Cryptonews News Do we need yet another Layer 1?

Do we need yet another Layer 1?

Disclaimer: The text below is an advertorial article that is not part of Cryptonews.com editorial content.

Meet the L1 that’s actually solving the blockchain trilemma

Blockchain technology has been around for decades, but it didn’t become popular until the rise of Bitcoin. Satoshi Nakamoto’s idea of a decentralized network, a direct response to the 2008 financial crisis, offered an alternative to the old, centralized legacy systems. Since then, blockchain tech has been blooming with numerous networks vying for the spotlight. All of them are competing to provide the best platform and offer users a good balance between decentralization, security and scalability. These three elements are often thought impossible to combine according to the blockchain trilemma. This belief addresses the challenges that developers face when designing a new blockchain and posits that achieving all three simultaneously is an unrealistic goal.

Currently, all popular Layer 1 blockchains suffer from the trilemma and an increasing lack of decentralization. We’re witnessing a regression in the space where blockchains become more and more centralized with numerous examples. Up until recently (before the Merge), Ethereum was arguably the most decentralized and secure network, but it had major scaling issues. That’s why we’re seeing tons of Layer 2 scaling solutions, all trying to fix the problem. After the Merge, Ethereum reduced its energy consumption drastically, but it also became much more centralized. Other chains, such as Solana, have better scalability and decent security achieved, once again, at the cost of decentralization. But there is one Layer 1 blockchain that may have solved this development obstacle without throwing decentralization under the bus. It’s time we talk about Massa.

What is Massa?

Massa is a brand-new Layer 1 blockchain that achieves the holy trinity of security, decentralization and scalability. It solves the trilemma through uniquely advanced technological innovations, such as autonomous smart contracts, blockclique architecture and transaction sharding.

The Massa founders are no strangers to cutting-edge technology and the scientific field. Massa Labs, the company behind Massa, was founded in 2020, but the work on the project has been ongoing since 2017. The driving force behind Massa are:

Sébastien Forestier – CEO
Damir Vodenicarevic – Head of Development
Adrien Laversanne-Finot – Strategy Lead

The trio combines vast experience in artificial intelligence and theoretical physics, putting their knowledge to work in a massive effort to solve the blockchain trilemma. How do they achieve that? Back in 2020, the company published its technical paper “Blockclique: Scaling Blockchains through Transaction Sharding in a Multithreaded Block Graph”. In it, the team goes into detail about the technological advancements they’ve achieved and how blockchains no longer have to make a hard choice, rendering the popular trilemma a thing of the past.

Why yet another Layer 1 blockchain?

Far from content with being just another Layer 1, Massa brings innovative solutions to some of the biggest problems in blockchain technology, while making huge improvements in other areas as well. One of the biggest technological breakthroughs made by the team is in the field of smart contracts, further empowering the decentralization of Massa.

Inspired by the Bitcoin whitepaper, the team behind the project holds decentralization to heart. Decentralization is a core value in Massa, as it’s the one thing that sets blockchain networks from the monopoly of Web2. If blockchain technology is to build a better future, decentralization is the one thing that can’t be compromised on.

Massa’s Unparalleled Decentralization

When it comes to network decentralization, the Nakamoto coefficient is one of the best criteria and it’s where Massa truly shines. The Nakamoto coefficient represents the minimum number of people (not validators but real persons) needed to disrupt the system. Since many entities hold a huge number of validators the Nakamoto coefficient of Bitcoin and many other coins is around 3 or 4 depending on the hash rate of the biggest mining pools, while the one of Ethereum was only of 3 as of April 2022 (before the Merge which is considered to have impacted this in a negative way even more).

In order to corrupt a network, an attacker needs a simple majority of 51% but some blockchains require a higher percentage. The number of nodes isn’t the only factor that determines the Nakamoto coefficient. Other elements, such as node distribution around the globe, active developers, as well as the number of clients and owners also play a key role.

Many of the top 10 Layer 1 networks have rather poor scores:

Cardano – 24
Solana – 19
Avalanche – 25

Massa’s results go over 1000, which sets a new record for the most decentralized blockchain in the world of Web3 (aside from Bitcoin). The Massa network has over 6000 nodes running on its testnet, and that number is set to grow higher after the official launch. This is superior to the number of validators on other popular chains

Avalanche – 1209 validators
Solana – 2051 validators
Cardano – 3200 validators

Decentralization is one of the main tenets in the world of blockchain. According to the Massa team “If a blockchain isn’t decentralized, then it’s no better than a database on AWS”. Massa achieves unseen levels of decentralization from day one through a variety of methods that have a heavy focus on community.

Anyone can run a Massa node

You’ve probably heard this one before. A project claiming that anyone is able to run a node, only to change the rules later on and make the requirements higher than what the average user can afford. Massa makes it possible for all users to create their very own node with just a few tokens.

No expensive hardware needed

But what about the hardware? That’s the best part. You won’t need anything that you don’t already possess! Users can run a node directly from their personal computer and turn it into a validator. Massa offers the world real decentralization without sacrificing scalability or security to achieve it.

The blockchain we need

All of the big blockchains have yet to solve the trilemma. Some need scaling solutions and lack security while others are too centralized. Massa solves the trilemma and doesn’t need layer 2 solutions to achieve true scalability. With its unparalleled decentralization and accessibility paired with the highest degree of security, Massa is uniquely positioned to be the future of blockchain. The project is ready to onboard the next billion users into Web3, offering them a secure, scalable, accessible and easy-to-use environment.

Massa, the Layer 1 blockchain of tomorrow

The team behind Massa has single-handedly solved the blockchain trilemma and has presented the world with a blockchain that’s simultaneously secure, scalable and decentralized. A true precedent in the blockchain space.

With over 10,000 transactions per second and a Nakamoto coefficient surpassing 1000, Massa doesn’t compromise with security and offers both users and developers a new way to build. Thanks to its autonomous smart contracts and blockclique architecture Massa is the most decentralized Layer 1 blockchain in the space. It invites everyone to easily build on it or start running a node with a minimal investment.

The Massa network is currently running in testnet and targets an official launch between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. Become an early adopter and share your feedback with the community on Telegram, Discord or Twitter. It’s time for blockchain technology to take a bold step into the future!