Polkadot, Avalanche, and Other Major Networks

What you'll learn

• The Other Big Chains
• Polkadot: Shared Security, Underwhelming Adoption
• Avalanche: Subnets and Speed
• TON, Aptos, Sui, Near
• Newer Standouts: Hyperliquid and Berachain
• Takeaways
• For Deeper Reading

Key terms

Polkadot (DOT)

Layer 0 chain founded by Gavin Wood (Ethereum co-founder). Mainnet May 2020. Relay chain + parachain architecture with shared security. Polkadot 2.0 (early 2026) introduced Agile Coretime.

Substrate / Polkadot SDK

Framework for building Polkadot parachains (and other chains). Technically influential beyond the Polkadot ecosystem.

Avalanche (AVAX)

Layer 1 founded by Emin Gün Sirer (Cornell). Launched September 2020. Three-chain architecture (P/X/C); EVM-compatible C-Chain. Pioneered subnets (now Avalanche L1s).

TON (The Open Network)

Originally conceived by Pavel Durov (Telegram). 2024 deeper Telegram integration created built-in wallet for Telegram's 900M+ users. Sharded architecture.

Aptos (APT)

Layer 1 by ex-Meta engineers Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching. Mainnet October 2022. Uses Move programming language (originally from Diem/Libra).

Sui (SUI)

Layer 1 by ex-Meta engineers led by Evan Cheng. Mainnet May 2023. Move-based; object-centric programming model.

Near Protocol (NEAR)

Layer 1 launched April 2020. Sharded architecture; human-readable account names (alice.near). AI initiatives 2024-2025.

Move language

Programming language originally developed at Meta for the abandoned Diem/Libra project. Used by Aptos and Sui. Linear types make resources non-duplicable.

Hyperliquid (HYPE)

Dedicated chain for perpetual futures. Founded by Jeff Yan. Mainnet 2023; HYPE token genesis November 2024. No VC funding; revenue to stakers.

Berachain (BERA)

EVM-compatible Cosmos chain. Mainnet February 6, 2025. Pioneered Proof of Liquidity consensus. $3.1B Boyco TVL launch.

Subnets / Avalanche L1s

Avalanche's app-chain model. Renamed "L1s" in 2024 Avalanche9000 upgrade. Subnets share validator infrastructure but have their own state.

Kusama (KSM)

Polkadot's "canary network." A separate chain used to test upgrades and parachains before they hit Polkadot proper. Sometimes called "Polkadot's wild cousin."