As public blockchains enter an era of rapid proliferation, how easy is it to actually build one?
Remember when the term "public blockchain" carried an air of prestige in the crypto space? Back then, public chains were synonymous with platform-type giants like ETH—general-purpose smart contract platforms—rather than single-coin chains like BTC or LTC, which we simply categorized as "coins."
Each new platform chain was a spectacle: from NEO and EOS to Solana, all captured massive attention and saw astronomical price surges amid cries of "the world suffers under ETH's limitations" (mainly due to agonizingly slow speeds).
Today, public chains have exploded in numbers, bordering on oversaturation. Older single-coin chains like LTC or Monero fade into obscurity, while newer iterations mostly refer to Cosmos-style Appchains. Platform-type chains now number in the dozens—if not hundreds.
Has launching a public chain become effortless? Yes, and no.
It’s "yes" because modern tooling has drastically simplified the process: Gavlin Wood once spun up a Substrate chain in 15 minutes; Avalanche created a subnet via command line in 42 seconds. With today’s chain-launching frameworks, the technical barrier has lowered significantly.
But is a blockchain’s job done once it’s operational?
Far from it. Running the chain is just the beginning—here’s what comes next.
Core Infrastructure: The Non-Negotiables
1) Wallet Integration
The first gateway to adoption: a functional wallet ecosystem.
Modern chains split into two extremes here:
- EVM-compatible chains (e.g., Polygon, Fantom, OP L2s) plug seamlessly into MetaMask.
- Non-EVM chains require bespoke wallet solutions with polished UX—where Solana’s Phantom and Cosmos’ Kelpr excel.
Poor wallet experiences strangle chain adoption—as seen with NEO’s clunky interfaces or Polkadot’s lack of a dominant wallet.
2) RPC Nodes
Early BTC/ETH users ran full nodes locally. Today, most rely on RPC nodes (services handling EVM-compatible chain interactions), which remain heavily centralized.
Major providers like Infura or Alchemy power most chains, creating single points of failure. Decentralized alternatives (e.g., Pocket Network) exist but resemble early DEX prototypes in maturity.
Slow or unreliable RPCs torpedo user experience—Harmony’s node issues sparked relentless community backlash.
3) Block Explorer
Every DeFi user knows Etherscan. Block explorers make blockchain’s transparency tangible, serving both developers and end-users.
When evaluating new chains, I prioritize:
- Wallet compatibility (less telling for EVM chains).
- Block explorer quality—revealing technical rigor.
4) Mining Hardware (Legacy Chains Only)
Once critical for PoW chains, this now mainly survives in holdouts like Kadena and Nervos after ETH’s PoS shift.
BTC remains the only PoW chain worth long-term bets—despite valid technical arguments for PoW’s decentralization, market trends favor PoS efficiency.
Ecosystem Essentials: The Growth Drivers
1) Token Standards
More vital than DeFi tools: a unified token framework.
ETH’s dominance owes much to ERC-20 (tokens) and ERC-721 (NFTs), which fueled ICO and NFT booms.
New chains without robust standards stagnate—ICP’s 18-month delay in releasing ICPC-1 token standards left its ecosystem barren.
2) DeFi’s "Big Five"
Now baseline requirements:
- DEX: The chain’s trading hub (usually a Uniswap/Sushiswap fork).
- Lending: The "bank" (often underused early on—see Cosmos’ Kava).
- Stablecoins: Native options are ideal, but most rely on bridged assets (e.g., USDC from ETH) until adoption justifies issuer attention.
- Oracles: Chainlink dominates—few chains bother reinventing this wheel.
- Bridges: Critical for cross-chain assets (and notorious hack targets).
3) NFT & Naming Systems
2023’s unexpected staples:
- Chain-specific NFTs (e.g., Solana’s Degods rivaling ETH NFTs in some niches).
- Domain services (ENS clones like .sol, .icp simplifying address management).
FAQs
Q1: What’s the hardest part of launching a public chain?
A: Post-launch ecosystem building—infrastructure like wallets/RPCs and attracting developers to create DeFi/NFT use cases.
Q2: Why do most new chains fork Uniswap?
A: It’s battle-tested code offering instant liquidity solutions, letting chains focus on differentiation elsewhere.
Q3: Is PoW still relevant for new chains?
A: Except for BTC-focused chains, PoS’s scalability and energy efficiency make it the clear market favorite.
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This analysis excludes political/illegal content per guidelines. Always DYOR—nothing here constitutes financial advice.