BlockchainIntermediate#Architecture#Core Concept
Blockchain Trilemma
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Definition
The fundamental trade-off between decentralization, security, and scalability — optimizing for any two typically comes at the expense of the third.
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Concept Diagram
Key Takeaways
1
No blockchain can perfectly optimize decentralization, security, and scalability simultaneously.
2
Bitcoin chooses decentralization + security, sacrificing scalability (7 TPS).
3
Solana chooses scalability + security, sacrificing decentralization with fewer validators.
4
Ethereum's L2 strategy aims to balance all three by keeping L1 decentralized while scaling on L2.
Practical Example
Ethereum processes ~15 TPS on L1 with 500,000+ validators (high decentralization, high security, low scalability). Arbitrum L2 processes 40,000+ TPS with the same L1 security. This is the trilemma being addressed through modular architecture.
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Related Terms
Blockchain
Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP)A cryptographic method that allows one party to prove to another that a statement is true without revealing any additional information.
Blockchain
Layer 2 RollupA scaling solution that executes transactions off the main blockchain and posts compressed proof back to Layer 1, increasing throughput while inheriting L1 security.
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