Avalanche (AVAX) is a blockchain platform with smart contracts that focuses on transaction speed, low costs, and environmental friendliness. Avalanche's ultimate goal is to create a highly scalable blockchain that doesn't compromise decentralization or security.Avalanche is a layer one blockchain that serves as a foundation for decentralized apps and custom blockchain networks. It is a competitor to Ethereum, with the goal of dethroning Ethereum as the most popular blockchain for smart contracts. It intends to do this by providing a larger transaction output of up to 6,500 transactions per second while maintaining scalability.The unique architecture of Avalanche makes the above functions possible: The X-Chain, C-Chain, and P-Chain are the three blockchains that make up the Avalanche network. Each chain serves a specific function, which is in stark contrast to Bitcoin and Ethereum's strategy of having all nodes authenticate all transactions. Avalanche blockchains employ a variety of consensus techniques, depending on their intended usage.