Sidechains

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Sidechains are separate, independent blockchains that are interoperably linked to a primary blockchain, often referred to as the “mainchain.” They operate in parallel to the mainchain and connect to it through a “two-way peg” mechanism, which allows assets or tokens to be transferred between the mainchain and the sidechain at a fixed or predetermined rate. This allows for enhanced functionality and scalability without overburdening the main blockchain.

Developers can use sidechains to implement new features, experiment with different consensus mechanisms, or optimize for specific use cases, such as gaming or decentralized finance, without altering the core protocol of the mainchain. Transactions on a sidechain can often be faster and cheaper because they may have different rules or fewer validators. While sidechains offer greater flexibility and can offload traffic from the mainchain, their security is typically independent of the mainchain. This means users must trust the security model and validators of the specific sidechain they are using. Sidechains represent an important architectural pattern for scaling and extending the capabilities of existing blockchain networks.

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