Nick LoBue ☀️@NicholasLobue
For starters, the Flare Data Connector is a protocol built as part of the blockchain itself. This is what it means to be ENSHRINED.
This is a big missed point as there is no reliance on an outside blockchain to prove data of interest. It is not a token protocol, nor is it an L2.
Second, the FDC is data agnostic. The FDC can attest to a multitude of data types, not specific to Web3 or Blockchain transaction data.
For example, there was a POC (Proof of concept) utilizing the FDC to attest to the results of Olympic Sporting events. This required the FDC to prove that events had happened using a traditional Web2 API.
This data is attested to (secured) by a default set of infrastructure providers. These providers are the same set of providers that contribute to other network protocols (Validation + FTSO).
If the provider does not contribute to the FDC, they would receive a strike and be at risk for slashing. (It's more complicated than this but thats the high level explanation)
On the other hand:
Disclaimer: This analysis is based on a brief review of the Alexar documentation. Some inferences have been made.
Alexar seems to be constrained to specific data types. For example, the Alexar white paper outlines two protocols:
- Cross-Chain Gateway Protocol (CGP)
- Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CTP)
These protocol note specifically blockchain data.
Alexar is it's own blockchain, with a focus on interoperability.
Flare is it's own blockchain, with a focus on DATA.
- With a focus on data, interoperability protocols come by default. Ex. FAssets
I will keep going down this rabbit hole, BUT at it's core, Flare is the "all-in-one" chain whereas Alexar is a specific piece of the larger puzzle.
