Beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum: The Multichain Landscape
The major chains beyond BTC and ETH — Solana, Cosmos, Polkadot, and emerging app-chains. How they differ, what they trade off, and where each shines.
6 lessons · 1 hr 16 min · intermediate
- 1Solana: The High-Performance BetHow Solana attempts to scale a single chain to millions of users, the engineering tradeoffs that produce both 65,000 TPS and recurring outages, and the ecosystem that has emerged.11 min
- 2Cosmos: The Internet of BlockchainsThe "many sovereign chains" thesis behind Cosmos, how IBC connects 100+ blockchains, and why some apps choose to be their own chain.11 min
- 3Polkadot, Avalanche, and Other Major NetworksThe other significant non-EVM, non-Bitcoin networks. Polkadot, Avalanche, TON, Aptos, Sui, and Near — what each does well and where each has struggled.11 min
- 4App-Chains and the Specialization WaveWhy some applications benefit from running on their own dedicated chain, when this is the right choice, and case studies of app-chains that worked (and didn't).9 min
- 5Bridging the Multichain WorldHow to actually move assets between major chains in 2026, the security models and tradeoffs of each bridge type, and best practices to avoid losing money in transit.10 min
- 6When to Bridge vs Use a Centralized ExchangePractical decision framework for moving assets across chains. CEX or bridge? Cost, speed, custody, KYC, withdrawal limits, and chain-pair coverage all matter. Real walkthroughs with May 2026 cost numbers for the most common routes.24 min
Educational only — not financial advice.