Types of Blockchain : Public, Private…..

2 min readJul 24, 2022

We have come a long way from the day when Satoshi Nakamoto mined the first bitcoin genesis block. Now blockchain is not only about cryptocurrencies, the applications are endless and we have only figured out a drop of the ocean.

Based on it’s applications in the industry and how much a network is decentralized blockchain is categorized into :

Public Blockchain

In a public blockchain, anyone with the specified system requirement can participate in the network, you don’t need the permission to participate hence, also called as permission-less blockchain. The copy of the ledger is shared by all the nodes and the transaction details are accessible in the public domain.
Example : Lightening Network (Bitcoin), Ethereum (Ether), Solana, Near and other layer-1 chain you know about.

Private Blockchain

Also known as permissioned blockchain, in these networks all the nodes are owned by one authority. The data is not accessible for anyone outside the network.
Ex : Oracle Enterprise Blockchain & IBM Supply chain Blockchain

Consortium/Federation Blockchain

Consortium is when a few companies together make a blockchain network with pre-selected nodes. It’s more decentralized than a private blockchain.
Ex : Hyperledger & Corda

Hybrid Blockchain

A hybrid blockchain is when a network is formed that uses the best features of a private and a public blockchains like more decentralization or faster throughput.
Ex : IBM Food Trust