Parachain

These are the application-specific data structures that run in parallel to each other within Polkadot (DOT). The best part is that there is absolutely no requirement for them to take the form of blockchains. They are usually connected to Polkadot in a “hub and spoke” style architecture that permits the developers to create new and independently functioning networks that are powered with the same framework as the main chain. Substrate is the technology that supports parachains.