{"id":27633,"date":"2022-01-24T18:43:18","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T18:43:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/accumulatenetwork.io\/?p=27633"},"modified":"2022-01-25T17:03:59","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T17:03:59","slug":"how-accumulate-enables-monolithic-chains-to-become-modular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/accumulatenetwork.io\/2022\/01\/how-accumulate-enables-monolithic-chains-to-become-modular\/","title":{"rendered":"How Accumulate Enables Monolithic Chains to Become Modular"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Ever since the invention of Bitcoin in 2009, blockchains have wrestled with the problem of how to scale in order to meet the growing demand of digitally native users while maintaining enough decentralization to resist censorship from nation-states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This highly delicate balancing act is commonly referred to as the scalability trilemma, which is a series of trade-offs that developers must make between decentralization, security, and scalability when designing a blockchain network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially, the scalability trilemma was addressed by increasing the size of blocks on a network, then later by adopting alternative consensus mechanisms such as proof of stake or directed acyclic graphs as a way to reduce the amount of time it would take for nodes to achieve consensus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recent years, many prominent figures in the blockchain space have begun to realize that the solution to solving the scalability trilemma requires addressing the underlying monolithic architecture of a blockchain that forces one to make trade-offs between speed, security, and decentralization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A monolithic blockchain is one that handles transaction execution, network consensus, and data storage all from within the same network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can view these 3 components are layers within a blockchain network: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The application & execution layer \u2192 where transactions are executed<\/li>
The network & consensus layer* \u2192 where consensus is achieved on what transactions are true <\/li>
The protocol & data layer \u2192 where the history of validated transactions are stored<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
*Consensus and network layers are technically separate but highly interconnected.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n