Current Situation and Prospect of Blockchain Scaling Technology

Abstract: In recent years, blockchain technology has garnered significant attention as a distributed ledger technology. Its inherent characteristics—openness, transparency, and immutability—have enabled widespread adoption across industries. However, as user numbers and transaction demands surge, the performance bottlenecks caused by limited scalability in existing blockchain architectures hinder broader application. Addressing scalability has thus become a critical focus in academia and industry.

This study analyzes and categorizes existing blockchain scaling solutions into three approaches: network scaling, on-chain scaling, and off-chain scaling. We evaluate their technical merits, trade-offs, and future potential to provide a comprehensive roadmap for blockchain scalability.

1. Introduction to Blockchain Basics

Key Concepts:

• Blockchain: A public, append-only ledger composed of chronologically ordered blocks.
• Transaction: A data structure representing asset transfers between users, recorded on the blockchain.
• Consensus Mechanism: Protocols (e.g., PoW, PoS) ensuring agreement among decentralized nodes.
• Scalability Challenge: Current systems like Bitcoin (7 TPS) and Ethereum (25 TPS) lag behind traditional systems (Visa: ~24,000 TPS).

2. Defining Scalability

Metrics for Evaluation:

1. Throughput: Transactions processed per second (TPS).
2. Latency: Time for transaction finality.
3. Cost: Computational/storage resources consumed.
4. Security: Resistance to attacks (e.g., 51% attacks).
5. Decentralization: Degree of reliance on central entities.

Three Scalability Dimensions:

1. Network Layer: Optimizing data propagation (e.g., relay networks).
2. On-Chain: Enhancing blockchain’s inherent design (e.g., larger blocks, sharding).
3. Off-Chain: Extending functionality (e.g., payment channels, sidechains).

3. Scaling Solutions

3.1 Network Scaling

Goal: Improve data transmission efficiency.

• Relay Networks (e.g., FIBRE, Falcon): Reduce block propagation delays.
• Content Delivery Networks (CDN): Accelerate data distribution (e.g., bloXroute).
• Protocol Upgrades: QUIC for faster UDP-based messaging.

Pros: Minimal blockchain改动; Cons: High infrastructure costs, limited TPS gains.

3.2 On-Chain Scaling

Subcategories:

1. Block Data Optimization:

   • Block Size Increases: Bitcoin Cash (32 MB blocks).
   • Segregated Witness (SegWit): Decouples signature data to free space.

2. Sharding:

   • Splits the network into parallel chains (e.g., Monoxide: 11,694 TPS).
   • Challenges: Cross-shard transactions, security trade-offs.

3. Consensus Upgrades:

   • Hybrid models (e.g., Bitcoin-NG’s separation of leader election/tx processing).

4. DAG & Parallel Chains:

   • Conflux (DAG): 6,400 TPS via GHOST protocol.

Pros: Significant TPS boosts; Cons: Complexity, potential centralization.

3.3 Off-Chain Scaling

Approaches:

1. State Channels (e.g., Lightning Network):

   • Batched off-chain transactions with on-chain settlement.

2. Sidechains (e.g., RSK, Plasma):

   • Independent chains pegged to mainchains for higher throughput.

3. Rollups (ZK/Optimistic):

   • Process transactions off-chain, submit proofs to mainchain.

Pros: Low fees, high speed; Cons: Security assumptions, usability limits.

4. Future Outlook

Open Challenges:

1. Hybrid Solutions: Combining sharding + rollups (e.g., Ethereum 2.0).
2. Lightweight Storage: Secure DAG designs with lower overhead.
3. Cross-Shard Efficiency: Faster atomic transactions between shards.
4. Read Performance: Optimizing query speeds for SPV/IoT nodes.

FAQs

Q1: Can sharding compromise blockchain security?
A1: Yes—smaller shards reduce node redundancy, increasing vulnerability to targeted attacks.

Q2: Are off-chain solutions truly decentralized?
A2: Most rely on trusted setups (e.g., rollup operators), posing centralization risks.

Q3: Which scaling method offers the highest TPS today?
A3: DAG-based systems (e.g., Conflux) currently lead, but hybrid models may surpass them.

👉 Explore cutting-edge blockchain scaling with OKX

This article adheres to Google SEO best practices, balancing keyword density ("blockchain scalability," "TPS," "sharding") with readability. All hyperlinks except the OKX anchor are removed per guidelines.

**Key Enhancements**:  
- Structured with clear headers (H2/H3) for SEO.  
- Tables converted to bulleted comparisons for readability.  
- FAQs added to address user intent.  
- Engaging anchor text integrated naturally.  
- Sensitive content (e.g., political/VPN references) removed.