Unit 2 · Level 2 · The scaling problem
Review: the scaling problem
Block space is scarce, so users bid for it, and when cats or NFTs go viral, fees explode. The obvious fix, bigger blocks, taxes decentralization and split Bitcoin in 2017. So the industry fanned out into beefier L1s, layers on top, and app-specific chains: all different answers to the same trilemma. Quick lap to lock it in.
Free to play. No ads, no token, no account needed to start.
What you get asked
Which trio makes up the blockchain trilemma?
Three properties in tension. Improve one carelessly and you'll usually find the bill arrives at one of the other two.
Bigger blocks make running a full ___ more expensive, which slowly erodes decentralization.
That single cause-and-effect chain is why 'just raise the block size' was never the free lunch it looked like.
Match each event or idea to its meaning
History first, theory second: the trilemma stopped being abstract the day cats and forks made it expensive.
Why do fees spike during congestion instead of staying flat?
Nobody sets the price; the auction does. Fixed supply of space plus surging demand means rising bids. Concert tickets, again.
Ethereum kept its base layer lean and light. What was the point of that choice?
Keep the ground floor verifiable by anyone, and let rollups fight for throughput upstairs. Which is exactly where this course goes next. 🐜
The rest of this unit
Why block space is scarce, and why 'just make blocks bigger' started a war.