| Hi there,
NIPoPoWs allow sidechains to communicate and interoperate, but without all the overhead of syncing a full chain. This allows for a streamlined proof-of-work verification process for mining & transactional events that are not directly connected to a specific blockchain while maintaining the same level of security blockchain networks are known for.
How does this affect Ethereum Classic? The same way ETC's blockchain supports smart contracts, a contract can be created that validates an event on a sidechain and then reacts accordingly. For instance, a payment made on Ethereum Classic could cause a payment to be released by a sidechain smart contract. | 
