Project teams often exaggerate lab data to attract funding and attention, sacrificing decentralization, security, and utility. This article advocates focusing on meaningful blockchain applications built to real-world scale—not chasing hollow metrics.
Every few months, a new L1/L2 project claims: "We handle 100K transactions per second!"
Sometimes it's 50K, sometimes 1M.
The numbers don’t matter—these inflated TPS figures are rarely credible.
The Transaction Speed Arms Race
The scalability battle has devolved into a TPS bragging contest. Each new project piles on higher numbers without considering whether these speeds:
- Are achievable outside AWS test environments (spoiler: hardly ever)
- Serve actual use cases
- Matter to everyday users
This "throughput obsession" is like commuting in a Lamborghini during rush hour. Impressive specs, wrong context—it solves nothing.
Reality Check: Real-World Numbers
Visa, serving billions globally, averages 1,700 TPS—despite a 24K TPS theoretical cap it’s never needed.
Meanwhile, most blockchain projects struggle with <100 daily active users.
If your chain processes fewer transactions than Discord emojis sent, you’re not solving real problems.
The Hidden Costs of TPS Obsession
Chasing vanity metrics actively harms users:
- Centralization in disguise: Sacrificing decentralization for PR-friendly TPS numbers.
- "Faux security": Rushed performance optimizations leave vulnerabilities.
- Talent drain: Engineers optimizing synthetic benchmarks instead of building useful products.
- Pure fraud: Chains touting lab TPS crash at launch.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Why the "extreme scaling" hype? Just two reasons:
- Justify nine-figure valuations
- Stand out among 5,000+ competing chains
User needs? An afterthought. The real goal: convincing retail you’re the "final winner," with VCs as hype-men for your "TPS myth."
Building Actual Value
For genuine builders:
- Create what only blockchains enable
- Design sustainable models (no endless "new韭菜" required)
- Prioritize intuitive UX
- Scale to real demand, not fundraising stories
Time to Debunk Scaling Myths
Next time someone brags about 500K TPS, ask:
- What are these transactions doing?
- Who’s sending them?
- What’s the practical utility?
When they mumble about "Web3 social" or "future adoption," you’ve got your answer.
True innovation meets real needs at the right scale—not performative tech theater.
P.S. Sunday boredom inspired this truth bomb. Enjoy.
FAQs
Q: Why do projects inflate TPS numbers?
A: To attract investors and differentiate in oversaturated markets—not because users need it.
Q: What’s a realistic TPS for most projects?
A: For 90% of chains, <100 sustained TPS would suffice given current adoption.
Q: How can users spot fake TPS claims?
A: Ask for on-chain analytics (e.g., block explorers) showing sustained throughput under real conditions.
Q: Are high-TPS chains inherently bad?
A: Not if the speed serves verified use cases (e.g., payment networks). The issue is prioritizing specs over utility.
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