blockchains world , one of the biggest challenges is scalability. Most current blockchains, such as Ethereum , can only deal with a limited number of transactions per second, which leads to significant deadlines and high transaction costs. To overcome this limit, an approach called Sharding has been proposed. Sharding allows you to divide a blockchain into smaller games, or shards , to distribute the workload on several nodes. This increases the processing capacity of transactions without sacrificing decentralization. But what exactly is Sharding and what are its advantages and limits, especially in terms of security? This is what we are going to explore in this article.
Table of contents
What is Sharding?
Sharding is a partitioning technique that divides a blockchain into several pieces, called Shards . Each shard works as a mini-blockchain capable of treating part of the transactions independently. Instead of all the nodes of the network treat all transactions, each Shard manages a subset of transactions, which lightens the overall load of the network and accelerates its operation.
In other words, Sharding improves blockchain performance by dividing the workload between different fragments, thus increasing the number of transactions that the network can deal with in parallel.
How does Sharding work?
In a sharding system, transactions are distributed among different shards. Each shard has its own set of validators, responsible for checking and processing transactions within this Shard. This makes it possible to unload other shards, which can continue to deal with transactions without being impacted by those which take place elsewhere.
However, transactions between Shards, called cross-Shard Transactions , require special coordination, as they involve state changes between several shards. The challenge is to ensure that the data circulates properly between the shards while maintaining the coherence of the blockchain as a whole.
Near Protocol and the Nightshade model
A relevant example of the use of Sharding is Near Protocol , a blockchain that adopted a specific approach called Nightshade . Rather than creating independent channels for each shard, Near uses a single large shared register, divided into fragments called Chunks .
As part of Sharding, it is essential to understand the difference between a chunk and a shard . A shard represents a logical division of blockchain, where each shard works as an independent mini-blockchain capable of treating specific transactions parallel to other shards. On the other hand, a Chunk is a subset of data within a transaction block. Each shard produces one or more chunks , which contain transactions related to this shard.
The interaction between these two elements is key to understanding where Sharding comes. The Shard determines the part of the network which will manage a set of transactions, while the Chunk is the way in which these transactions are physically stored and validated in a global block. Thus, Sharding divides the network into shards , and each shard is responsible for producing its own chunks .
In systems like Near Protocol , although there is a large shared global register, this register is divided into Chunks , each associated with a shard . The Sharding intervenes at the time of the division of labor between the different shards, and the chunks are the units which make it possible to collect the data produced by each shard in the global register. In other words, each Shard treats its own transactions independently, but these transactions are then consolidated in chunks in the overall blockchain block.
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Sharding advantages for blockchain
Sharding has several notable advantages for blockchains, especially those seeking to improve their ability to treat a large number of transactions:
1. Increased scalability
By allowing several shards to treat transactions in parallel, the sharding improves the scalability of the blockchain. This allows a greater number of users to make congestion transactions, which is crucial for large -scale adoption.
2. Reduction of transaction costs
With more transactions that can be processed simultaneously, demand for network resources decreases, which results in a drop in transaction costs.
3. Increased efficiency
Each shard needs to manage only a fraction of transactions, which lightens the workload for each node of the network. This makes it possible to use validators' calculation resources more effectively.
4. Maintaining decentralization
Despite the network division in Shards, each Shard retains an independent validators, which maintains the decentralization and security of the network.
Sharding security risks
Although sharding is a promising solution to improve the scalability of blockchains, it also presents safety risks. By dividing the network into several shards, each shard becomes less secure than the blockchain as a whole.
Let's take a concrete example: in a un sharded blockchain, it is generally necessary to corrupt more than 50 % of the validators of the network to take control. On the other hand, in a Shardée blockchain, it is enough to corrupt more than 50 % of the validators of a single shard to take control of this specific Shard. If a shard is compromised, transactions in this shard can be altered, and these alterations can potentially spread to the entire network via transactions between shards.
This is why many protocols, such as Near Protocol, use additional security mechanisms, such as the random rotation of the validators between the Shards, in order to reduce the risk that a single Shard is compromised.
How can Sharding affect blockchain safety?
Sharding, by fragmented blockchain, introduces certain unique safety risks. One of the major risks is linked to the partition of the validators. In a non -shaded blockchain, each node participates in the validation process of all transactions. But with Sharding, validators are only responsible for a subset of transactions. If an attacker succeeds in controlling a majority of a shard validators, he could potentially compromise the security of this shard and carry out fraudulent transactions.
To minimize this risk, safety mechanisms, such as the random distribution of validators, are essential. These mechanisms prevent validators from staying for too long on the same shard, thus reducing the risk of malicious collusion. In addition, certain systems, such as that of Near Protocol, rely on a global register, which makes it possible to verify the integrity of transactions centrally.
The advantages of sharding for blockchains
Despite security challenges, Sharding offers undeniable advantages to blockchains that seek to improve their performance and adapt to a wider adoption:
1. Improved scalability
Sharding allows blockchains to treat more transactions per second by dividing the workload. This reduces the bottlenecks that can slow the network.
2. Reduction of transaction costs
By increasing the treatment capacity of the network, sharding decreases pressure on transaction costs, allowing users to carry out transactions at lower cost.
3. Scalability
Sharding allows blockchain to adapt to a larger number of users and applications without sacrificing performance or security.
4. Resources optimization
Network nodes no longer need to treat all transactions, which allows more efficient use of calculation resources and a reduction in energy consumption.
Examples of blockchains using sharding
1. Near Protocol
Near Protocol is a blockchain that uses an advanced shape of Sharding with its Nightshade . Rather than creating several independent channels, Near uses a shared global register, fragmented in chunks to treat transactions decentralized while guaranteeing safety and efficiency.
2. Zilliqa
Zilliqa is another blockchain that applies sharding. This is one of the first to have shown that this technology can significantly improve transactional speed by dividing the workload between several shards. Zilliqa has proven that Sharding could be successfully implemented in a public blockchain network.
The future of sharding in blockchains
With the boom in decentralized applications and large -scale blockchains, Sharding is a key technology to meet growing scalability needs. It not only makes it possible to treat more transactions, but also to reduce costs and improve network efficiency. Although Sharding presents challenges, especially in terms of security, it remains a promising solution for the future of blockchains.
Faq
1. What is Sharding?
Sharding is a partitioning technique that divides a blockchain into several shards , making it possible to treat more transactions in parallel.
2. How does the shaving improve scalability?
By dividing the workload between several shards, the sharding allows a blockchain to treat more transactions simultaneously, thus increasing its overall capacity.
3. What are the safety risks linked to sharding?
The main risk is that a shard can be compromised if a majority of its validators are corrupt. This can affect the integrity of the whole network.
4. What are the examples of blockchains using sharding?
Near Protocol and Zilliqa are two examples of blockchains that have implemented sharding to improve their transactional performance.
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Noah
Training engineer, I quickly became interested in the field of finance. Convinced that decentralized finance has a bright future ahead of it, I participate in its democratization by developing Crypternon.
