If you’re just getting into blockchain or crypto, you may have stumbled across the term “blockchain trilemma.” It might sound technical, even intimidating, but don’t worry. I’ll break it down with a relatable analogy (and a bit of appetite): pizza.

Because honestly, understanding blockchain doesn’t have to be dry or confusing.

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The Perfect Pizza Problem

Imagine you’re trying to make the perfect pizza. You want it to be:

1. Delicious (this stands for Security)
2. Affordable (we’ll call this Scalability)
3. Easy to make at home (this one’s Decentralization)

Here’s the issue: it’s hard to get all three.
If it’s delicious and affordable, chances are it takes a long time or needs special equipment.
or If it’s affordable and quick, it might not taste that great.
or If it’s tasty and quick, it probably costs more than you’d like.

That’s basically the blockchain trilemma. 🍕

What is the Blockchain Trilemma?

The blockchain trilemma is a concept introduced by Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin. It says that a blockchain can only truly excel in two out of these three areas:

• Security – The network must be safe from hackers or double-spending.
• Scalability – It should handle thousands of transactions per second (TPS).
• Decentralization – No single authority should control the network.

In practice, most blockchains only manage to optimize two, and compromise the third.

Real-World Blockchain Examples

Let’s look at some popular blockchains and how they fit into this “pizza” problem:

1. Bitcoin

• Security: Very high, it’s battle-tested and reliable.
• Decentralization: Also very strong, with thousands of nodes worldwide.
• Scalability: Not great. Bitcoin handles only 7 TPS. It’s like waiting an hour for your pizza delivery.

2. Ethereum

• Security: Solid and trusted by the industry.
• Decentralization: Also strong, though moving from PoW to PoS changed the dynamics a bit.
• Scalability: Still working on it. During peak times, gas fees can spike like pizza prices during the Super Bowl.

3. Solana

• Scalability: Super fast, up to 65,000 TPS theoretically.
• Security: Decent but has faced several outages.
• Decentralization: A bit centralized due to fewer validators needing high-performance machines.

4. Polygon

• A Layer 2 scaling solution built on Ethereum.
• Offers scalability and low fees while leveraging Ethereum’s security.
• However, decentralization still has room to grow, as some decisions remain dependent on the main chain.

Why This Trilemma Matters

The blockchain trilemma isn’t just a theory, it’s something every developer and user feels.

Let’s say you’re building a DeFi app. You want it to:

• Handle a lot of users (Scalability)
• Be trustless and open (Decentralization)
• Stay safe from exploits (Security)

Unfortunately, you usually have to pick two. For example, you might choose decentralization and security, but then suffer from slow speeds or high fees. That’s why many GameFi projects move to faster chains like Avalanche or Immutable X, they need speed, even if it means trading off decentralization.

Are We Getting Closer to Solving It?

Yes, there’s progress.

• Ethereum 2.0 + Layer 2 rollups (like Optimism and zkSync) aim to boost scalability without losing security or decentralization.
• Avalanche and Cosmos offer modular architecture, kind of like letting developers build their own “custom pizza” chain.
• Celestia and other modular blockchains let each layer specialize: one for consensus, one for data, and so on.

This new approach doesn’t fully solve the trilemma, but it reshapes how we think about it.

So..

The blockchain trilemma is like trying to create the perfect pizza, one that’s fast, affordable, and mouthwatering. You can usually get two out of three, but hitting all three is a rare achievement.

As builders and users, understanding this helps us choose the right blockchain for the right purpose. Whether it’s trading, gaming, or launching a Web3 project, knowing what trade-offs you’re accepting makes you smarter and more strategic in this space.

Because at the end of the day, whether it’s crypto or pizza, we all want it fast, cheap, and good. But getting all three? That’s still the ultimate challenge.

If there’s something you want me to cover next, just let me know. You can follow me here on my website and my Medium to get my latest updates as soon as they drop! You can also contact me through X @AskaraJr and Linkedin