What is Chain Abstraction?

Chain abstraction is a concept that simplifies the user experience of blockchain technology and unifies transactions across multiple networks.

Chain abstraction is a concept that aims to simplify the user experience of blockchain technology by abstracting away the technical complexities and unifying transactions across multiple networks.

In the current Web3 landscape, users face a fragmented experience due to the vast number of blockchain networks, each with its own strengths and limitations. This can lead to a need for multiple crypto wallets, seed phrases and interactions with different blockchains to use various applications. It's like going out for a pizza but visiting a different restaurant for each part of the meal, with each requiring a unique currency.

To enhance the user experience and make it more seamless, chain abstraction aims to hide or "abstract" the technology away from the user. This means that users may not be aware that they are using blockchain or which specific blockchain is being utilized for their transactions.

The concept aims to remove technical details like token bridging, gas fees, consensus mechanisms and native tokens from the user's direct experience. Instead, users can interact with Web3 applications from a single wallet and use a single cryptocurrency for their transactions. The technical processes, including interactions with multiple blockchains, are handled seamlessly behind the scenes.

It's worth noting that there are now over 1,000 different blockchains, each catering to specific functions and use cases. While they share fundamental concepts like cryptography and distributed ledger technology, many are independent projects, leading to a fragmented ecosystem where moving assets between networks can be challenging.