The Parade of 4 Blockchain Platforms: Which One to Choose?
After posts benchmarking Hyperledger and NEO against genEOS, we decided to show more platforms operating on the market.
Here we talk on such blockchain platforms as genEOS, Omni, Ardor, and Waves.
genEOS
What Needs Does It Suit Most?
genEOS was designed as a blockchain addressing enterprise-grade challenges. Those who’d like to use it for other needs can do this, however, such developers are likely to find some ready-made tools lacking. On a bright side, development teams still have the option to craft custom solutions from scratch based on this versatile and multi-functional platform.
Pros
genEOS is an open-source, easily scalable, and cost-efficient blockchain platform.
Although the genEOS blockchain can carry out hundreds of transactions per second, this volume can be increased even more. Enabling inter-blockchain communication, genEOS can connect as many chains as required into one blockchain.
It provides developers of blockchain-backed solutions not only with a bare blockchain but with such functionality as permission schemas and smart contracts.
The platform supports a few programming languages, such as C++, Python, and JS.
genEOS can be augmented with extra development forces from the platform’s team, to give ecosystem users an opportunity to concentrate on the business side of their projects.
Cons
Using the Delegated Proof of Stake consensus algorithm, genEOS requires a limited number of witness nodes to verify a transaction. Though as secure as a blockchain can be, there’s still some possible risk of compromised witness nodes.
Apart from that, the only other disadvantage of genEOS is its infant community that still needs time for growing and maturing.
Omni
What Needs Does It Suit Most?
Omni’s target audience includes developers of digital asset software and cryptocurrencies.
Pros
Omni is a Bitcoin-powered, highly secure platform that allows not only creating tokens in a simple way but transferring them between users via the Bitcoin blockchain.
With the help of Omni’s smart contract and without third parties required, developers can easily launch a decentralized crowdfunding project.
The platform delivers secure web wallets that can be integrated into a newly built Dapp.
Cons
Being Bitcoin-backed, Omni uses the Proof of Work consensus mechanism that is not only time- and energy-consuming but difficult to scale as well.
The Omni blockchain can’t be used beyond its key goal, that is the development of digital assets and cryptos.
Omni has no wide community, so developers can feel lost when facing some bottleneck.
Ardor
What Needs Does It Suit Most?
Ardor aims at enterprise-grade solutions, although it can be used by other target audiences, too.
Pros
Nxt-based, Ardor takes advantage of the Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus algorithm. It’s easily scalable and cost-efficient.
Ardor allows building as many chains as required to connect them in one blockchain to increase the volume of instant transactions.
Ardor successfully overcomes the blockchain bloat by removing unnecessary data like messaging from its nodes.
The ecosystem distinguishes security and transactional tokens, which makes it highly reliable, time- and cost-efficient.
Teams building on top of Ardor can request its development team to tailor and install necessary custom features.
Cons
PoS seems a bit prone to centralization with its limited number of data-verifying nodes.
Most pre-built features are too rigid to adapt them to diverse business purposes.
Waves
What Needs Does It Suit Most?
Although the Waves platform can meet a variety of needs, it was developed to design digital assets, cryptocurrencies, and enterprise-grade tokens.
Pros
Based on the PoS consensus algorithm, Waves is a cost-efficient blockchain that can carry out hundreds of transactions per second.
Apart from the bare blockchain, the open-source Waves platform delivers three pre-configured features: a web wallet, a decentralized exchange (DEX), and a tool facilitating token production.
The ecosystem supports its own programming language RIDE developed to create smart contracts. As for other features of the blockchain, they support Python.
The well-developed Waves community can provide assistance if needed.
Cons
The PoS consensus algorithm can be seized over by its major stakeholders.
Developers have to learn a new programming language to create smart contracts on top of Waves.
The platform has a limited number of supported programming languages.
Conclusion
If you’re developing a digital asset solution or a cryptocurrency, pay attention to Omni. Waves also suits these goals but as it has more use cases, including enterprise-grade business needs, its built-in features are more general-purpose than those provided by Omni.
If you’re developing a blockchain-driven enterprise solution, choose between genEOS and Ardor that were crafted for such goals. Both platforms are easily scalable and cost-effective, with a pre-tailored toolkit. When it comes to their differences, genEOS allows changing pre-built features to satisfy a business’ exact needs. Also, it provides a development workforce if required. As for Ardor, it found a way to keep its blockchain concise, which makes it smaller than any other competing blockchains.
