MariaDB 10.0, launched on March 31, 2014, is a MySQL-compatible database offering significant advancements in scalability, performance, replication, and security while being community-developed. Key features include parallel slave replication for faster updates, multi-source replication for enhanced analytics, dynamic columns for handling unstructured data, and various optimization improvements. The platform is extensible with support for third-party storage engines and plugins, aiming to provide flexibility and efficiency for modern applications.