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Glossary Term

TPS (Transactions Per Second)

TPS, or Transactions Per Second, is the key performance metric quantifying how many transactions a blockchain network like Solana can process each second. High TPS reflects superior scalability and speed, making Solana ideal for high-frequency trading, DeFi, gaming, and large-scale dApp activity.

Beginner
Technology
Crypto Terminology

TPS (Transactions Per Second): what is it?

Examples

  • 1

    Solana reliably processing 30,000–50,000 swaps per second during leading NFT launches.

  • 2

    Real-time games updating every player’s action with on-chain moves.

  • 3

    In comparison: Bitcoin averages ~7 TPS, Ethereum ~15–30 TPS; Solana’s TPS is orders of magnitude higher.

Common Use Cases

Powering decentralized exchanges (DEXs) trading thousands of pairs.
Supporting “always-on” gaming platforms with rapid event settlement, like on-chain leaderboards or PvP battles.
Enabling high-frequency, low-latency dApps in payments, stablecoins, or social platforms.

Pro Tips

💡

Real-world TPS can fluctuate and is often less than theoretical peaks due to variations in transaction type and current network load.

💡

Use block explorers (Solana Beach, validators) to monitor live TPS stats before launching high-volume apps or campaigns.

💡

Remember: not all TPS are equal—some chains count simple votes, while Solana tallies all on-chain smart contract instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Terms

Bridge
Gas Fee
Escrow
Cross-Chain
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