Songbird Crypto: The Canary Network for Flare

Cross-chain interoperability remains a challenge for the wider adoption of blockchain technology. By default, blockchains are self-contained environments that have limited points of contact with the outside world. Many projects have been launched in recent years to improve blockchains’ ability to communicate with each other. One of the upcoming projects in this domain is Flare Network (FLR). This new blockchain takes pretesting seriously, with a test chain, Songbird (SGB), at the core of its launch activities.

What Is Canary Network?

In blockchain, a canary network is a pretesting environment used to safely test features and functions to be implemented. A canary network is a proper chain of its own, and emulates most or all the features of the main blockchain it’s designed to test. It has exactly the same network architecture as the main chain.

Canary networks are usually different from testnet chains, used in pretesting a final blockchain, (the mainnet). Testnets nearly always have the same native coin as their mainnets, while canary networks feature a different cryptocurrency. Additionally, crypto coins and tokens on a testnet have no monetary value, and can be freely spent. In contrast, canary networks feature proper coins and tokens with some market value. The coin and token balances on a canary network cannot be freely replenished.

As such, a canary network might be considered a more advanced network type than a testnet. In some cases, canary networks continue to operate for years alongside their main chain, and might even develop defined ecosystems of their own.