What Is a Shard Chain?
A shard chain is a type of blockchain technology that allows for the parallel processing of transactions. It works by splitting up the network into multiple shards, each with its own set of nodes and validators. This enables more transactions to be processed in parallel, resulting in faster transaction times and higher throughputs than traditional blockchains. The idea behind sharding is to increase scalability while maintaining decentralization and security.
Shard chains are still relatively new but have already been implemented in several projects such as Ethereum 2.0, Zilliqa, QuarkChain, and Elrond Network. These networks use different consensus algorithms such as Proof-of-Stake (PoS) or Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT). Each algorithm has its own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to scalability, security, cost efficiency etc., so developers must carefully consider which one best suits their needs before implementing a sharded blockchain solution.