Achain is a public blockchain platform that enables developers of all levels to issue tokens and create smart contracts, decentralized applications, and blockchain systems. Achain is committed to building a global blockchain network for information exchange and value transactions. Unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, Achain utilizes a modified version of DPoS — RDPoS (Result-delegated Proof of Stake) to establish node consensus. Shortly, DPoS suggests that all coin holders vote for the validator nodes that will produce the next blocks. On the project website, only info about CEO Tony Cui is listed. Cui has a few significant accomplishments, including winning the Future Star award from the Zhongguancun Alliance and being listed in the 30 under 30 on CYZONE, a famous venture capital magazine. On LinkedIn, 51 people are listed as employees at Achain. Most of the team is based in Beijing. Achain also has a few key industry partners. It has even co-organized a “Blockchain Technology Open Course” with Tsinghua University, which is widely recognized as one of the world’s top universities. The roadmap for Achain development is fairly detailed. However, most goals listed are development-oriented rather than marketing or design. Still, it’s important to note that focusing on making the protocol interoperable and building a technology that is more accessible to mainstream adoption could also be considered a marketing-oriented part of this project. There are three major phases with projected completion dates listed. These include Singularity (completed Q1), Galaxy (ongoing), and Cosmos (complete at the end of Q4). One thing to note is that dates for these phases are not consistent between the homepage and the whitepaper. This could be simply due to a scenario in which phase names remain the same while new goals and timeline dates within those phases continue to change. In January 2019, the project will update the website to reflect roadmap goals for the new year. Looking at the current landscape of blockchain projects, Achain certainly offers the possibility of much-needed technical innovations. The ability to easily create an Achain fork, as well as, the protocol’s unique RDPoS consensus algorithm make this a promising project. It will be interesting to see how Achain builds upon its accomplishments, and how the project team continues to develop a long-term strategy for improving the protocol’s technical capabilities and increasing participation in its ecosystem.
Nuls (NULS) is a Singaporean based project is trying to develop a highly adaptable blockchain that can be used for enterprise solutions. They have regularly used the phrase “Nuls is nothing, Nuls is everything”. In other words, Nuls is not traditionally defined and can be melded into anything that the community sees fit. Nuls is looking to solve the problems faced by blockchains by creating one that features modularity and sub-chain operability. The two part design of functional modules and microkernels will provide both an underlying network mechanism and compartmentalized features for the blockchain.Essentially this should provide scalability and security to the blockchain, while adhering to the programming practices of low coupling and high cohesion. And because the blockchain is designed to be modular, it becomes hot pluggable, allowing for the addition or removal of modules at any time. There are several blockchain problems inhibiting growth and development of the industry that have been identified by the Nuls team. One such issue is the cost of development. Because there is a shortage of blockchain proficient developers, those with skills can command higher salaries.This is simply demand exceeding supply and will eventually level out as more IT professionals learn blockchain skills. That’s when businesses will see greater adoption of the technology, and only the most trustworthy blockchains will be of interest. Nuls is working to make trustworthy solutions to business problems. Nuls is primarily focused on making blockchain more accessible for developers and businesses. It seeks to do this through its modularity and the use of sub-chains, and hopes to break the complexity associated with blockchain projects, while also solving the scalability issue that is hindering the growth of the industry. Nuls will make trust simpler, increasing the adoption rate of blockchain technology by businesses. They will also lower the cost of entry by removing complexity and increasing the supply of developers capable of programming blockchain applications. Taken all together, the Nuls ecosystem will benefit developers, businesses, and cryptocurrency enthusiasts by providing needed solutions and increasing usage and adoption of blockchain technology. Check out CoinBureau for the full review of Nuls.