Avalanche for Developers
Avalanche is a network of networks. It is not a single blockchain running a single, uniform type of blocks. It contains multiple Subnets, each running one or more heterogeneous blockchains.
Avalanche is a network of networks. It is not a single blockchain running a single, uniform type of blocks. It contains multiple Subnets, each running one or more heterogeneous blockchains.
A Subnet is a “sovereign network which defines its own rules regarding its membership and token economics”.
A Subnet is composed of a dynamic subset of Avalanche validators working together to achieve consensus on the state of one or more blockchains.
Each blockchain is validated by exactly one Subnet, and a Subnet can have many blockchains.
A validator may be a member of many Subnets.
Avalanche, with a transactional throughput of more than 4500 tps, performs phenomenally faster than Bitcoin (7 tps), Ethereum (14 tps), and Polkadot (1500 tps).
In terms of transactional finality, Avalanche (less than 2 seconds) leads as compared to Bitcoin (60 mins), Ethereum (6 min), and Polkadot (60 seconds).
Avalanche features 3 built-in blockchains:
Exchange Chain (X-Chain)
Platform Chain (P-Chain)
Contract Chain (C-Chain)
These 3 blockchains are validated and secured by all Avalanche validators (the Primary Network).
The Primary Network is a special Subnet, and all members of all custom Subnets must also be a member of the Primary Network by staking at least 2,000 AVAX.
AVAX is Avalanche's native token and it can be used for staking, paying fees, and providing a unit of account between the multiple subnetworks created on Avalanche.
Exchange Chain (X-Chain)
The X-Chain acts as a decentralized platform for creating and trading digital smart assets with a set of rules that govern its behavior, like "can’t be traded until tomorrow" or "can only be sent to US citizens."
One asset traded on the X-Chain is AVAX. When you issue a transaction to a blockchain on Avalanche, you pay a fee denominated in AVAX.
The X-Chain is an instance of the Avalanche Virtual Machine (AVM). The X-Chain API allows clients to create and trade assets on the X-Chain and other instances of the AVM.
Platform Chain (P-Chain)
Platform Chain (P-Chain) is the metadata blockchain on Avalanche and coordinates validators, keeps track of active Subnets, and enables the creation of new Subnets. The P-Chain implements the Snowman consensus protocol. The P-Chain API allows clients to create Subnets, add validators to Subnets, and create blockchains.
Contract Chain (C-Chain)
C-Chain allows for the creation of smart contracts using the C-Chain’s API. The C-Chain is an instance of the Ethereum Virtual Machine powered by Avalanche.
Source: https://docs.avax.network