Solving the blockchain trilemma with decentralized scalability

This special episode of Decentralize with Cointelegraph focuses on Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solutions with José Fabrega, Head of Marketing at Metis – the fastest growing Ethereum Layer-2 package – and the goal of making Ethereum a more scalable and decentralized place to build.

Can Ethereum withstand the rush?

The blockchain world is booming, but Ethereum, one of the most popular networks for decentralized applications, has problems with elasticity.

Fabrega encourages listeners to think of the network as a superhighway – where traffic builds up during peak hours – like a famous impregnable token project. Transactions can take minutes to complete and cost users hefty fees, sometimes tens or hundreds of dollars. This hampers the user experience and limits the network's ability to handle the ever-growing demands of real-world applications.

Developers have created Layer-2 solutions to solve Ethereum's scaling challenges. These solutions can be considered as “new lanes” on the Ethereum highway for shared vehicles.

On Metis, transactions are consolidated and processed quickly and cheaply, without breaching the security of the underlying Ethereum blockchain. Layer-2 solutions like Metis remove transactions from the main Ethereum network, allowing for de-congestion and faster and cheaper transactions.

But isn't there already an L2 set?

While L2s already exist, Metis tries to raise the bar by focusing on scale and prioritizing decentralization, meaning a robust network is vulnerable to censorship and outages. Many existing Layer-2 solutions prioritize speed and cost reduction, although these often come at the expense of some degree of decentralization.

Decentralization is a core principle of blockchain technology, which ensures that no one party controls the network, creating an environment that is more resistant to censorship and fraud. A truly decentralized layer-2 solution inherits these advantages of the underlying Ethereum blockchain and provides scalability.

If successful, Metis will solve the blockchain trilemma of elasticity and contribute to a thriving decentralized financial ecosystem.

To learn more about Metis and how it will change the future of blockchain technology, listen to the entire episode on Cointelegraph's podcast page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your podcast platform of choice. And don't forget to check out Cointelegraph's full lineup of other shows!

Cointelegraph does not endorse the content of this article or any product mentioned therein. Readers should do their own research and take full responsibility for their decisions before taking any action related to the product or company mentioned.