BitShares review
A free blockchain focused on on-chain assets, exchange functions and scheduled payments.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
For users and developers working with digital-asset trading or blockchain-based financial applications, BitShares offers a public, community-maintained blockchain and downloadable software. It is free and open source, with web, desktop and self-hosted deployment options. Its delegated proof-of-stake consensus elects block-producing witnesses through stakeholder voting; elected committee members can propose network parameter changes. The emphasis is on asset and financial functions rather than a general-purpose smart-contract environment.
Asset features are the clearest reason to consider BitShares. It includes a decentralized exchange and price-pegged SmartCoins backed by BTS collateral. Users can create assets with configurable holding and trading restrictions, while weighted account permissions support multi-user control. Transferable human-readable account names and recurring or scheduled payments extend the network's account and transaction tools. Stakeholder-approved funding for network projects is another part of its governance model. The documented contract model is described through built-in operations, so teams seeking a specified general-purpose contract language should look elsewhere.
BitShares is a blockchain network and downloadable software, not a conventional hosted subscription product. Its public deployment model and web, Windows, macOS and Linux platforms offer several ways to access or run it, but it is not a vendor-operated managed service. Support is through community channels and documentation. Choose it when built-in exchange functions, user-issued assets, permissions and payments match the application; consider another platform if managed operations or broader contract-language support is central to the project.
BitShares pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Built-in decentralized exchange and collateral-backed SmartCoins
- User-issued assets with configurable holding and trading restrictions
- Weighted account permissions and scheduled payments
- Where it doesn't
- Asset and financial functions take priority over general-purpose contract development
- No vendor-operated managed service
- Support channels are community and documentation
BitShares fact sheet, pricing and score →
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