---
title: "Radix vs Ethereum"
path: "/contents/tech/comparisons/radix-vs-ethereum"
version: "1.2.0"
author: "Hydrate"
createdAt: "2026-02-19T05:51:32.120Z"
updatedAt: "2026-03-16T18:20:55.495Z"
---

# Radix vs Ethereum

<Infobox>
| **Type** | Technical Comparison |
| **Radix** | [Cerberus](/contents/tech/core-protocols/cerberus-consensus-protocol), [Scrypto](/developers/legacy-docs/updates/roadmap/scrypto/scrypto), [native assets](https://learn.radixdlt.com/article/what-are-native-assets) |
| **[Ethereum](https://ethereum.org)** | Casper PoS, [Solidity](https://soliditylang.org), [ERC-20](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20) |
</Infobox>

## Consensus

**[Ethereum](https://ethereum.org)** uses Casper PoS with a single execution layer processing all transactions sequentially. Scalability relies on L2 rollups (Optimism, Arbitrum, zkSync) which introduce sequencer centralization and cross-rollup composability challenges.

**Radix** uses [Cerberus](/contents/tech/core-protocols/cerberus-consensus-protocol), which parallelizes consensus across shards. Throughput scales linearly with shard count. [500,000+ TPS demonstrated](/ideas/hyperscale-500k-test) on commodity hardware.

## Programming Model

**Ethereum ([Solidity](https://soliditylang.org))**: Account-based model where tokens are mappings inside contracts. Requires `approve()` + `transferFrom()` pattern. Susceptible to reentrancy, approval exploits, and front-running.

**Radix ([Scrypto](/developers/legacy-docs/updates/roadmap/scrypto/scrypto))**: [Asset-oriented](/contents/tech/core-concepts/asset-oriented-programming) model where tokens are native resources. No approval pattern. Reentrancy structurally impossible. Assets move in [buckets](/contents/tech/core-concepts/buckets-proofs-and-vaults).

## Transactions

**Ethereum**: Opaque calldata — users [blind sign](/contents/tech/core-concepts/blind-signing-and-transaction-manifests) hex data they can't read.

**Radix**: [Transaction manifests](/contents/tech/core-protocols/transaction-manifests) — readable, composable, verifiable before signing.

## Scalability

| L1 TPS | ~15-30 | 500,000+ ([Cerberus](/contents/tech/core-protocols/cerberus-consensus-protocol)) |
| Scaling approach | L2 rollups | L1 sharding |
| Cross-shard composability | Async bridges | Atomic (same-transaction) |
| Hardware requirements | Moderate (L1), centralized (L2 sequencers) | Commodity |

## Strengths of Each

**Ethereum's strengths**: Largest ecosystem, most liquidity, widest tooling support, strongest brand recognition, battle-tested over 10+ years.

**Radix's strengths**: Superior asset model ([native assets](https://learn.radixdlt.com/article/what-are-native-assets), no approvals), readable transactions, linear L1 scalability, developer-friendly Rust-based language, structurally eliminates common exploit classes.