Glossary
Internet Computer (ICP)
A Layer-1 by DFINITY where smart contracts ("canisters") can serve HTTPS directly, hold large state on-chain, and make outbound HTTPS calls.
The Internet Computer (ICP) is a Layer-1 launched in 2021 by the DFINITY Foundation with an unusual feature set. Smart contracts ("canisters") can serve full HTML/HTTPS web responses directly from the chain, hold gigabytes of state cheaply, and make outbound HTTPS calls to off-chain APIs.
The protocol runs on a network of "subnets" (each its own BFT consensus group) coordinated by the Network Nervous System (NNS), an on-chain governance system. The model is the most ambitious "web on-chain" stack in production, with corresponding scrutiny of its consensus and node-provider centralization.