Sharding Alternative

Definition ∞ Sharding Alternative refers to a method or technology designed to achieve scalability in a blockchain network without relying on the traditional sharding approach, which involves dividing the network into smaller, parallel processing units. These alternatives might include various Layer 2 solutions, sidechains, or novel consensus mechanisms that aim to increase transaction throughput and reduce latency. They seek to address network congestion and enhance overall performance. This term refers to any non-sharding solution for scalability.
Context ∞ Sharding alternatives are a prominent topic in news articles discussing blockchain scalability wars and the ongoing efforts to improve network capacity. Reports frequently compare different Layer 2 solutions, such as rollups or validiums, as viable alternatives to sharding. The continuous development and deployment of these technologies are critical for understanding the evolution of high-performance decentralized networks.