

There’s a mess of blockchain networks in existence, and a few distinguished examples embody Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and so on. Moreover, the blockchain area is repeatedly rising as quite a few organizations and initiatives develop their very own chains to deal with particular wants.

With that mentioned, what number of blockchains are there?

Because of the ever-growing state of the Web3 area, the precise depend of blockchains is difficult to pinpoint. Nonetheless, estimates counsel that the variety of current blockchains is not less than 1,000! 

What Are the Completely different Varieties of Blockchains? 

There are 4 fundamental kinds of blockchain networks, together with public blockchains, personal blockchains, hybrid blockchains, and consortium blockchains. Every sort has distinctive advantages, drawbacks, and best use instances. As such, let’s briefly discover them one after the other, beginning with public blockchains:

Public Blockchains: Public blockchains are permissionless, which means they’re totally decentralized and open for anybody to take part. Some of these networks are mostly used for exchanging and mining cryptocurrency.Non-public Blockchains: Non-public blockchains are permissioned, which means that only some choose individuals can take part within the community. These networks are sometimes managed by a company or an organization, which determines who’s granted entry to learn and write privileges.Hybrid Blockchains: Hybrid blockchains are networks that mix options of each private and non-private chains. These networks are managed by single entities. Nonetheless, they’ll determine who has entry to particular knowledge saved on the community and what info will likely be open to the general public. Consortium Blockchains: Consortium blockchains are fairly just like hybrid blockchains. Nonetheless, not like hybrid blockchains with one controlling entity, consortium blockchains are designed by a bunch that desires to make use of the community for collaborative efforts. Customers outdoors of the consortium/group typically can’t get entry to the blockchain community. 

What Goal Does the Completely different Varieties of Blockchains Serve? 

The several types of blockchains have their very own units of distinctive benefits and downsides. On this part, we’ll look nearer at what goal public blockchains, personal blockchains, hybrid blockchains, and consortium blockchains serve.

Public Blockchains: Public blockchain networks have many advantages. Some examples embody being utterly clear, totally decentralized, pseudonymous, and open to the general public. These benefits make them best to be used instances resembling exchanging cryptocurrencies and organizations constructed on transparency and belief. Non-public Blockchains: Non-public blockchain networks excel with regards to privateness, safety, velocity, and scalability. These advantages make personal blockchains good to be used instances resembling provide chain administration, asset possession, inner voting, and so on. In these cases, it’s helpful for the community to be cryptographically secured, however the controlling entity needs the knowledge to be saved personal. 

Hybrid Blockchains: Hybrid blockchains can present closed ecosystems, excessive flexibility, privateness with communication, and higher scalability. These constructive traits make hybrid chains best to be used instances the place some, however not all, knowledge must be shared with customers. As an illustration, medical data will be saved on a hybrid blockchain, the place solely customers can entry their very own knowledge through good contracts. Consortium Blockchains: Consortium blockchains even have a number of benefits, together with excessive safety, management, and the opportunity of no transaction charges. These advantages make consortium blockchains nice to be used instances resembling banking, funds, and provide chain administration. As an illustration, two banks can come collectively and kind a consortium to make funds extra environment friendly. 

Completely different Varieties of Blockchain Examples 

Now, with an summary of the assorted several types of blockchains, let’s take this part to discover some examples for every. And to kick issues off, we’ll begin with public blockchain networks! 

Public Blockchain Instance 

Public blockchains are essentially the most well-known networks. And except you have got been dwelling beneath a rock for the previous few years, odds are you’ve heard of not less than one. The 2 most vital examples are Bitcoin and Ethereum:

Bitcoin: The Bitcoin blockchain is a proof-of-work-based (PoW) distributed public ledger that launched in 2009. The blockchain hosts the BTC cryptocurrency and is answerable for sustaining the historical past of each transaction on the community. Furthermore, because the Bitcoin blockchain is public, anybody can take part and fetch a replica of the community to trace each switch since its origins. Ethereum: Ethereum is a public proof-of-stake (PoS) ledger, and it’s a scalable, programmable, and safe community. With Ethereum being programmable, it’s the blockchain of selection for a lot of builders and enterprises trying to create decentralized purposes (dapps). Ethereum additionally has its personal native token referred to as ether (ETH), which is used to pay for fuel charges on the community. 

Non-public Blockchain Instance 

Non-public chains are – because the identify signifies – personal. Consequently, particular person networks aren’t all that fascinating since they are often comparatively area of interest. As such, as a substitute of exploring a selected personal blockchain instance, let’s briefly dive into Hyperledger Cloth – an open-source personal blockchain framework.  

Hyperledger Cloth is an open-source blockchain framework created by the Linux Basis. And organizations use the framework to construct permissioned and personal blockchain networks. Furthermore, Hyperledger Cloth presents distinctive id administration and entry management options, making it best for varied {industry} purposes, together with provide chain administration, finance, loyalty and reward methods, and so on. As such, this framework is usually utilized in enterprise settings. 

Hybrid Blockchain Instance 

Hybrid chains mix each private and non-private blockchain options, and an incredible instance is IBM Meals Belief – a number one initiative using a hybrid blockchain resolution to reinforce transparency and traceability in provide chains. 

IBM Meals Belief’s personal blockchain supplies a permissioned setting for provide chain individuals to distribute delicate info whereas concurrently sustaining privateness. Briefly, it ensures that solely trusted entities acquire entry to confidential info. 

Consortium Blockchain Instance 

As with the opposite blockchain sorts, there are additionally many alternative consortium blockchain networks. Nonetheless, to present you an instance, we’ll briefly discover R3 Corda – a blockchain community specifically designed for monetary providers. 

R3 Corda is an open-source blockchain venture launched in 2016 by a consortium of banks, know-how firms, and monetary establishments. The venture was constructed on interoperability, safety, and privateness rules. And it permits for safe and environment friendly exchanges of information between events.

Completely different Varieties of Blockchains for Builders 

There are additionally a number of kinds of blockchains for builders, and they are often categorized in a number of alternative ways. Nonetheless, a preferred technique to divide them is to categorise them as both EVM (Ethereum Digital Machine) or non-EVM chains. 

So, what’s the distinction between them? 

EVM Chains: EVM-compatible chains can run and execute Ethereum good contracts. Consequently, builders can write and deploy the identical good contracts throughout a number of EVM blockchain networks with out making any vital adjustments to the code. Some examples of EVM chains embody Ethereum, BNB Good Chain (BSC), Polygon, and so on. Non-EVM Chains: Non-EVM chains, however, are all different networks that aren’t EVM-compatible. Some distinguished examples of non-EVM chains embody Solana, Polkadot, Cardano, and so forth.

One other technique to classify each EVM and non-EVM chains is to divide them into layer-1 (L1) or layer-2 (L2) networks:  

L1 Chains: Layer-1 blockchains confer with base networks, and a few examples embody Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, BSC, and so on.  L2 Chains: Layer-2 blockchains are community protocols layered on prime of an L1 resolution. An L2 protocol sometimes leverages the safety infrastructure of the L1 community however is extra versatile in its skill to scale transaction processing and total throughput. Examples of L2 blockchains embody Polygon, Base, Polygon zkEVM, Optimism, Arbitrum, and so on. 

Nonetheless, that covers some several types of blockchains for builders. From right here, we’ll introduce you to Moralis – the simplest technique to construct dapps on any blockchain community!

Exploring Moralis: Best Technique to Construct On Completely different Varieties of Blockchains 

The best approach for builders to construct on a number of several types of blockchains is to leverage Moralis. Moralis is an industry-leading API and blockchain infrastructure supplier, and with our interfaces, you’ll be able to effortlessly construct dapps throughout a number of blockchain networks. Moreover, Moralis’ Web3 APIs at present energy blockchain initiatives for tens of millions of finish customers worldwide! 

However why must you leverage our APIs particularly? 

To reply the query above, let’s discover three advantages of working with Moralis: 

Scalability: All our APIs are constructed to scale. Consequently, as your initiatives expertise elevated adoption, you by no means have to fret concerning the efficiency of your dapps. Prime Efficiency: Moralis’ Web3 APIs are industry-leading. Whether or not you prioritize velocity, reliability, or every other metric, our APIs persistently blow the competitors out of the water. Cross-Chain Compatability: Our APIs are chain agnostic, which means you’ll be able to construct cross-chain suitable dapps on a number of networks with ease. Some distinguished examples of supported chains embody Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Solana, Gnosis, Arbitrum, and plenty of others. 

For those who’d wish to discover our complete suite of premier interfaces, take a look at the Web3 API web page! 

Additionally, together with the Web3 APIs, Moralis has much more to supply. As an illustration, with our crypto taps web page, you’ll find taps for all main testnets. If you wish to be taught extra about this, you’ll be able to, for instance, take a look at our ”What’s a Goerli Faucet?” information and learn to get Goerli faucet funds in a heartbeat! 

Abstract: How Many Blockchains Are There, and What Are the Completely different Varieties? 

In at the moment’s article, we kicked issues off by answering the query, ”What number of blockchains are there?”. In doing so, we discovered that the area repeatedly grows at a fast price, making it onerous to pinpoint precisely what number of networks there are. Nonetheless, estimations counsel that there are not less than 1,000 blockchains! 

From there, we additionally explored several types of blockchains. In doing so, we discovered that there are 4 fundamental classes: 

Public ChainsPrivate ChainsHybrid ChainsConsortium Chains

We additionally explored totally different use instances and lined some examples of every blockchain sort, the place we discovered that all of them have their benefits and downsides. Subsequent, we dove a bit deeper into several types of blockchains for builders, the place we lined EVM vs non-EVM chains and L1 vs L2 networks.

To prime issues off, we launched you to Moralis and our industry-leading suite of Web3 APIs. In doing so, we discovered that they provide unparalleled scalability, prime efficiency, and cross-chain compatibility. As such, if you wish to construct dapps your self, don’t overlook to enroll with Moralis instantly. You possibly can create an account freed from cost, and also you’ll acquire fast entry to all our premier interfaces so you’ll be able to construct dapps with out breaking a sweat! 

Additionally, for those who favored this blockchain information, take into account testing extra content material right here on our Web3 weblog. As an illustration, examine ethers.js, be taught the ins and outs of Web3 Python, or discover the intricacies of the blockchain tech stack! Lastly, for those who’d wish to discover the several types of blockchains, maybe see them in a “checklist view”, ensure that to take a look at our Web3 Wiki! Moralis’ Web3 Wiki is the most effective place to discover blockchain networks, NFT instruments, platforms, DeFi dapps, and so on! For a quick introduction to our Web3 Wiki, learn our “Dapp Retailer” article!