Avalanche is a layer-1, proof-of-stake blockchain, posing as a direct rival to Ethereum given its focus on smart contracts and aim to accommodate a plethora of decentralized applications. Launched in 2020, Avalancheβs network offers high transaction throughputs. It also offers blazingly fast finality times (the time before a transaction can be considered complete or βfinalizedβ) of around one second compared to Ethereumβs one minute. All this has put its native token AVAX up there with the speediest cryptos in the game. Its βAvalanche Bridgeβ (AB) also aims to open a channel to Ethereum, allowing for easy passage of assets on the rival chain.