Symbol

Symbol is a blockchain platform that made its debut in March 2021. It's considered the spiritual successor to NEM and introduces a novel consensus mechanism known as proof-of-stake-plus (PoS+). The platform includes features like rule-based tokens referred to as mosaics, namespaces, multisignature accounts, and aggregate transactions. Its client software, Catapult, is developed in C++.

Symbol enjoys a dedicated fanbase, especially in Japan and Korea, with community interactions happening mainly on Twitter, LINE, and KakaoTalk. Among the notable projects built on the Symbol platform are:

* QUEST: A platform for bounties and tipping aimed at creators. You can follow its official Twitter account here.
* SYMBOARD: A loyalty and rewards card system tailored for businesses. Follow its official Twitter account here.
* THE TOWER: An endless dungeon crawler game.
* NFT DRIVE: A service for storing media and content directly on-chain. Follow its official Twitter account here.
* COMSA: A unique NFT marketplace specifically designed for the Japanese cryptocurrency community.

In November 2021, Symbol underwent a fork initiated by a group of anonymous cryptocurrency specialists and aficionados. Named Cyprus, this hard fork highlighted the community's ambition to transform Symbol into the leading omnichain platform globally, featuring content-specific, scalable shards fueled by zk-STARKs.

Symbol is on a mission to address challenges common in EVM-based platforms and omnichain solutions, such as security being defined at the smart contract level rather than across the entire network. Additionally, it aims to decentralize L2 validators, providing them with incentives, and allowing new features and functionalities to emerge from a free market rather than being dictated by centralized client teams.