Sidechain Implementation Strategies to Improve Blockchain Scalability

A blockchain is a distributed ledger with interrelated blocks secured by a consensus mechanism based on cryptography. The breadth of the blockchain network and the complexity of the consensus mechanism used to verify transactions are also the causes of slowness on the blockchain. This is referred to as a well-known scalability problem in public blockchain applications such as bitcoin. To overcome this, a simpler consensus mechanism can be used, or to manage the extent of the distribution on a ledger network. This study discusses various strategies to increase scalability, especially those related to limiting the ledger network using side chains technology. A side chain is a secondary chain that is connected to the main chain and has a consensus mechanism that is independent from the main chain. One way is to limit the number of nodes in the side chain so that the transaction verification process can be accelerated. In addition, grouping active node transactions into side chains can significantly reduce the burden on the main chain. Another strategy is to use a simpler consensus mechanism for transactions with small nominal values so transaction speed can be increased. Each strategy has its weaknesses, but implementing several of the proposed strategies together will cover the weaknesses of the other strategies to produce an effective method to increase scalability.