The true future of decentralized computing lies not in raw speed, but in abundant block space, where Web3 runs the world’s indispensable decentralized supercomputer.
Opinion
Opinion by: Shawn Tabrizi, engineering lead at Parity
In pursuit of adoption, many Web3 builders are hyperfocused on a simple, seductive metric: transactions per second (TPS). Protocols have trumpeted numbers rivaling traditional payment rails, convinced that sheer speed is the holy grail to convert billions of users and major enterprises. While this is intuitively appealing, it is insufficient.
Adoption, and its prerequisite utility, is ultimately about capacity, not speed. While TPS is undeniably important, the real arms race is not about the fastest race car but about robust, efficient, flexible and infinitely scalable mass transit systems. Financial applications often need speed, but compute-based applications require abundant, usable block space. This is the vision of Web3 as the world’s indispensable decentralized supercomputer.
Nowhere is this more necessary than in , where legacy infrastructure has historically lagged behind North America and Europe, creating a leapfrog opportunity with the right architecture.
Block space trumps TPS
The obsession with TPS, while well-intentioned, is fundamentally misleading. Goodhart’s Law states, “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” Too many have exclusively prioritized throughput at the expense of core blockchain principles such as decentralization, security or the capacity for meaningful, complex computation.
A high TPS count for simple token transfers offers little utility if the network sacrifices its inherent trustlessness or cannot handle the rich data and intricate logic demanded by sophisticated applications. It’s a metric of raw throughput stripped of nuance rather than a measure of real-world utility or computational density.
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This stems from a core difference between the view that blockchain is only a ledger and that blockchain is the world’s supercomputer. A fast ledger is suitable for algorithms, not businesses. The bottleneck hindering Web3’s promise is the scarcity and inflexibility of true block space — the best measure of a decentralized network’s capacity for complex data storage and verifiable computation.
Consider what block space truly entails. It is not merely a quantitative measure of how many transactions can fit into a block; it is about the qualitative capacity for meaningful computational work and complex, verifiable data. Advanced Web3 applications, including verifiable AI models, sophisticated decentralized finance and large-scale gaming, demand robust computational environments capable of handling intricate smart contract logic, massive data sets and secure, auditable operations.
Transport engineers shouldn’t exclusively build the fastest Formula 1 cars while neglecting comprehensive public transport and robust rail networks, even if they could. Our industry must look beyond mere speed to genuine utility and broader capacity.
The blueprint for abundant block space
The blueprint for abundant block space rests on three pillars: parallel processing, security and interoperability, and complex computation. Multiple execution environments are needed to operate simultaneously, akin to a multi-core processor.
This approach multiplies available block space without compromising the underlying network’s core security, providing native, abundant block space that scales organically with demand.
Security and interoperability are unified by design. Native, trustless interoperability creates a seamless, composable ecosystem where any application can access and utilize block space across disparate functions. Critically, shared security across all environments ensures consistent, robust guarantees for every application, eliminating the complexity and security risks of bridging fragmented networks.
Finally, the third pillar rests on enabling complex computation with flexible execution. Multi-step logic and support for asynchronous and synchronous services are paramount. This is essential for advanced decentralized applications that demand more than simple state changes, fundamentally optimizing the utility of available block space.
Abundant block space in Asia
The implications for Asia are profound. With the region’s crypto adoption at 22% — well above the global average of 7.8% — Asia will benefit enormously from this next technological evolution. Let’s look at two concrete examples: tokenization and cross-border commerce.
With its rapid infrastructure development, burgeoning green initiatives and substantial reserves of real-world assets (RWAs), Asia is . The compliant tokenization of RWAs, be it property, commodities or demands, not merely rapid transaction processing, but a foundational layer capable of handling diverse transaction types, intricate legal metadata and stringent data privacy requirements.
Upgrading the web of trade finance, logistics and supply chain data flows across Asia’s myriad legal and economic zones also can’t be solved only with high TPS. As a global manufacturing and logistics hub, Asia’s multi-layered supply chains require dense, verifiable block space for storing detailed provenance data, certifications and compliance documents at scale.
In both of these areas, speed will be important, but not enough. Asia needs entirely new economic primitives, demanding the deep computational density and unwavering integrity that only abundant, secure block space can genuinely provide.
Build what’s needed
Asia needs block space at scale, and the region is primed for it.
Web3 builders have bragged about speed for far too long, neglecting reliable, safe computing power. This narrow focus must expand from TPS to direct energy into architecture that delivers abundant, secure and composable block space. This is the objective measure of scalability and utility. And, coincidentally, this is also the key to widespread adoption.
A genuinely effective and widely adopted Web3 will be built on advanced computational backbones, providing robust infrastructure to transform industries and empower societies. TPS may capture our imagination, but the average person and business in Asia will ultimately benefit most from block space.
Opinion by: Shawn Tabrizi, engineering lead at Parity.
This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.
