Algorand: The Scalable, Secure and Decentralized Blockchain for the Next Generation of Financial Applications | by Nidal K | Coinmonks | May, 2023

Imagine a world where everyone can create and exchange value efficiently, transparently and securely. A world where trust is not a barrier, but a catalyst for prosperity. A world where innovation is not hindered, but encouraged by simple and elegant technology. This is the world that Algorand envisions and strives to create with its blockchain-based network. Blockchain technology is a system that allows multiple parties to conduct secure transactions with one another and settle their transactions instantly without intermediaries or central authorities. Algorand is not just another blockchain platform. It is a revolutionary one that solves the fundamental trade-off between scalability, security and decentralization that plagues traditional blockchains. It is a platform that supports a wide range of applications that require fast, secure and decentralized transactions, such as NFTs, stablecoins, payments, DeFi and more. It is a platform that empowers developers and users to build the future of finance and beyond. In this article, we will explore what makes Algorand unique and powerful among other blockchain platforms. We will cover its vision, mission and values, its main features and benefits, its use cases and its prospects. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of what Algorand is, what it can do and why you should care about it.

Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize many domains by enabling trustless and transparent exchange of value. However, traditional blockchains face a fundamental trade-off between scalability, security and decentralization. This means that they cannot achieve high throughput, robust security and wide participation at the same time. For example, Bitcoin and Ethereum use proof-of-work (PoW) consensus protocols that rely on mining, which consumes a lot of energy, limits the transaction speed and throughput, and creates centralization risks due to mining pools. Other blockchains use proof-of-stake (PoS) or delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus protocols that rely on stake delegation or fixed committees, which can compromise security or decentralization due to collusion or corruption. A consensus protocol is a set of rules that determines how the participants of a blockchain agree on the validity and order of transactions. Algorand solves this trade-off with its innovative pure proof-of-stake (PPoS) consensus protocol that leverages the stake (number of algos) of online users to reach an agreement on blocks. Unlike PoW, PPoS does not require mining or any wasteful computation. It also does not rely on delegated users or fixed committees that can be corrupted or attacked. Instead, it uses verifiable random functions (VRFs) to randomly and secretly select block proposers and voting committees for each round of the protocol. This ensures that every online user who possesses algos can participate in the protocol with equal probability proportional to their stake, regardless of their location or hardware. This way, Algorand achieves high scalability (over 1000 transactions per second), strong security (tolerating up to one-third of malicious stake) and true decentralization (with millions of potential participants).

Algorand is designed to support a wide range of applications that require fast, secure and decentralized transactions. Some examples of use cases are:

•NFTs: Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique digital assets that can represent anything from art to music to collectables. They have gained popularity in recent years as a way to express creativity, ownership and value in the digital world. Algorand enables the creation and exchange of NFTs with its layer-1 ASAs (Algorand Standard Assets), which are customizable tokens that can be issued on the Algorand blockchain with minimal cost and complexity. ASAs support various features such as metadata, freezing, clawback and URL attachment, which allow users to define the properties and functionality of their NFTs. Some examples of NFT projects in Algorand are:

•Drone Racing League’s Metaverse Game: Drone Racing League (DRL) is a global professional drone racing circuit that combines high-speed racing drones with immersive 3D courses. DRL partnered with Algorand to launch its Metaverse Game powered by Algorand’s blockchain technology. The game allows players to create their custom drones as NFTs on Algorand and race them against other players in virtual environments. The game also features DRL’s official pilots and drones as NFTs that players can collect and trade.

•TravelX’s NFTickets: TravelX is a travel platform that leverages blockchain technology to provide secure and transparent travel services. TravelX partnered with Algorand to launch its NFTicket service powered by Algorand’s blockchain technology. NFT tickets are digital tickets that are issued as NFTs in Algorand and can be used for various travel-related activities, such as flights, hotels, events and more. NFTickets have several advantages over traditional tickets, such as:

Security: NFTickets are cryptographically secured and cannot be forged or duplicated.

Transparency: NFTickets are recorded on the Algorand blockchain and can be verified by anyone.

Flexibility: NFTickets can be easily transferred or traded among users without intermediaries or fees.

Sustainability: NFTickets are issued on Algorand’s green blockchain consumes minimal energy and have a carbon-negative footprint.

•Kokua Survivor Wallet’s NFTs for disaster relief: Kokua Survivor Wallet is a humanitarian project that aims to provide financial inclusion and empowerment to disaster survivors. Kokua Survivor Wallet partnered with Algorand to launch its NFTs for disaster relief powered by Algorand’s blockchain technology. These NFTs are digital certificates that represent the donation of essential items or services to disaster survivors, such as food, water, shelter, medical care and more. These NFTs have several benefits for donors and recipients, such as:

Accountability: NFTs are recorded on the Algorand blockchain and can be tracked and audited by anyone.

Efficiency: NFTs are issued and delivered instantly and securely without intermediaries or delays.

Impact: NFTs are linked to real-world impact and can be redeemed by disaster survivors for their needs.

Recognition: NFTs are unique and collectable and can be displayed or shared by donors as a badge of honour.

•Stablecoins: Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to a stable asset such as fiat currency or gold. They aim to provide price stability and liquidity for users who want to avoid volatility and access global markets. Algorand supports the creation and exchange of stablecoins with its layer-1 smart contracts and atomic transfers, which enable complex logic and multi-party transactions with low fees and high performance. Algorand’s PPoS consensus protocol also ensures scalability, security and decentralization for stablecoin transactions without compromising any of them. Some examples of stablecoins on Algorand are:

USDC: USDC is a fully-reserved U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, launched by industry pioneers Coinbase and Circle. Each USDC is backed 1:1 by U.S. dollar reserves held in regulated U.S. financial institutions and is subject to monthly attestation by a leading global auditing firm to provide utmost transparency for its holders. USDC is one of the most widely used stablecoins in the world, with over $10 billion in circulation as of March 2021. USDC chose Algorand as one of its blockchain platforms to leverage its speed, scalability and low cost.

QCAD: QCAD is the first-ever fully-compliant Canadian dollar stablecoin, launched by Stablecorp. Each QCAD is backed 1:1 by Canadian dollar reserves held in regulated Canadian financial institutions and is subject to monthly attestation by a leading global auditing firm to provide the utmost transparency for its holders. QCAD aims to provide Canadians with a digital alternative to their national currency that can be used for various purposes, such as remittances, payments, trading and more. QCAD chose Algorand as one of its blockchain platforms to leverage its security, interoperability and performance.

MELD Gold: MELD Gold is a gold-backed stablecoin, launched by MELD. Each MELD Gold token is backed 1:1 by physical gold bullion stored in secure vaults across Australia and is subject to regular audits by a leading global auditing firm to provide utmost transparency for its holders. MELD Gold aims to provide users with a digital alternative to physical gold that can be used for various purposes, such as hedging, investing, trading and more. MELD Gold chose Algorand as its blockchain platform to leverage its speed, scalability and low cost.

•Payments: Payments are transactions that involve the transfer of value between parties. Algorand enables fast, secure and low-cost payments with its PPoS consensus protocol, which ensures scalability, security and decentralization without compromising any of them. Algorand also supports various payment methods and currencies, such as algos, stablecoins, NFTs and more. Some examples of payment projects in Algorand are:

Circle’s payment platform: Circle is a global financial technology firm that provides payment and treasury infrastructure for Internet businesses. Circle partnered with Algorand to launch its payment platform powered by Algorand’s blockchain technology. The platform allows businesses to accept payments in various currencies, including USDC, and settle them instantly and securely on the Algorand blockchain. The platform also enables businesses to access various financial services, such as lending, investing and trading.

Monerium’s e-money service: Monerium is a licensed e-money issuer that provides digital cash on blockchains. Monerium partnered with Algorand to launch its e-money service powered by Algorand’s blockchain technology. The service allows users to send and receive e-money in various fiat currencies, such as euros, pounds and kronas, on the Algorand blockchain. The service also enables users to access various financial applications, such as payments, remittances and DeFi.

PlanetWatch’s air quality monitoring network: PlanetWatch is a global network of air quality sensors that leverages blockchain technology to reward citizens for environmental monitoring. PlanetWatch partnered with Algorand to launch its air quality monitoring network powered by Algorand’s blockchain technology. The network allows users to install air quality sensors in their homes or workplaces and earn PLANET tokens for contributing data to the network. The network also enables users to pay for air quality data or services with PLANET tokens on the Algorand blockchain.

Algorand has the potential to accelerate the convergence between decentralized and traditional finance by enabling the simple creation of next-generation financial products, protocols and exchange of value. Algorand is constantly developing and innovating its technology and ecosystem to achieve this vision. Some of its plans are:

• Algorand Co-Chains: Co-chains are permissioned blockchains that run in parallel with the Algorand mainnet, leveraging its security and interoperability. Co-chains allow enterprises and institutions to customize their blockchain solutions while benefiting from the features and network effects of Algorand. Co-chains are independent of the mainnet, shield their transactions from outsiders, choose their validators and run their own Algorand consensus algorithm. Co-chains can also interoperate with the mainnet and other co-chains to transact with other parties with the same ease and security as the mainnet. Co-chains also enjoy all the benefits of the mainnet, such as atomic transactions, layer-1 smart contracts and state proofs, and automatically inherit all the improvements and upgrades that will be added to the mainnet.

• Algorand Smart Contracts 2.0: Smart contracts 2.0 are an upgrade to the existing layer-1 smart contracts that will enable more expressive and powerful logic for building applications on Algorand. Smart Contracts 2.0 will support stateful contracts, loops, recursion, dynamic ASA creation and more. Smart contracts 2.0 will also be compatible with existing smart contracts and will maintain the same performance, scalability and security guarantees as the layer-1 smart contracts.

• Algorand Governance: Governance is a mechanism that allows ALGO holders to participate in the decision-making process of the Algorand network. Governance will enable ALGO holders to vote on various proposals related to the development and evolution of Algorand, such as protocol upgrades, economic policies and community initiatives. Governance will also reward ALGO holders for their participation and contribution to the network.

Algorand is a blockchain-based network that supports a wide range of applications that require fast, secure and decentralized transactions. Algorand’s vision is to create a world where everyone can create and exchange value efficiently, transparently and securely. Its mission is to achieve global trust through decentralization, simple designs that drive adoption by billions of people, and elegant technology that eliminates barriers to prosperity for all. Algorand has several features and benefits that make it stand out among other blockchain platforms, such as pure proof-of-stake consensus protocol, verifiable random function, state proofs, layer-1 smart contracts and atomic transfers, and AlgoKit. Algorand is also constantly developing and innovating its technology and ecosystem to achieve its vision, with plans such as co-chains, smart contracts 2.0 and governance. If you want to learn more about Algorand and join its developer community, you can visit its website, and developer portal or follow it on social media.