Sui, a layer-1 blockchain network developed by Mysten Labs, showcased a demonstration achieving more than 40 million transactions per second, according to crypto commentator Linda. The event took place at Sui Base Camp during Token2049 in early October. However, this impressive throughput did not occur directly on the Sui mainnet. Instead, the demonstration used “tunnels” to handle activities off-chain before they settled on-chain, distinguishing it from sustained mainnet performance.
Off-chain demonstration and strategic vision
The demonstration’s process involved executing transactions outside the mainnet and only later settling them on-chain, which offers scalability but does not reflect actual ongoing mainnet capabilities. Crypto analyst Linda linked this technical showcase to Sui’s broader push into AI-agent infrastructure. A video of a Sui chain co-founder at the event referenced plans for agent coordination, payment networks, auditable on-chain activity, and cooperation with tech giant Google.
Linda emphasized that, while the demonstration signaled high ambition for Sui’s future, it did not prove current or sustained production demand on the live network. She also described concepts for private versions of popular Ethereum decentralized applications, such as Uniswap and Aave, and discussed the potential for private swaps accessible through existing Solana wallets.
Mini dictionary: Mysten Labs is a technology company founded by former Meta (Facebook) engineers, focused on building scalable blockchain infrastructure, with Sui as its flagship project.
Linda noted that the demonstration showcased Sui’s ability to process over 40 million transactions per second using off-chain tunnels, but clarified that this does not match actual mainnet throughput.
Growth on Midnight and transaction data
In addition to Sui, Linda highlighted developments on Midnight, a data protection sidechain within the Cardano ecosystem. She reported that Midnight surpassed one million mainnet transactions and had experienced a nearly 400-fold increase in daily transactions over the past month. The video, however, did not provide the initial transaction counts, making it difficult to evaluate the true impact of this growth.
This lack of baseline data limits any assessment of user adoption or real network demand, leaving the scale of progress somewhat unclear.
Solana and Cardano technical advancements
Linda also drew attention to important upgrades from established blockchains. Solana’s recent Alpenglow upgrade, now deployed on mainnet beta, reportedly reduced transaction finality from approximately 12.8 seconds to 150 milliseconds. This technical improvement suggests about an 85-fold boost in settlement speed, significantly better than the 40-fold increase described in the initial report.
| Blockchain | Previous Finality | New Finality | Improvement Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solana | 12.8 seconds | 150 milliseconds | 85x |
Solana’s mainnet beta now achieves transaction finality in only 150 milliseconds following the Alpenglow upgrade, representing a substantial advance in network speed compared to earlier performance.
For Cardano, she reported that the Leios upgrade is nearing implementation via the upcoming Dijkstra hard fork. Initial estimates suggest throughput will increase three to five times at launch, with longer-term goals targeting 10 to 15 times the current rate. These expectations remain forward-looking, and demonstrated network performance has not yet been published.
The upgrades for both Solana and Cardano aim to enhance settlement speed and scalability, responding to ongoing industry demands for more efficient blockchain infrastructure.
