Alephium is a layer one blockchain designed to address common challenges in traditional blockchains, including scalability, programmability, decentralization, and security. It uses an innovative algorithm known as Proof-of-Less-Work (PoLW) and sharding techniques to enhance throughput and scalability, ensuring rapid transactions and reduced network congestion while maintaining efficiency and security.
Alephium operates on blockchain technology featuring sharding and uses a novel algorithm called BlockFlow. This technology improves scalability through shard division, allowing parallel transaction processing and higher throughput. Alephium employs the Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) model combined with a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) for consensus across shards. Its consensus mechanism, Proof-of-Less-Work (PoLW), reduces energy usage by dynamically adjusting mining requirements. The platform also supports smart contracts via its custom virtual machine, Alphred, and programming language Ralph, enhancing scalability and security.
Alephium's scalable and secure infrastructure is particularly suited for:
Alephium was founded by Cheng Wang, a cryptography and distributed computing expert, alongside co-founder Alois Cochard. Its development milestones include the whitepaper release in 2019, alpha testing of its protocol in 2020, and its mainnet launch in 2021. Significant advancements include the Leman Network Upgrade, aimed at enhancing performance and developer experience, and ongoing development of cross-chain solutions like the Alephium-Ethereum bridge. Alephium continues to evolve with a focus on scalability and sustainability through advanced technologies.