Over the past decade, blockchain development has centered on one goal: maximizing transaction throughput. Speed became the scoreboard. How fast can you execute? How quickly can you settle? Who finishes first wins.

That era has ended.

Today's landscape looks completely different. Layer 2 solutions, rollups, and app-specific chains have democratized performance. Transaction speed and cost efficiency are no longer rare advantages—they're table stakes. When everyone can execute transactions at near-instant speeds with minimal fees, raw performance stops being your moat.

The real competition has shifted. Speed alone won't separate winners from losers anymore.