App-Chain
A blockchain built and optimized specifically for a single application, rather than hosting many unrelated applications on a shared, general-purpose chain.
An app-chain (application-specific chain) is a blockchain built and optimized specifically for a single application, rather than that application being deployed as one of many unrelated applications sharing a general-purpose chain's resources and fee market.
Running its own dedicated chain gives an application full control over its own performance, fee structure, and governance, at the cost of needing to bootstrap its own security and losing the shared liquidity and composability (see Kaavon's "Composability" glossary definition) benefits of being one of many applications on the same general-purpose chain.
Examples
- An app-chain gives its single application full control over performance and fee structure, without competing with unrelated applications for the same block space.
- Running an app-chain means losing the shared liquidity and composability benefits that come from being one of many applications on a general-purpose chain.