Definition
An execution shard is a logical partition of a sharded blockchain’s execution environment that maintains its own state, processes transactions, and enforces smart contract logic within a bounded subset of the overall system. It functions as an independent execution domain, with dedicated state storage and transaction ordering, while remaining integrated into a shared consensus and data availability framework across the broader network.
In Simple Terms
An execution shard is one slice of a sharded blockchain that is responsible for running transactions and smart contracts for a specific portion of the network’s state. It handles its own data and computation, while still being part of the larger blockchain that coordinates many such shards together.
Context and Usage
The term execution shard appears in discussions of sharded blockchain architectures that separate computation from other concerns such as data availability and consensus. It is used to distinguish the part of the system that actually runs user transactions and smart contracts from components that only store or propagate data. Execution shards are often described in relation to how nodes and validators are organized across multiple shards and how they interact with a global execution layer design.