Blockchain vs Platform vs Chain

[JailHouse]

I'm getting confused with some of the terminology and I'd like to find out the relationship of one to another if they are indeed different.

Can someone help with these confusions...?

Are there multiple Blockchains?
If so, can you name a few of the famous ones, and where I'd find a list of all of them?

When people refer to a platform behind a token, are they referring to the Blockchain, or is a Platform a different thing to a platform?
How are they related?
Can you name a few?

Is Smart Chain the same thing as a Platform?
If not, how are they related?
Can you name a few?

When people refer to a protocol, what are they referring to and how is it related?
Can you name a few?

I know these terms may be fairly basic to most people, but I'd like some help getting started in understanding what people are referring to.

It may be that some people use terms interchangeably as well.

Appreciate the help.

JH

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[Nwada001]

Are there multiple Blockchains?
If so, can you name a few of the famous ones, and where I'd find a list of all of them?

Yes, there are different blockchains, and each of them has its own smart contracts, like:
Unless for Bitcoin blockchain, Ethereum, Stellar, NEO, Tron, Corda, MultiChain, EOS, Hyperledger Fabric, OpenChain, Quorum, and many others

When people refer to a platform behind a token, are they referring to the Blockchain, or is a Platform a different thing to a platform?
How are they related?
Can you name a few?

A platform can have its own token, either launched under its own personal blockchain or under any of the famous ones that are widely used.

Is Smart Chain the same thing as a Platform?
If not, how are they related?

in my own understanding NO

Can you name a few?

Binance Smart chain (BSC)
Ethereum Smart chain (ERC-20)

[JailHouse]

Thank you,

So what do you mean by Platform (if its not referring to the underlying blockchain?

JH

[sokani]

Are there multiple Blockchains?
If so, can you name a few of the famous ones, and where I'd find a list of all of them?

Yes, there are different blockchains, and each of them has its own smart contracts, like:
Bitcoin blockchain, Ethereum, Stellar, NEO, Tron, Corda, MultiChain, EOS, Hyperledger Fabric, OpenChain, Quorum, and many others

Not all blockchains run smart contracts. For instance, Bitcoin does not have a smart contract.

[Nwada001]

Not all blockchains run smart contracts. For instance, Bitcoin does not have a smart contract.

Yeh i know that, edited and corrected thanks 😊

[serjent05]

Thank you,

So what do you mean by Platform (if its not referring to the underlying blockchain?

JH

By searching the internet you can technically find the definition of platform.

Platform
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Definitions:
  A computer or hardware device and/or associated operating system, or a virtual environment, on which software can be installed or run. Examples of platforms include Linux™, Microsoft Windows Vista®, and Java™.

So it is an environment where one can install software and in reference to blockchain it was explained by coinmarket cap:

According to CoinMarketCap, a platform is the parent blockchain of tokens. It might also refer to a cryptocurrency exchange where users can swap cryptocurrencies. Crypto exchanges function in a similar manner to online brokerage platforms, providing users with the tools they require to purchase and sell digital currencies like Ethereum or Bitcoin.

Are there multiple Blockchains?
If so, can you name a few of the famous ones, and where I'd find a list of all of them?

Yes, there are different blockchains, and each of them has its own smart contracts, like:
Bitcoin blockchain, Ethereum, Stellar, NEO, Tron, Corda, MultiChain, EOS, Hyperledger Fabric, OpenChain, Quorum, and many others

Not all blockchains run smart contracts. For instance, Bitcoin does not have a smart contract.

I read Bitcoin supports smart contracts.  Though it is limited, a smart contract can run into the Bitcoin blockchain.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
— Bitcoin supports smart contracts through its native language ‘Script’, enabling multiple transaction types to take place.

— Script is a purposefully non-Turing complete language and this makes smart contracts on Bitcoin limited in their functionality.

— Layer-2 blockchains and solutions are present for Bitcoin to improve its smart contract offerings while keeping its security intact.

[JailHouse]

a platform is the parent blockchain of tokens.

Does that mean the Platform IS the Blockchain the token is on?

Can it also mean something else?

JH

[1miau]

It's sometimes very confusing but learning a few basics will help you to understand it better.
I've written a summary about it here: Important to know: Difference Coin / Token and shady marketing practices

Manly comparing Coin vs. Token but I'm sure it'll be a helpful topic for you.  
In general, there are only Coins and Tokens, most labels on top are just misleading Shitcoin marketing.

[JailHouse]

It's sometimes very confusing but learning a few basics will help you to understand it better.
I've written a summary about it here: Important to know: Difference Coin / Token and shady marketing practices

Manly comparing Coin vs. Token but I'm sure it'll be a helpful topic for you.  
In general, there are only Coins and Tokens, most labels on top are just misleading Shitcoin marketing.

Thats quite helpful in undertanding tokens and coins. Thanks for that.

Now can someone explain Smart Contracts and what they have to do with a coin or token?
What does it have to do with Blockchain?

Thanks,

JH

[sheenshane]

a platform is the parent blockchain of tokens.

Does that mean the Platform IS the Blockchain the token is on?

Can it also mean something else?

JH

Because tokens don't have their blockchain.
Tokens are usually created on existing blockchain platforms that support the creation of the platform, or to develop another utility.
When someone wants to create a new token, they deploy a smart contract on the chosen blockchain platform that can be transacted on the same blockchain platform, and all token transactions are recorded on the same blockchain they use.

The said above was right, many are confused about the coin and the token thinking they are the same which I think you must understand first.

[JailHouse]

So Smart Contracts pave the way and facilitate the exchange of tokens on the blockchain that it sits on?

JH

[BitMaxz]

The said above was right, many are confused about the coin and the token thinking they are the same which I think you must understand first.

I'm also confused but I know which one is token or coin. The reason why I said I'm confused is there are lots of articles or blog posts and people here on the forum who think that tokens are altcoin even NFT they said it's altcoin but they did not know the difference between the coin and token.

So Smart Contracts pave the way and facilitate the exchange of tokens on the blockchain that it sits on?

Yes, it is, please check the image below. How does the Smart contract works on the blockchain?


Source: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/smart-contracts-in-blockchain/

and you should be able to understand the whole thing by checking the infographics below about smart contract.
- https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Ff6vr0oxcqut51.png

[Marvelman]

Now can someone explain Smart Contracts and what they have to do with a coin or token?
What does it have to do with Blockchain?

Smart contracts are basically small programs that run automatically when certain things happen, like code that lives on blockchains.  They take actions based on pre-set rules, executing tasks without needing a middleman.  For instance, smart contracts enable creating and controlling tokens native to their blockchain without centralized oversight,

The most basic example of a smart contract is sending tokens from one address to another and  you can program a smart contract to transfer tokens from account A to account B when something happens, like account A says ok, or the date hits January 1st, for example.

[JailHouse]

So does one smart contract belong to a specific token and vice versa?

JH

[hd49728]

A platform is a project, a website and other things like security layer.

A blockchain is an infrastructure of a blockchain-based platform/ project and even more, it can be a homeland for many projects to build on top of it.

A blockchain has its native currency for example Ethereum blockchain has Ethereum ETH as its native currency, which will be used as on chain transaction fee. On Ethereum blockchain, it is gas.

Other projects build on Ethereum blockchain, will have their own tokens, but to move those tokens on chain, they need ETH for gas and transaction fee.

Chain is an abbreviation of a specific blockchain. For example with Ethereum, we call it as ERC20 chain; with Binance Smart Chain, we call it as BSC chain.

Definition of tokens

[JailHouse]

A platform is a project, a website and other things like security layer.

A blockchain is an infrastructure of a blockchain-based platform/ project and even more, it can be a homeland for many projects to build on top of it.

A blockchain has its native currency for example Ethereum blockchain has Ethereum ETH as its native currency, which will be used as on chain transaction fee. On Ethereum blockchain, it is gas.

Other projects build on Ethereum blockchain, will have their own tokens, but to move those tokens on chain, they need ETH for gas and transaction fee.

Chain is an abbreviation of a specific blockchain. For example with Ethereum, we call it as ERC20 chain; with Binance Smart Chain, we call it as BSC chain.

Definition of tokens

2 Questions From This...

Platform and Project is the same thing, an it is different from a blockchain?
But the Platform/Project runs on a particular Blockchain.
Is this correct?

If Chain is just an abbreviation of a specific Blockchain, why have that different terminology? Why not just use the name of the blockchain?
Are you sure that the chain is not a different thing altogether?

JH

[Marvelman]

So does one smart contract belong to a specific token and vice versa?

JH

Not always.  Sometimes a smart contract handles multiple different tokens.  Or you might have a bunch of contracts that all deal with the same token.  But, it is common for a token to have its own single contract that sorta defines that token - stuff like its name, its supply are how it gets distributed... those kinda things.  It's not the only way to set it up, but having that dedicated 1-to-1 type relationship between a token and its originating contract is pretty common. But a simple example of a smart contract that manages multiple different tokens is, for example, simple token swap. You send one token to the smart contract, and you receive another token in return.

If Chain is just an abbreviation of a specific Blockchain, why have that different terminology? Why not just use the name of the blockchain?
Are you sure that the chain is not a different thing altogether?

JH

I believe that the term blockchain was first coined by Satoshi himself since the Bitcoin protocol is based on a chain of blocks, thus "blockchain".  "Chain", in the cryptocurrency world, is short for "blockchain".

[Darker45]

Platform and Project is the same thing, an it is different from a blockchain?
But the Platform/Project runs on a particular Blockchain.
Is this correct?

If Chain is just an abbreviation of a specific Blockchain, why have that different terminology? Why not just use the name of the blockchain?
Are you sure that the chain is not a different thing altogether?

JH

The word platform isn't technical. It's a general term. It isn't referring to a particular object. Bitcointalk, this forum, is a platform. Binance, a centralized exchange, is also a platform. Facebook, a social media site, is another kind of platform. Telegram, a messaging app, is a platform as well. A platform could refer to a thing on which something could be done. So there's a platform for specific discussions, another for exchanging cryptocurrencies, another for posting pictures, another for sending direct messages, and so on.

Therefore, a project or a blockchain could also be platforms themselves. The Ethereum Blockchain, for example, could be used as a platform by developers to create crypto projects. These crypto projects could themselves create a product that is itself a platform. Uniswap, for example, is a crypto project built on the Ethereum blockchain. So, the Ethereum blockchain is the platform in developing Uniswap. And then, Uniswap is itself a decentralized exchange, a platform for ERC-20 token users for swapping different ERC-20 tokens without a centralized entity.

Crypto is for cryptocurrency as chain is for blockchain. That's as far as the shared context is concerned. Of course, the word chain also refers to other things. It's also a chain that connects an anchor to the ship, but we're not talking about it.

[cryptoaddictchie]

Are there multiple Blockchains?
If so, can you name a few of the famous ones, and where I'd find a list of all of them?

Yes there are tons of blockchain or network among crytpocurrencies. Bitcoin blockchain, ethereum chain, binance smart chain, xrp blockchain, solana and many more. You can use some platform such as coinmarketcap and coingecko to check that.

When people refer to a platform behind a token, are they referring to the Blockchain, or is a Platform a different thing to a platform?
How are they related?
Can you name a few?

No a platform is just a standout website that operates that project. Its not necessary to have their own chain hence could use other blockchain that offer smart contract application to work on their platform.

Example is pancakeswap that uses binance smartchain and also uniswap that relies on ethereum network.

[JailHouse]

Are there multiple Blockchains?
If so, can you name a few of the famous ones, and where I'd find a list of all of them?

Yes there are tons of blockchain or network among crytpocurrencies. Bitcoin blockchain, ethereum chain, binance smart chain, xrp blockchain, solana and many more. You can use some platform such as coinmarketcap and coingecko to check that.

When people refer to a platform behind a token, are they referring to the Blockchain, or is a Platform a different thing to a platform?
How are they related?
Can you name a few?

No a platform is just a standout website that operates that project. Its not necessary to have their own chain hence could use other blockchain that offer smart contract application to work on their platform.

Example is pancakeswap that uses binance smartchain and also uniswap that relies on ethereum network.

This makes it quite clear. I suspected this was the case but just wanted clarification for that.

Thank you very much.

Much appreciateed.

JH