Custom Blockchains

An Avalanche Custom Blockchain is a sovereign network that defines its own rules for membership and token economics. It's validated by a dynamic subset of Avalanche validators working together to achieve consensus on the blockchain's state.

Key Concepts

• Custom Blockchain: A unique blockchain within the Avalanche ecosystem.
• Validator Subset: A group of validators responsible for a specific blockchain or set of blockchains.
• Custom Blockchain Network: A subset of validators united to validate one or more blockchains.

Relationship Between Blockchains and Avalanche L1s

• Each blockchain is validated by exactly one custom network.
• A Custom Network can validate multiple blockchains.
• A validator may participate in multiple custom networks.

The Primary Network

Avalanche's three main blockchains form the Primary Network:

• Platform Chain (P-Chain)
• Contract Chain (C-Chain)
• Exchange Chain (X-Chain)

These blockchains are validated and secured by all Avalanche validators, which collectively form a special Avalanche L1 known as the Primary Network.

Independence and Scalability

Custom blockchains and their associated Avalanche L1s operate independently:

• They specify their own execution logic.
• They determine their own fee structures.
• They maintain their own state.
• They facilitate their own networking.
• They provide their own security.

This independence ensures that custom blockchains don't share execution threads, storage, or networking with other custom blockchain networks or the Primary Network. As a result, the Avalanche network can:

• Scale up easily
• Enable lower latency
• Achieve higher transactions per second (TPS)
• Offer lower transaction costs

By leveraging custom blockchains and custom blockchain networks, Avalanche creates a flexible and scalable ecosystem that can adapt to a wide range of use cases and requirements.