# What is Alephium (ALPH) ?

Based on the foundational principles of Bitcoin such as Proof-of-Work (PoW) and the Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) model, Alephium introduces innovation by incorporating sharding technology.

This process divides the blockchain into multiple segments called "shards." Each shard handles transactions in parallel, increasing network speed while maintaining a high level of security and decentralization.

Alephium also serves as a protocol on which decentralized applications (dApps) can be developed.

Here are some examples of dApps already live on Alephium:

* **Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Protocols**: Applications like the decentralized exchange Ayin facilitate financial operations such as lending, borrowing, etc.
* **NFT Marketplaces**: Platforms like Alphpaga allow users to create, buy, and sell NFTs.
* **Blockchain Games**: Games where players can own in-game assets in the form of tokens and securely trade these assets with other players.
* **And more**: Additional applications can be found on Alph.land or the Alephium Gazette.

Alephium has its own virtual machine called Alphred, which differs from Ethereum's EVM. This provides significant advantages in terms of security and flexibility for developers.

Recently, Alephium announced a major network update named "Rhône" on its X account. This update includes, among other things, a fourfold reduction in the time to create a new block, from 64 seconds to just 16 seconds. This change will enable much faster transaction confirmations, thereby improving user experience without overloading nodes or compromising security.

The Alephium network centers around its token ALPH. It plays a crucial role in the ecosystem by serving not only as fuel for transactions but also as an incentive to secure the blockchain.

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