Following the success of CryptoKitties, builders Dapper Labs knew that for Web3 gaming to develop, an alternative choice to Ethereum was wanted: enter Stream.
Stream was the primary main competitor to Ethereum for video games, apps and experiences, and has powered lots of the most mainstream blockchain apps thus far.
Regardless of Ethereum Layer-2 blockchains taking off, and competing Layer-1 chains gaining traction, Stream remains to be on the high of the business – however what makes Stream stand out, and the way is it nonetheless the chain to beat?
Right here’s our full information to the Stream blockchain in 2024.
What’s Stream?
Created by Dapper Labs – the staff behind CryptoKitties – Stream is a Layer-1 blockchain designed to help high-traffic video games, experiences, and digital collectibles.
The recognition of CryptoKitties hit Ethereum’s velocity, reliability and person charges arduous, so Dapper Labs constructed Stream – a contemporary blockchain that would deal with the calls for of their in style blockchain recreation.
Stream is powered by the $FLOW token, a local cryptocurrency that’s concerned in transactions, staking, and community governance
On high of CryptoKitties, Stream is residence to a number of the high blockchain-based video games, apps and platforms – together with officially-licensed titles reminiscent of NBA High Shot, NFL All Day, and UFC Strike.
While many of those are in-house merchandise, Stream has loads of documentation for exterior builders, and has partnered with third-party groups to create a full ecosystem of apps, instruments and platforms constructed on Stream.
Stream claims to be the “residence of shopper Web3” – and its partnerships, merchandise and progress make {that a} official declare to make.
How does Stream work?
Dapper Labs consider Stream not in its place answer, however as a greater answer.
Stream utilises a novel multi-role structure. As a substitute of splitting the community into shards, Stream divides the processing of transactions into 4 specialised roles:
Assortment Nodes: handle transaction dataConsensus Nodes: order, validate and sequence transactionsExecution Nodes: course of transactionsVerification Nodes: preserve the community in-sync and safe
This enables Stream to course of numerous transactions shortly, reliably, and securely – and it’s confirmed efficient, preserving the blockchain each developer-friendly and robust in efficiency.
As a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) community, customers can both run a node or delegate their $FLOW holdings to current nodes to earn rewards. While a lot of Stream’s main merchandise come direct from Dapper Labs, governance of the blockchain is changing into more and more decentralized, with decision-making resting with token holders.
For builders, Stream makes use of a novel programming language known as Cadence, which is optimized for digital belongings and good contracts. It presents a variety of instruments and documentation to make constructing on Stream easier, with the hope that Stream would be the residence for mainstream Web3 apps.
The Historical past of Stream
The concept for Stream adopted the success of CryptoKitties in 2017. Stream’s mainnet launched in 2020 – and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the chain exploded in recognition.
NBA High Shot grabbed mainstream consideration in 2021, being the primary main Web3 app to take action. This recognition led to short-lived partnerships with Instagram and Fb in 2022, and the launch of NFL All Day, UFC Strike and plenty of extra officially-licensed merchandise.
Current years have seen Stream face elevated competitors from Ronin, Base and Avalanche – although no blockchain has but to match its mainstream success.
It hasn’t all been plain crusing. In June 2024, Dapper Labs reached a $4 million USD settlement with NBA High Shot holders over a lawsuit alleging that High Shot collectibles are securities – and it stays unclear what impression this might have on different officially-licensed titles on Stream.
However, Stream continues to rise in recognition – and its latest Crescendo replace, which introduced full EVM help, is simply the most recent in lots of successes for the Stream ecosystem at massive.
