Classification of blockchains

Currently, blockchain solutions can be classified into four basic models with different paradigms. The distinction between them is driven by two main criteria: the network type and the implemented access control model; in other words, who is allowed to join the peer-to-peer network (run a node) and access the blockchain records.

The following table gives an overview of the different types, with a basic description of each model:

You might be wondering—which one of these types of blockchain might be appropriate for your project?

The answers depend on your project's requirements. Generally, in a trustless environment (for remittance systems, proving provenance, and so on), we tend to use a public blockchain, while the other models are fit for actors who share a pre-existing trust and desire to build shared services.

Private blockchains are suitable for building faster local testing environments, or to avoid the cost of transacting, whereas the BaaS model is a suitable solution for easy deployment and high scalability.