Parachain

Parachains, which are individual blockchains operating in parallel within the Polkadot network, do not necessarily have to be in the form of blockchains. They are connected to Polkadot in a “hub and spoke” architecture, allowing developers to create independent networks using the same framework as the main chain.

The technology behind parachains is supported by Substrate, a framework for building blockchains with web3 functionality. Substrate is also used for building and developing Polkadot and Kusama.

Each parachain is connected to the main chain through the central Relay Chain, enabling them to function independently while remaining connected to the entire network. Parachains have their own functionality, tokens, governance systems, and other attributes. However, they still benefit from the security provided by the Polkadot network and are supported by its validator model. It is not necessary to build a separate validator community to maintain a parachain.

Collator nodes play a role in securing parachains by assisting validators. Unlike validators, collator nodes do not secure the network. Instead, they keep a record of parachain data, select new block candidates, and confirm the inputs and status of a parachain alongside validators. Parachains can interact with the main chains through cross-chain message passing (XCMP).

Parachains can have different economics compared to the entire Polkadot ecosystem. They have the flexibility to set different transaction fees based on the preferences of their own community.