Blockchain Without Fees? Chromia's Groundbreaking Model Explained

Or Perelman, co-founder of Chromia, discusses the platform's innovative approach to blockchain technology, including its relational blockchain concept and elimination of direct gas fees. He shares insights on Chromia's development, partnerships, and vision for the future of blockchain adoption.

Ishan Pandey: Hello Or Perelman, it's a pleasure to welcome you to our 'Behind the Startup' series. You have a notable history in the blockchain space, including being featured in TechCrunch's first article about Bitcoin and co-founding one of the earliest Bitcoin wallets. How did your early experiences in blockchain influence your journey at Chromia?

Or Perelman: Thank you for having me, Ishan. My journey with Chromia really began from the same curiosity that drew me to Bitcoin early on. I like to keep an eye out for new technology, and then it always leads to the same question: “What can we build with it?”.

Ishan Pandey: Chromia introduces innovative concepts like relational blockchain and eliminating direct gas fees for users. What inspired these unique features, and how do they address the limitations you observed in traditional blockchain technologies?

Or Perelman: Chromia isn’t a fork of anything, but a new blockchain concept built from the ground up. The best thing about that is we could look at existing platforms and ask ourselves what we would want to do differently. The relational blockchain concept was inspired by traditional relational databases, which are excellent at handling complex queries and structured data. By integrating these concepts into a blockchain framework, we allow for more efficient data handling. Eliminating direct gas fees was driven by the need to improve user experience and adoption. Traditional gas fees can be a barrier, especially for new users.

Ishan Pandey: Chromia’s model eliminates direct gas fees for users. How has this model, along with Chromia’s predictable weekly hosting fee structure, impacted both user adoption and developer engagement compared to traditional blockchain platforms?

Or Perelman: When people hear about "no gas fees," it really grabs their attention and starts a conversation. When we designed the system, we began with a reordering of traditional blockchain economics. Chromia is still in its early stages, but I believe that in the long term, it gives us an advantage over other Layer-1s. The reason is that you can start using a Chromia based dapp and not even realize until later that you were using a blockchain!

Ishan Pandey: Chromia has received investment from several notable VC groups. How have these partnerships influenced Chromia’s development and market strategy?

Or Perelman: Having a well-developed network of partners, both in technology and investment, is crucial for success in Web3. The connections we’ve formed in the industry have been instrumental in integrating us into the larger crypto ecosystem. That said, we've also been selective, turning down some OTC investment offers. We have received help from our private investors and also new liquid funds who bought $CHR with regards to potential partnerships with external projects.

Ishan Pandey: With Chromia’s mainnet recently launched, what are the immediate and long-term goals for the platform? How do you plan to expand the ecosystem?

Or Perelman: For the next rest of the summer, we are refining some of our core components and completing the migration of our staking system from EVM to Chromia. From an ecosystem perspective, we have a very well developed gaming sector, and I think the most common perception of Chromia is that we are a ‘gaming chain’. While this is true, we are also a fully featured Layer-1 that can run all kinds of dapps. As the year progresses, we expect to see other areas like DeFi become more developed. Also, I can’t say too much but we are working on some new initiatives that will open up Chromia to a whole new range of use cases. Long-term, we are ambitious and plan to have a significant presence across multiple verticals.

Ishan Pandey: As a pioneer in relational blockchain technology, how do you see Chromia influencing the broader blockchain industry in coming years?

Or Perelman: Most blockchains, regardless of their scalability, struggle with handling complex data sets. Relational blockchain aims to address this and could establish a new standard for blockchains. Chromia is designed to be interoperable with Ethereum and other EVM chains, allowing projects on other chains to utilize our unique features. As more projects and developers recognize the benefits, we anticipate an increase in the adoption of the relational model.

Ishan Pandey: Finally, where do you see the future of new technologies such as blockchain heading, and what strategies do you believe are crucial to promoting its widespread adoption?

Or Perelman: I believe the most important step in promoting adoption is making blockchain more intuitive. This includes easier account handling, 'gas-free' transactions, and streamlining the onboarding process. While progress is being made, there's still a long way to go. At Chromia, we’re committed to contributing to this evolution and improving the user experience.

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