Overview
The blockchain trilemma, popularized by Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin, states that a blockchain can only optimize for two of three properties: scalability, security, and decentralization.
Most chains make explicit tradeoffs: Ethereum prioritizes security and decentralization (low throughput). Solana prioritizes scalability and security (high hardware requirements reduce decentralization). Rollups prioritize scalability and decentralization (sequencer centralization challenges).
Cerberus's Approach
Radix's Cerberus consensus argues the trilemma is a limitation of specific consensus designs, not a fundamental law. By braiding consensus across shards — where each transaction only involves the shards it touches — Cerberus achieves:
- Scalability — throughput scales linearly with shard count
- Security — full BFT security per shard, with braiding providing cross-shard guarantees
- Decentralization — commodity hardware nodes; more nodes = more capacity
The Hyperscale 500k TPS test validated this with 590+ nodes on commodity hardware.