State Channels Ideal for Apps Which ‘Require Rapid Transactions’
The founder of the Layer-3 peer-to-peer protocol Yellow Network, Louis Bellet, believes that the lack of regulation in the crypto trading industry is hindering its scalability. He states that traditional finance is successful due to its well-established regulatory frameworks and policies. Bellet suggests that until the crypto space fully explores and optimizes the usage of clearing systems to mitigate counterparty risks and eliminate the need for speedy settlements, trading will not scale as desired.
State Channels and Their Benefits
Bellet explains that state channels are a second-layer solution in blockchain technology. They allow a group of participants to perform an infinite number of off-chain transactions, reducing congestion and transaction fees. State channels also provide strict privacy on the trade channel, making them an ideal option for apps that require rapid transactions.
Factors Inhibiting Crypto Trading Growth
Bellet identifies several factors inhibiting the growth of crypto trading:
- Limited Exchange Availability: There are few exchanges, making regulation challenging.
- Consumer Protection Deficit: Consumers have little to no protection and limited regulated solutions.
- High Counterparty Risk: The current state of crypto trading carries a high level of counterparty risk.
- Monopolistic Landscape: Existing exchanges hold a monopoly, making it difficult for new local exchanges to enter the market.
- Web 2.0 Legacy Systems: Centralized exchanges operate on outdated Web 2.0 systems.
The Importance of Regulatory Frameworks
Bellet emphasizes that traditional finance’s scalability is due to its regulatory frameworks and policies. In contrast, the relative lack of regulation in the crypto industry slows down its growth and leads to scams. He believes that exploring and optimizing the usage of clearing systems, which mitigate counterparty risks, is key to improving scalability in the crypto domain.
State Channels and Improved Throughput
State channels are simple smart contracts that lock funds based on a state. They allow for depositing collateral on-chain and continuing operations off-chain, bypassing the consensus bottleneck and enhancing transaction finalization speed. By reducing congestion and transaction fees, state channels improve the throughput of decentralized exchanges.
Yellow Network’s P2P Mesh Network
The Yellow Network’s peer-to-peer mesh network connects brokers across blockchains, enabling them to access tokens locked on isolated networks without cross-chain bridging. This decentralized protocol ensures secure locking of assets and collaterals. Participants can withdraw their assets or request settlements on their preferred blockchain, eliminating the need for cross-chain bridging.
Ensuring User Privacy with State Channels
State channels provide strict privacy on the trade channel by moving operations off-chain. Only the initial state and final result of trades are reflected on the main blockchain, while the rest of the transactions remain visible only to channel participants.
Hot Take: Regulatory Frameworks Are Key to Crypto Trading Scalability
In order for crypto trading to scale effectively, regulatory frameworks and policies similar to those in traditional finance need to be established. The current lack of regulation in many regions slows down crypto’s growth and exposes traders to scams. By exploring and optimizing solutions such as clearing systems and state channels, the industry can improve scalability, reduce congestion, lower transaction fees, and enhance privacy. It is crucial for regulators, developers, and market participants to work together in creating a well-regulated environment that fosters innovation while protecting users.