So far, each iteration in the evolution of cryptocurrencies and blockchain companies has come with its own issues and setbacks. This is because the scale of the companies is actually fairly limited, and not as comprehensive as the promises made by blockchain fanatics.
Part of this the lack of connectivity between blockchains, but there is also the issue of the blockchains not having the scalability necessary to accommodate huge companies. When you have a bunch of separate blockchains functioning out of sync, it is hard to build anything significant, as the “ecosystem” is coming to find.
A Natural Evolution
The evolution of the space started with Bitcoin – there were coins before, but nothing that caught on – which was the equivalent of a “simple app”. It could be traded and used the basic functionality of blockchain, but there was nothing complicated about its use case.
Then there was Ethereum, which allowed for smart contracts and other protocols to be built out upon it. This results in a lot of different apps functioning on the same platform, much like an app platform.
Finally, the hope is that Aelf will be able to create a blockchain operating system (much like Linux) that will add an infinite level of scalability to the platform. It would be developer and consumer friendly and function with high reliability.
Two Key Innovations
This blockchain operating system depends on two major innovations: side chains and a unique governance system. By using a multi-chain architecture rather than a “main” blockchain, they avoid many of the pitfalls of NEO or Ethereum. Ideally, this will allow Aelf to be highly available and have a high transaction-per-second capacity.
Additionally, companies will be able to rent out nodes (nodes as a service) to help process their side chains when they’re having scaling issues. This is one of the many benefits of operating on an operating system-esque model.
The governance system for Aelf must be unique, since regular consensus algorithms wouldn’t work when confirming information from side chains on tho the main chain. Therefore, a Delegated Proof-of-Stake algorithm is used, which helps you vote on which nodes will become mining nodes and have the ability to confirm transactions.
Current State of Aelf
Aelf is currently in a big growth period. The main net launch is scheduled for 2019, with the development team publishing consistent updates along the way.
The protocol uses their proprietary token, ELF, as a utility token that permits users to access, interact with, and directly participate in DAPPS and other services. No ICO occurred for ELF and it was instead financed using a private token sale.
Breakout Potential
Currently ranked 89th in terms of market capitalization and available on Binance, ELF had a rough December, with a recent recovery occurring during a consolidation period.
The current prices around 3,000 to 3,500 satoshis represent a good buying area while waiting for a breakout. ELF is a fairly volatile coin and with consolidation occurring rapidly, it isn’t unreasonable to think it could hit 4,500 satoshis.
Additionally, with the pending development and release of its mainnet, the fundamental could potentially change very quickly. This could assist the technicals and create a highly profitable breakout, which makes it a good short- or medium-term trade.