The BNB Chain network, formerly known as the Binance Smart Chain, is set to launch application-specific sidechains in a bit to support resource-intense applications such as play-to-earn games, while reducing strain on the main network.

According to The Block, the BNB Chain Application Sidechain (BAS) will allow developers to port data and assets directly from the main BNB Chain to reduce strain on the network’s limited resources. The sidechains will effectively cut transaction costs while boosting the speed of transactions for these applications and other network participants.

A Binance spokesperson was quoted saying:

The BAS is an infrastructure introduced to help developers and node operators build and run their own blockchain as their internal value system for a massive number of users while still maintaining a close connection with BNB Chain.

The sidechains were first mentioned when the rebrand from Binance Smart Chain to BNB Chain was announced, as the network prepared “infrastructure for the MetaFi Universe.” To offload strain from the mainnet, there will also be “BSC Partition Chains.”

The network also expanded its validator set from 21 to 41 validators to boost its decentralization and scalability, while introducing an on-chain governance mechanism. The Block details the network’s sidechains will operate independently, meaning teams can pick their validator set for security needs instead of relying on the mainnet protocol.

Any development team, the news outlet adds, will be able to deploy their own BAS on the network. BAS is set to be similar to Ronin, an Ethereum sidechain used by the Axie Infinity play-to-earn game.

Sidechains aren’t new in the space, however, as other layer-one blockchains like Polkadot, Avalanche, and Cosmos have application-specific chains within their ecosystems. As CryptoGlobe reported, Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer David Schwartz has proposed the introduction of federated sidechains to allow developers to implement smart contracts and Defi capabilities adjacent to the XRP Ledger.

In a blog post, Schwartz noted that Ripple has been resisting adding smart contracts capabilities to the XRP Ledger because of the risk of compromising the ledger’s focus on payments, even though demand has been skyrocketing.

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IMAGE CREDIT
Featured image via BNB Chain’s website