Substrate Definition
Substrate is a modular, extensible, open-source platform for building blockchains. It is developed by Parity Technologies and is the foundation for Polkadot, a network that enables different blockchains to interoperate. Substrate provides the building blocks for creating custom blockchains and includes a variety of features such as a networking layer, consensus mechanism, and a Wasm interpreter.
Substrate Key Points
- Substrate is a framework for creating blockchains, developed by Parity Technologies.
- It provides the basic building blocks for creating custom blockchains.
- Substrate is the foundation for Polkadot, a network for blockchain interoperability.
- It includes features such as a networking layer, consensus mechanism, and a Wasm interpreter.
What is Substrate?
Substrate is a blockchain development framework that allows developers to build their own blockchains. It is developed by Parity Technologies, a company known for its contributions to the Ethereum ecosystem. Substrate is designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing developers to choose the components that best suit their needs. This includes the choice of consensus mechanism, the ability to add or remove modules, and the option to write custom logic in any programming language that can compile to WebAssembly (Wasm).
Why is Substrate important?
Substrate is important because it simplifies the process of building blockchains. Instead of having to build a blockchain from scratch, developers can use Substrate’s modular framework to create a custom blockchain with the features they need. This can significantly reduce the time and resources required to launch a new blockchain. Furthermore, Substrate is the foundation for Polkadot, a network that aims to enable different blockchains to interoperate. This means that blockchains built with Substrate can easily connect to the Polkadot network, further enhancing their functionality and reach.
Who uses Substrate?
Substrate is used by blockchain developers and companies looking to build their own custom blockchains. This includes both startups and established companies in the blockchain space. For example, Polkadot, a major blockchain interoperability project, is built using Substrate. Other projects built on Substrate include Kusama, a canary network for Polkadot, and Edgeware, a smart contract platform.
When was Substrate created?
Substrate was first announced by Parity Technologies in 2018. Since then, it has been continuously developed and improved, with new features and modules regularly added.
How does Substrate work?
Substrate works by providing a set of modular components that developers can use to build their own blockchains. These components include a networking layer for peer-to-peer communication, a consensus mechanism for securing the blockchain, and a Wasm interpreter for executing smart contracts. Developers can choose which components to use and can add or remove modules as needed. They can also write custom logic in any programming language that can compile to Wasm, giving them a high degree of flexibility and control over their blockchain’s functionality.
