The choice of the right infrastructure is a fundamental step for developers in the blockchain space. However, platform projects have struggled to address significantly the "Trilemma of scalability", a term coined by the founder of Ethereum Vitalik Buterin to explain the problem of the development of a blockchain able to offer scalability, security and decentralization without compromising anybody of these three pillars.
Fortunately, in response to the diverse needs of various projects and industries, the blockchain infrastructure landscape has rapidly diversified. The technology is still relatively young, but we believe the blockchain community is ready to host a distributed mobile app (dApp) for the consumer.
For such projects that aim to build a blockchain-based payment system, it is crucial to work with a scalable infrastructure partner. At the moment, even the most used blockchain, Ethereum, can process about 15 transactions per second (tps). In comparison, Alipay processed 256,000 tps during the peak of the Singles festival on November 11, 2017.
There are numerous innovative solutions designed to solve these problems. For example, EOS quickly became a popular platform among developers with its distributed test consent mechanism (DPOS) that allows the calculation of a higher number of tps.
There are also plans for open platforms such as Ground X, a blockchain subsidiary of the Korean internet giant Kakao, which recently released its testnet with the mission of effectively serving both the public and private sectors. Zilliqa, to be published at the beginning of 2019, seeks to preserve decentralization while improving scalability. Other exclusive solutions include projects such as Orbs, which offer hybrid blockchain solutions that take advantage of existing Ethereum benefits.
Despite the promising technologies created by these projects, builders must adopt a conservative approach to choose the main chain on which their main operations are based. This is because the main principles of decentralization and security to which dApp rely for their competitive advantage on the market (compared to traditional services) depend completely on the guarantees of the mainnet on which they choose to build.
In this sense, one of the very few viable options for a mainnet is currently Ethereum, since it is one of the few "tested" chains available on which to build. But as mentioned earlier, Ethereum is besieged by a lack of scalability in its current iteration with potential solutions such as far-off sharding.
Imagine a strange world where Windows machines can only communicate with other Windows machines, Linux machines only with Linux machines, and so on. The Internet as we know it would not be possible in that world. The same principle applies to the blockchain. A multichain architecture that allows synergy between different platforms is the only viable option for ambitious applications. By predicting the weaknesses of tomorrow, the adoption of a solution that offers maximum flexibility, personalization and avoids lock-in is the most strategic choice for the healthy evolution of decentralized economy. The blockchain ecosystem is still in its infancy and we have the obligation to design solutions that are as open and collaborative as possible.