# What is AppLayer? The AppLayer Network is made up of three parts: * A Blockchain Development Kit (hereby denominated [**BDK**](https://github.com/AppLayerLabs/bdk-cpp)), with extensive documentation for developers to easily build their own AppLayer's with unprecedented freedom * An EVM network built on top of the Blockchain Development Kit which enables builders to deploy EVM smart contracts and scale with C++ stateful pre-compiles * A network that allows the bridging of data and assets between these app-specific chains and external chains - we call it the Chain Abstraction Network (**CAN**) Therefore, blockchains built using the BDK are able to communicate with each other through AppLayer. ## Potential use cases AppLayer provides all the essential tools to build a wide range of products for decentralized finance, data storage, gaming, and much more. It can power applications such as: * **DeFi**: build financial products with security and ease. Leveraging AppLayer's performance network enables a whole new generation of DeFi products such as facilitating millions of trades per second. * **Data Storage**: AppLayer makes data storage easier, more affordable, and secure. Builders can store backups of whole ledgers or fully decentralize any form of a database natively in the AppLayer network. * **GameFi**: gaming projects now have performance infrastructure to build game engines capable of leveraging a pure blockchain solution with a whole new range of in-game features. Other potential use cases include (but not limited to): * Multiplayer games/servers * Decentralized exchange * Decentralized and hyper available caching for dApps’ databases * Decentralized e-mail * HR portal * VPN * Cloud services * Video rendering * E-commerce * Arbitrage bot * Blockchain-enabled utilities such as water and power * Supply chain and logistics --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.applayer.com/testnet/introducing-applayer/what-is-applayer.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.