Breakthrough in Blockchain Performance: 3,000 Transactions Per Second Achieved in Shanghai Innovation

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In a major leap for blockchain technology, the Conflux Tree Graph Blockchain Public Chain System 1.0, developed by the Shanghai-based Conflux Chain Research Institute, has been officially launched—ushering in a new era of high-performance, decentralized networks. With the ability to process over 3,000 transactions per second (TPS)—more than 700 times faster than Bitcoin—this groundbreaking advancement positions China at the forefront of global blockchain infrastructure innovation.

Blockchain is often described as a shared, tamper-proof digital ledger that ensures data integrity through features like immutability, traceability, transparency, and decentralization. Today, its applications span across digital finance, Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing, and supply chain management, making it a strategic technological frontier fiercely pursued by nations worldwide.

This latest achievement from Shanghai not only addresses long-standing performance bottlenecks but also redefines what’s possible in public blockchain scalability without compromising security or decentralization.

The Performance Problem in Traditional Blockchains

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For years, the limited throughput of public blockchains has hindered mass adoption. As Dr. Wu Ming, CTO of the Conflux Research Institute, explains: "Public blockchains have suffered from poor user experience—slow speeds and high costs—similar to browsing the internet on a 2G connection."

The two most prominent public chains illustrate this challenge clearly:

These constraints make large-scale enterprise or consumer applications impractical. To scale, many projects resort to sacrificing either decentralization or security—opting for permissioned consortium chains with fewer nodes or centralized validation mechanisms.

But the Conflux team took a different path.

A New Consensus Algorithm: Speed Without Compromise

At the heart of Conflux’s breakthrough is an innovative high-performance consensus algorithm based on a directed acyclic graph (DAG)-enhanced tree structure. This novel approach allows parallel processing of transactions while maintaining linear finality, enabling:

Unlike traditional blockchains that process transactions sequentially, Conflux’s system uses a Tree-Graph structure to order transactions efficiently across multiple chains simultaneously. This eliminates bottlenecks caused by block contention and miner prioritization.

Crucially, the system maintains robust security through a dynamic block weight adjustment mechanism. Under normal conditions, fast confirmation is prioritized. But during active attacks—such as spam or eclipse attempts—the protocol automatically adjusts weighting rules to slow down confirmation pacing while preserving throughput, effectively neutralizing threats without halting operations.

This balance of speed, security, and decentralization marks a paradigm shift in public blockchain design.

Real-World Validation: Over 4 Million Transactions Processed

After 18 months of rigorous testing, the Conflux Tree Graph Public Chain 1.0 went live on October 29, 2020. Since then, it has operated stably for over 120 days, processing more than 4 million transactions from tens of thousands of users worldwide.

Key milestones include:

This real-world performance demonstrates that high-throughput public blockchains can function reliably at scale—offering a viable alternative to both slow legacy chains and centralized alternatives.

Behind the Science: World-Class Talent Driving Innovation

The Conflux project brings together a team of elite researchers and developers specializing in distributed systems, cryptography, game theory, and computer architecture—many of whom are top-tier Chinese scientists trained at leading global institutions.

Founded on January 9, 2020, the Shanghai Tree Graph Blockchain Research Institute was established to advance fundamental research in blockchain theory and core technologies. Notably, Professor Andrew Yao (Yao Qizhi), the only Asian recipient of the Turing Award, serves as chief scientist and contributed to the formal verification of Conflux’s consensus algorithm.

“We built Conflux to push hardware to its limits,” said Dr. Long Fan, founder and院长 of the institute, who joined the launch event remotely from Toronto due to pandemic travel restrictions. “Our system proves that a truly scalable, secure, and decentralized public chain is not only possible—it’s already working.”

He emphasized that government support and investor patience were crucial in allowing pure scientific research to flourish—an environment where "scientists who only speak code" could thrive.

Strategic Significance in a Decentralized Future

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Beyond technical prowess, Conflux holds strategic importance in the evolving global digital landscape. As central banks engage in prolonged quantitative easing and zero-interest policies, confidence in traditional financial systems wavers—fueling demand for decentralized alternatives.

In this context, a high-performance public chain like Conflux offers more than just faster payments; it provides a foundation for:

By achieving leadership in public chain performance, China gains influence in setting international technical standards—an essential step toward sovereignty in next-generation internet infrastructure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How does Conflux achieve 3,000+ TPS when Bitcoin only does 7?
A: Conflux uses a Tree-Graph consensus algorithm that allows parallel transaction processing across multiple branches of the chain. This eliminates the sequential bottleneck found in traditional blockchains like Bitcoin.

Q: Is Conflux less secure because it's faster?
A: No. Security is preserved through a dynamic block weighting system that adapts during attacks. The network remains decentralized with over 5,000 nodes and maintains cryptographic integrity.

Q: Can developers build apps on Conflux?
A: Yes. Conflux supports EVM-compatible smart contracts, making it easy for Ethereum developers to migrate dApps with minimal changes.

Q: How is Conflux different from other fast blockchains like Solana or Avalanche?
A: While others rely on reduced node counts or specialized hardware, Conflux achieves high throughput while maintaining full decentralization and Byzantine fault tolerance under realistic network conditions.

Q: What role does Shanghai play in this innovation?
A: Shanghai provided institutional support and funding to establish the Conflux Research Institute, creating an environment where fundamental research could lead to practical breakthroughs.

Q: Is Conflux open source?
A: Yes. The entire codebase is publicly available, encouraging global collaboration and auditability.

Toward a New Digital Infrastructure Era

The successful deployment of the Conflux Tree Graph Blockchain signals a turning point: public blockchains no longer need to trade off speed for security or decentralization. With performance rivaling centralized systems and openness surpassing them, this technology lays the groundwork for a truly inclusive digital economy.

As blockchain continues to evolve from speculative asset platforms into foundational infrastructure, projects like Conflux demonstrate that scientific rigor, long-term vision, and ecosystem support are key to lasting innovation.

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