When we talk about long-term blockchain infrastructure, scalability and security are only part of the conversation. The way a network gets designed, maintained, and evolved over time matters just as much. Alephium is a project that has taken a deliberate, engineering-first approach to building a Layer 1 – it combines Proof-of-Work security with modern scalability and smart contract functionality.
As part of our ongoing effort to highlight strong infrastructure projects, we invited our community to submit questions for the Alephium team. The questions touched on core topics such as BlockFlow sharding, energy efficiency, DeFi development, mining sustainability, and cross-chain connectivity. Below, Joseph Kennedy, Head of Marketing at Alephium, shares detailed answers. These answers help explain how the network works today and where it is heading.
Overcoming Blockchain Limitations
Alephium positions itself as a scalable and energy-efficient L1 blockchain. What do you consider the most critical limitations of existing networks, and how exactly does Alephium overcome them?
Well, as we all know, the most critical limitation is the trade-off inherent in the Blockchain Trilemma. Many existing networks essentially have to make trade-offs between security, decentralization, and scalability. Alephium addresses this challenge by merging Bitcoin’s security with an innovative architecture called BlockFlow Sharding. This architecture improves scalability. Our founder Cheng Wang conceived our Proof-of-Less-Work (PoLW) consensus mechanism. This mechanism leads to greater energy efficiency when placed under the same network conditions as Bitcoin. This allows us to deliver high performance (20,000+ TPS) without compromising decentralization.
Practical Advantages for Users
At Swapzone, we see users choosing networks based on simplicity and transaction speed. How would you explain to an average user the practical advantages of Alephium compared to other modern L1 and L2 solutions?
Yeah, so, while we offer fast, low-fee transactions (20,000+ TPS), the key is that our BlockFlow Sharding provides a simple, single-chain user experience. That means there’s no need to worry about cross-chain bridges or fragmentation. You get the speed of modern L1s. However, we built it on the resilient foundation of PoW, giving you more trust in your transactions. Recent research also suggests that many L1s and L2s aren’t as decentralized as people think. So if that’s important to your value system, Alephium is a good ecosystem to explore.
BlockFlow Sharding Explained
BlockFlow technology is a unique component of Alephium. Could you explain its core principles in simple terms and why it’s so important for achieving long-term scalability?
BlockFlow splits the network into multiple parallel mini-blockchains (shards). These shards allow transactions to get processed simultaneously. Critically, it maintains a single, unified view of the network state. This basically eliminates the complexity and security risks of traditional fragmented sharding. I’m convinced that this architecture guarantees more of the long-term throughput capacity. Users need this capacity for global adoption.
DeFi Development Vision
Many ecosystems are heavily focused on DeFi. How do you envision the development of DeFi on Alephium, and which types of projects or directions do you think can accelerate ecosystem growth the most?
I have always envisioned building DeFi on uncompromised security and sustainability. That means seeing more projects focusing on protocol-owned liquidity and staking. So, I’m really encouraged by what Alephium has done so far. The platform continues this work as projects come in and reinforce our Aligned Ecosystem Loop.
Our idea for the future is that projects build transparently on our Core dApp. They should integrate the $xALPH staking primitive. This approach will accelerate growth the most by locking value and driving sustainable utility. I’m expecting big things from Linx and Aura, among others.
Integration Requirements for Aggregators
From the integrations perspective: what requirements or characteristics of Alephium are most relevant for exchange aggregators like Swapzone? Are there any upcoming improvements that could make third-party integrations even smoother?
From an integration perspective, the most relevant aspects of Alephium for exchange aggregators like Swapzone are its UTXO-based model, predictable fee structure, and robust node and API infrastructure. These features provide clear transaction validation, low and stable fees, and reliable on-chain data access. Aggregators need all of these for routing swaps, tracking transaction states, and ensuring accurate confirmations.
Smart Contract Security Advantages
Alephium puts significant emphasis on smart-contract security thanks to its UTXO model and VM. Which common vulnerability types found in EVM ecosystems are inherently impossible on Alephium due to its architecture?
It’s better not to use the term “impossible”, especially knowing how creative some hackers can be. However, Alephium’s Stateful UTXO (sUTXO) model eliminates entire classes of structural vulnerabilities at the VM level. Most notably, sUTXO makes Reentrancy attacks and unlimited token approval exploits theoretically impossible. State transitions are atomic and deterministic. This design blocks many state-manipulation risks that we see on account-based chains.
Market Positioning Strategy
Competition among L1s is intensifying. Which user segments or use cases are you prioritizing to make Alephium stand out in the market?
We position ourselves as a challenger in the DeFi space. What sets us apart is that we have 4 years on mainnet, a vastly experienced team of professionals, and a loyal community. We believe that we have all the right ingredients for success. What we build right now is essentially putting them into the right recipe to gain attention and users.
As a PoW L1 with smart contract functionality and a lot of potential in the DeFi space, we have a pretty unique offering. We are confident about this approach because of the number of security features. Developers hard coded these features into the network that protect our users. In addition, we’ve also built the PoLW consensus; this Proof of Less Work approach reduces energy consumption over time. It can be 87% lower than Bitcoin when placed under the same conditions. Finally, perhaps, we have attracted a number of top builders. These builders are impressed by our blockflow sharding technology. This technology allows us to scale, even as a PoW chain, which is quite rare.
Mining Sustainability
Mining remains an important part of the Alephium ecosystem. How do you evaluate its long-term sustainability, and are you observing increased interest in ALPH from miners?
Alephium is a PoW L1 with DeFi, setting it apart from many other L1 PoW chains. On Alephium, the miner can mine $ALPH and rotate it into the ecosystem for more potential gain. They don’t just mine to sell or hold. This creates a great ecosystem loop. This is something that we build on with the Core dApp and $ALPH staking.
The growth of our hashrate proves this interest. Our hashrate is still 12x what it was when we were at $2, for example. So despite price decline, interest continues to increase. Our COO, Maud, recently said on this X Space: “We saw about a 425x increase in hashrate, roughly 42,000% growth in a year.”
Cross-Chain Connectivity Plans
For Swapzone users, liquidity growth and cross-chain connectivity are crucial. How does Alephium plan to expand interoperability and attract liquidity from other ecosystems?
We have established the Alephium Bridge for cross-chain connectivity, starting with ETH and BSC. Phase Two focuses on attracting liquidity through the launch of our Core dApp. This dApp establishes protocol-owned liquidity and integrates with staking. It creates a highly composable and deeply liquid base layer for all ecosystem projects.
Core dApp Mainnet Readiness
As the Core dApp Testnet approaches, what specific metrics or stress-test results will determine readiness for Mainnet launch?
Three core metrics will determine Mainnet readiness: Contract Resilience (zero exploits found in audit/bug bounty), Staking & Fee Flow Validation (confirming the tokenomics and fee-sharing logic works under load), and UX Reliability. The platform ensures all cross-shard transactions and staking interactions are seamless for the user.
Experience Alephium Today
Alephium shows how combining security, scalability, and energy efficiency can give users a new level of confidence and ease when interacting with blockchain. Its unique architecture, PoLW consensus, and BlockFlow Sharding create a platform ready for growth and ecosystem development.
If you want to experience Alephium and see its advantages for yourself, you can do so right now through Swapzone.
