TL;DR
SKALE is made up of a potentially unlimited number of blockchains, called SKALE Chains, and operates in an integrated manner with the Ethereum blockchain. Developers can take advantage of Ethereum’s security by migrating their DApps to their own SKALE chain to achieve high throughput with zero gas fees.
Introduction
Ever-increasing user and developer activity often pushes the speed and capacity limits of popular blockchains. At the same time, a frictionless user experience is vital for the blockchain community to create a Web3 integrated future. SKALE is one of the projects built to support the exponential growth of decentralized applications (DApps) on the Ethereum network.
What is SKALE?
SKALE is a network made up of scalable, interconnected, modular blockchains. It enables developers to migrate their projects from Ethereum onto one of the independent SKALE chains to achieve high throughput with zero gas fees.
Founded in 2018 by Jack O’Holleran and Stan Kladko, SKALE was designed to improve the overall user experience in the blockchain space. Its vision is to make blockchain applications fast, easy, and free for all users.
Through its Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible blockchains, SKALE creates a fast, gas-free ecosystem to support the development of NFTs, games, DApps, and more.
How does SKALE work?
SKALE operates in an integrated manner with Ethereum while running its own consensus mechanism. This design takes advantage of ETH’s proof-of-stake (PoS) network and combines it with SKALE’s pooled security model to offer high-speed, secure, and zero gas fee transactions. It also benefits Web3 and gaming applications in terms of cost and performance, contributing to Ethereum's ability to scale for mass adoption.
Multi-chain functionality
SKALE is a modular, multi-chain network. There can potentially be an unlimited number of SKALE chains that operate as independent blockchains, are interoperable, and EVM-compatible. This means users can deploy their existing Ethereum-based smart contracts directly on SKALE chains and enjoy high throughput and low latency. Developers can also use SKALE chains to run smart contracts, decentralize storage, execute roll-up contracts, and much more.
SKALE has also modified the existing EVM functionality to allow for more smart contract use cases. For example, users can deploy SKALE chains with a FileStorage smart contract to store larger files, including websites, on network nodes. Interchain messaging also makes it possible to transfer tokens and NFTs across different SKALE chains.
On SKALE, each blockchain is highly configurable. Users can choose to have their own SKALE chain, consensus protocol, virtual machine, and include security measures. These configurations can be tailored entirely to each user's specific needs. Another option dApps have is to join a community chain instead of having their own SKALE chain.
To use a SKALE chain, developers need to pay a network subscription fee, which is delivered through a smart contract on Ethereum called the SKALE Manager. The fees will be shared with validators and delegators from the SKALE community; this architecture is how SKALE can offer zero gas fees to end-users.
The SKALE network
SKALE utilizes a network of decentralized nodes to create a pooled security system. Each node provides resources to multiple SKALE chains — including storage, monitors, up-time and latency — and provides node owners with an interface to withdraw, deposit, stake, or claim the native utility token, SKL. Each SKALE chain added to the network can create more capacity while pooling security resources with the other sidechains.
The SKALE network consists of SKALE Manager and SKALE Nodes. SKALE Manager exists on the Ethereum mainnet as the entry point to all other smart contracts in the SKALE ecosystem, supporting the creation and destruction of SKALE chains.
SKALE Nodes are run by validators who stake a predetermined amount of SKL tokens on Ethereum and fulfill the network’s hardware requirements. Once admitted to the network, they can support one or more SKALE chains. SKALE Manager will randomly assign each node to a group of 16 peer validators to ensure decentralization. The peers will then audit the node’s up-time and latency. Based on their performance at the end of each network epoch, they will be rewarded with SKL tokens.
SKALE Nodes use a virtualized sub-node architecture to allow each node to run multiple SKALE chains simultaneously. The Virtualized Subnodes are designed to be dynamic in size to facilitate the network’s elasticity and are also responsible for running the SKALE EVM, SKALE consensus, and inter-chain communication.
What is SKL?
SKL is the native cryptocurrency and utility token of SKALE. It has a total supply of 4.27 billion tokens. SKL is an ERC-777 token that is backward-compatible with the ERC-20 standard. It supports token-level delegation, a secure way of non-custodial staking. Instead of locking funds in a smart contract, users can stake SKL with a delegation key from their wallets.
SKL is used for payments on the network, including SKALE chain subscriptions. Token holders can stake SKL as validators or delegators and earn rewards. As validators, they can run nodes to validate transactions, execute smart contracts, and secure the SKALE network. This earns them SKL rewards derived from SKALE chain subscriptions. If SKL holders choose to stake as delegators, they will only earn a portion of the validators’ rewards.
In addition, SKL gives token holders the right to participate in the governance of the SKALE network. Through on-chain voting, they can determine SKALE’s economic parameters and the direction of its future development.
How staking SKL benefits the network
Staking SKL tokens is a central aspect of SKALE network functionality.
To deploy a new SKALE chain, developers have to stake SKL on Ethereum mainnet, which deploys a new SKALE chain on which the DApp can function. The DApp’s SKL that is staked on mainnet will be rewarded to validators to confirm transactions on that chain and the validators are paid on a monthly basis.
Because the validators are paid in advance to produce blocks, end-users don't have to compensate them, thus allowing end-users to enjoy zero gas fees.
Additionally, SKL token holders can stake and delegate SKL to validators who run nodes that help the SKALE Network function by validating blocks, executing smart contracts, and securing the network.
How to buy SKL on Binance?
You can buy the SKALE token (SKL) on cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance.
1. Login to your Binance account and click [Trade] - [Spot].
2. Search “SKL” to see the available trading pairs. We’ll use SKL/BUSD as an example.
3. Go to the [Spot] box and enter the amount of SKL you want to buy. In this example, we will use a market order. Click [Buy SKL] and the purchased tokens will be credited to your Spot Wallet.
Closing thoughts
As DApp usage increases, SKALE has the potential to grow exponentially with its dynamic multi-chain network. By offering high throughput, zero gas fees, and low transaction latency, SKALE is uniquely situated to be one of the scaling solutions to the Ethereum blockchain.