# Welcome

Welcome to the official documentation for **Obsidian Chain**—a blockchain optimized for low-latency, high-frequency data publication.

## What is Obsidian?

Obsidian is an Ethereum-compatible blockchain with a native **Silica Protocol** messaging layer. Through the Silica Protocol, message payloads travel through parallel lanes with dedicated validator committees, while only compact cryptographic commitments are included in blocks. This separation allows data throughput (10,000+ messages/second) to scale independently of EVM execution, maintaining full Ethereum compatibility.

Unlike storage-oriented blockchains designed for bulk allocation or data leasing, Obsidian targets small, frequent payloads, enabling decentralized applications that require continuous data streams without centralized infrastructure.

## Quick Links

* [Why Obsidian Exists](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/introduction/why-obsidian)
* [Key Features](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/introduction/features)
* [How It Works](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/how-it-works/overview)
* [Build on Obsidian](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/build-on-obsidian/use-cases)
* [RPC Reference](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/rpc-reference/overview)

## Network Information

| Property           | Value                               |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| **Chain ID**       | `421` / 0x1a5                       |
| **Block Time**     | 12 seconds                          |
| **Architecture**   | Single Canonical Block + Sidecars   |
| **Native Coin**    | OBS                                 |
| **EVM Compatible** | Yes (full Ethereum tooling support) |

## Get Started

**For App Developers:** → [Use Cases & Ideas](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/build-on-obsidian/use-cases) → [RPC Reference](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/rpc-reference/overview)

**For Node Operators:** → [Archive Node Economics](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/economics/archive-nodes) → [Sharded Archives](https://docs.obsidianchain.net/archive-network/sharded-archives)

***

*Obsidian Chain: Permanent, decentralized data on Ethereum.*


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