Sharding
Splitting a blockchain into parallel partitions so they process transactions side by side instead of one at a time.
Sharding breaks a network into smaller pieces called shards, each handling its own slice of transactions and state. Run them in parallel and total throughput rises without every node processing everything.
The catch is complexity: shards must still communicate securely, and a fault in one shouldn't corrupt the rest. Ethereum once planned execution sharding but pivoted toward rollups for scaling, keeping a data-availability role for shards.
Related terms
The base blockchain itself, where transactions settle and security lives, before any add-on networks built on top.
Layer 2A separate network built on top of a base chain to process transactions faster and far more cheaply.
RollupA scaling method that batches many transactions off-chain and posts a compressed proof or record to the base layer.
BlockchainA shared digital ledger that records transactions in linked batches, copied across many computers and hard to alter.