Blockchain Technology in 2022: One Reason to Use Each of Four Platforms

Regardless of your level of expertise with Blockchain technology, you’ve probably at least heard of it by now. Aside from cryptocurrencies, the technology offers smart contracts, verifies digital transactions, and keeps open, transparent digital ledgers for businesses, governments and virtually every type of organization on Earth. As the popular saying goes, “Blockchain is going to eat the world.’

Of course, this is a figurative saying. To put it in a more rational and somewhat less-terrifying manner, Blockchain technology is becoming what Internet technology was thirty years ago; inevitable. It’s incredibly useful for countless applications, regardless of what one thinks of cryptocurrencies.

So now the question becomes, “which is the best Blockchain platform to use?” There are plenty of options, and plenty of passionate devotees to each. This article originally started as an in-depth look at Avalanche vs. Solana, but the more research that was done on the advantages and disadvantages of each, the more apparent it became that other platforms deserved consideration in some areas as well.

If you have a deeper interest in the intricacies of each platform, there are plenty of discussions to be found. Be warned, as I said, their devotees are passionate. Plenty of Internet debates start with “Solana vs Avalanche,” and then a side discussion begins with “well what about Polkadot?” and then a fourth Internet posse wanders in yelling about Cardano. Before long, the discussion dissolves into a shouting match (denoted by typing in all caps) that resembles the fight scene from Anchorman.

To save you some time (and sanity), we at MacguyverTech chose a path almost entirely devoid of horses, people on fire and tridents. We may do direct comparisons in the future, but to kick off 2022, we’re going to look at the best feature of each of four major Proof of Stake platforms: Avalanche, Cardano, Polkadot and Solana. Please note that these four were listed alphabetically, and there are certainly other Blockchain platforms out there. Also, this isn’t a reflection on the tokens associated with each chain; that’s an entirely separate argument. Fortunately, they made Anchorman 2 specifically for that reason.

Avalanche:

If you want to start an argument on an Internet forum (and who doesn’t?), go on Reddit and suggest that Solana is the fastest Blockchain tech. Within minutes, you’ll be inundated with replies that not only insult you personally, but also discuss “sharding,” insist that “Time To Finality” is what matters and inform you that Avalanche offers far superior TTF.

Fortunately, that’s not what really sets Avalanche apart. The best feature of Avalanche is that it uses three separate Blockchains, each with a different task. This makes Avalanche very scalable and secure, with one chain used for exchange, one for smart contracts, and one for building on the platform itself.

Cardano:

Remember that bit above about Solana speed vs Avalanche speed? In the end, that “fast” title isn’t going to either of them. The “fastest” title is going to go to Cardano. Specifically designed with scalability in mind, Cardano is launching a “hydra” upgrade that allows real-world transactions in real time.

In short, as the platform grows in users, it will grow in processing speed. This is an incredibly useful feature that’s built into the Blockchain itself.

Polkadot:

This one is easy. The best thing about Polkadot is that it isn’t designed to compete against other platforms; it’s specifically designed to help other Blockchain platforms work together. If the Blockchain community is the UN, Polkadot is the translator.

Polkadot is basically a platform that allows one to build on top of other platforms and let these platforms exchange information. It’s a truly ingenious design that might be a necessity rather than an option down the road.

Solana:

Solana is fast. Solana doesn’t take a lot of energy to process transactions. Solana also uses a process that doesn’t require a lot of bandwidth. But none of these are what make Solana special. What makes Solana special is that it uses Rust as a programming language.

Rust is arguably the easiest and best Blockchain programming language, and Solana designed itself to specifically use that language. Rather than make a programming language specifically for itself, (like Ethereum did with Solidity), Solana reverse-engineered it in a brilliant decision with an eye on the future.

Summary:

Truth be told, all four of these Blockchain platforms have a bright future, and arguments can be made for any of them as the best. Hopefully this article gives some insight into what we at MacguyverTech feel is the best feature of each.

And if not, please at least put down the trident.