If you work in IT, then you have probably heard of the CAP theorem: for distributed systems it is impossible to satisfy all three aspects of Consistency, Availability and Partition tolerance at the same time.
Since blockchains are distributed systems, this theorem also applies to blockchain, however blockchains have to deal with a more complex property, the so-called “Scalability Trilemma”, introduced by Vitalik Buterin.
The Scalability Trilemma
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), which contains blockchain technology, has three characteristics: scalability, security and decentralization. The Scalability Trilemma is defined as: it is impossible to develop a blockchain solution that simultaneously meets all three properties scalability, security and decentralization.
In 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto published a white paper describing Bitcoin (and thus the first blockchain). This white paper describes an innovative combination of existing technologies:
- Peer-to-peer networks (as torrents): scalability, decentralization
- Public-key cryptography (as in…
