Regarded as a major obstacle to mainstream adoption of blockchain technology, the blockchain trilemma problem prevents blockchains from reaching their fullest potential. Protocols such as Avalanche, Horizon and Binance Smart Chain have all been working toward a solution, but it may be Polygon (MATIC) that has the most promising solution.

What is the blockchain trilemma?

A term coined by Vitalik Buterin, the blockchain trilemma refers to a three-part problem faced by blockchain developers: 

• Decentralization

• Scalability

• Security

These three elements make up the nature and value of blockchains; however, it is widely believed that currently only two of the three can be maximized in a blockchain at the same time.

The trilemma arises when any two of the three elements are maximized, the third element is diminished and a deadend is reached in the blockchain’s development. Its real world use case illustrates the issue:

• Decentralization / Security / Scalability

• When a blockchain is scaled, the security must be enhanced. Yet, by expanding security, decentralization has to naturally be cut back. 

• Examples with this structure include: Stellar, Ripple, Hyperledger, EOS

• Decentralization / Security / Scalability

• To expand a blockchain’s ability to scale and be decentral at the same time means reducing security in order to satisfy the first two elements. 

• Examples with this structure include: VeChain, NANO, IOTA

• Decentralization / Security / Scalability

• Decentralizing and simultaneously securing a blockchain is possible, but the blockchain cannot move beyond those parameters to also scale.

• Examples with this structure include: Bitcoin, Ethereum

To bypass this problem, developers build a separate blockchain, known as Layer 2, on top of the primary blockchain, known as Layer 1. 

Developers usually build Layer 1 to maximize security and decentralization and Layer 2 to maximize scalability. 

The two layers are then combined together, making one entire blockchain that can satisfy all three elements to the maximum capacity.

So far the market has accepted this solution but the trilemma remains.

The Polygon solution

In 2022 the Partisia Blockchain Foundation partnered with Polygon to develop a new platform that would solve the trilemma. 

Vinson Leow, Chief Ecosystem Officer at Partisia, spoke with CryptoSlate about how the Partisia blockchain addresses all three elements while solving the trilemma. 

Leow explains that Partisia’s solution is to reengineer a blockchain using bridges to other applications. Bridging the blockchain to third-party external tools allows each element to retain its parameters without sacrificing any of the other elements.

• Security: Enhancing security externally can be done successfully by using a computation called ZK-Rollups. This tool bundles mass data transfers into single transactions. As such, the blockchain can run at speed, thus retaining decentralization and scalability at the same time.

• Scalability: Expanding ZK Rollup privacy into the blockchains sharding (scaling) process, a blockchain can add new blocks at scale, all while maintaining security and decentralization.

• Decentralization: By bridging a blockchain to a third-party secure cloud (known as BYOC Bridge) allows for the blockchain to expand into a separate secure compartment and maintain scalability and security.

Blockchain trilemma solved?

All of the benefits of web3 will not be fully realized until the blockchain trilemma is solved. Whether the solution from Partisia will work in real-world use cases remains to be seen. 

However, by utilizing external tools to support the blockchain’s inherent components and benefits, the Partisia seems to be well on its way to a plausible solution. 

Polygon’s willingness to partner with Partisia to solve the blockchain trilemma means that blockchain developers are taking this problem seriously. It shows that web3 adoption will not be stopped and will be capable of solving countless issues in the future.