In today's blockchain ecosystem, the demand for scalability and high performance is increasingly urgent. Ethereum, as a leading platform for decentralized applications (dApps), has faced many challenges regarding transaction processing speed and gas costs.
Solutions like Layer 2 (L2) and Appchains have been developed to offload the main chain, but a core issue remains: transaction execution is often limited by traditional sequential approaches. This is where Altius comes in, offering a breakthrough approach with Executor Grid, promising to change how transactions are processed in blockchain.
In this blog post, we will explore the differences between the traditional mempool and Altius' Executor Grid, focusing on technical aspects. We will use hypothetical examples to illustrate how Altius works, provide a comparison table to clarify pros and cons, and cite references to ensure accuracy.
Let’s explore how Altius transforms blockchain from a single-thread queue into a powerful parallel processing system, similar to how GPUs operate in modern computing.
What is Mempool? The Traditional Approach in Blockchain
Definition of Mempool
Mempool (memory pool) is a familiar concept in blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. It is where unconfirmed transactions wait to be included in a block by nodes. Mempool functions as a queue where transactions are lined up and processed in order - typically based on the gas fee that users are willing to pay.
How Mempool Works
Transaction collection: When users send a transaction (e.g., transferring ETH or calling a smart contract), this transaction is propagated through the P2P network and stored in the mempool of nodes.
Fee prioritization: Miners or validators select transactions from the mempool based on gas fees, prioritizing those with higher fees.
Sequential processing: After being selected, transactions are executed sequentially by the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) or a similar execution mechanism, updating the blockchain state.
Limitations of Mempool
Linear processing: Each transaction must be completed before the next one begins. This is like a single cashier serving hundreds of customers – speed is limited by the capacity of the 'cashier'.
Congestion: When the network is busy (e.g., during NFT minting events or major DeFi events), the mempool can contain tens of thousands of transactions, leading to high latency and skyrocketing gas fees.
Underoptimized resources: Even with ample computational resources (CPU, RAM), traditional blockchains cannot utilize them effectively due to the sequential approach.
Hypothetical example: Suppose Ethereum is processing a minting batch of NFTs with 10,000 transactions in the mempool. Each transaction takes 0.01 seconds to execute. With a sequential approach, the total processing time is:
10,000 × 0.01 = 100 seconds (~1.67 minutes).
During this time, users must wait or pay higher gas fees to be prioritized, increasing costs and reducing user experience.
Altius' Executor Grid: Parallel Execution Like a GPU
What is Executor Grid?
Executor Grid is a core component of Altius, designed to replace the sequential approach of the mempool with a parallel execution system. Instead of queuing transactions in a single line, Executor Grid divides and processes them simultaneously, maximizing computational resources. This is similar to how a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) handles thousands of graphic tasks at once, rather than sequentially like a traditional CPU.
How Executor Grid Works
Transaction splitting: Transactions in the mempool are analyzed to determine which transactions do not conflict with each other (e.g., not updating the same state variable).
Parallel execution: Executor Grid allocates these transactions to multiple 'executors', each executor running on a separate computation thread.
Synchronization: After execution, results from the executors are aggregated to ensure the final blockchain state is consistent and accurate.
EVM compatibility: Executor Grid operates as an optimization layer on EVM, requiring no changes to existing smart contract code.
Benefits of Executor Grid
Increased throughput: By processing multiple transactions simultaneously, Executor Grid increases the number of transactions per second (TPS) that the blockchain can handle.
Reduced latency: Users do not have to wait long in queues, improving the experience.
Resource optimization: Leverage the power of modern hardware (like multi-core CPUs or GPUs) to process transactions more efficiently.
Hypothetical example: Returning to the NFT minting scenario with 10,000 transactions. Suppose Executor Grid can split them into 100 groups, each with 100 transactions, and process them simultaneously on 100 executors. If each transaction still takes 0.01 seconds:
Processing time for each group: 100 × 0.01 = 1 second.
Since 100 groups are processed in parallel, the total time is only 1 second, instead of 100 seconds as in traditional mempool.
Result: 100x speedup in the ideal case.
Technical Comparison: Mempool vs. Executor Grid
To better understand the differences between mempool and Executor Grid, let’s examine specific technical aspects:
Architecture
Mempool: A simple queue, storing transactions as a waiting list. Nodes select transactions based on fees and execute them sequentially.
Executor Grid: A distributed system with multiple executors, functioning as a computing grid. Transactions are allocated based on an optimization algorithm to avoid conflicts.
Conflict Handling
Mempool: No need to handle conflicts as transactions are executed sequentially in the order determined by the consensus mechanism.
Executor Grid: Requires a conflict detection mechanism, such as when two transactions update the same address or state variable. Altius can use techniques like dependency graph to identify which transactions can run in parallel.
Performance
Mempool: Performance is limited by the speed of a single execution thread. Maximum TPS depends on hardware and client software (like Geth).
Executor Grid: Performance is proportional to the number of executors. For example, with 10 executors, TPS can increase 10 times (under conditions of no major conflicts).
Complexity
Mempool: Simple, easy to implement, but not optimized for high transaction volumes.
Executor Grid: More complex, requires smart algorithms and greater computational resources, but delivers superior efficiency.
Real-World Application Example
Imagine a decentralized exchange (DEX) on Ethereum hosting a liquidity event with 50,000 transactions in 5 minutes (about 167 TPS). We will compare how the mempool and Executor Grid handle this situation.
With Traditional Mempool
Execution speed: Suppose EVM processes 50 TPS (a realistic figure on Ethereum mainnet).
Processing time: 50,000 transactions ÷ 50 TPS = 1000 seconds (~16.7 minutes).
Result: Many transactions get stuck in the mempool, gas fees spike (up to 200-300 gwei), and users experience significant delays.
With Altius' Executor Grid
Execution speed: Suppose Executor Grid deploys 20 executors, each handling 50 TPS. In total: 20 × 50 = 1000 TPS.
Processing time: 50,000 transactions ÷ 1000 TPS = 50 seconds.
Result: Transactions are processed almost instantly, gas fees are more stable due to no congestion, and user experience is significantly improved.
Analysis
Executor Grid not only increases speed but also reduces pressure on the network, enabling DeFi applications to operate more efficiently in high-load situations.
Comparison Table: Mempool vs. Executor Grid
Why Executor Grid is Important for Ethereum, L2, and Appchains?
For Ethereum
Ethereum mainnet is limited by low throughput (~15-30 TPS) due to sequential execution in the mempool and EVM. Altius' Executor Grid can be integrated as an optimization layer, increasing TPS without changing the core protocol, helping Ethereum compete with high-performance blockchains like Solana or Aptos.
For Layer 2 (L2)
L2 solutions like rollups (Optimistic, zk-Rollups) have offloaded Ethereum by processing transactions off-chain, but execution remains a bottleneck. Executor Grid adds parallel capabilities, increasing L2 throughput many times, for example from 500 TPS to 5000 TPS.
For Appchains
Appchains are specialized blockchains for specific applications (like dYdX). However, building an efficient execution layer from scratch is very costly. Executor Grid provides a 'plug-and-play' solution, allowing appchains to achieve high performance without complex development.
Technical Challenges and Solutions
Challenges
Transaction conflict: If two transactions update the same state (e.g., the balance of an address), parallelization can cause errors.
Synchronization: Aggregating results from multiple executors requires a fast and accurate synchronization mechanism.
Hardware costs: Parallel execution requires greater computational resources compared to mempool.
Solutions
Dependency Graph: Altius can build a dependency graph to identify which transactions are safe to execute in parallel.
Atomic Execution: Ensures groups of transactions are executed as an atomic unit, avoiding conflicts.
Hardware optimization: Using GPUs or distributed server clusters to reduce costs and increase performance.
Conclusion
Altius' Executor Grid is a significant advancement in addressing execution bottlenecks in blockchain. By replacing the sequential mempool with a powerful parallel processing system, Altius not only increases throughput and reduces latency but also unlocks potential for Ethereum, L2, and Appchains in high-load applications like DeFi, NFTs, and GameFi. With EVM compatibility and easy integration, Altius promises to become an indispensable tool in the Web3 ecosystem.
Imagine blockchain as a supercomputer: the mempool is the single-thread CPU of the 90s, while Executor Grid is the modern multi-core GPU, bringing blockchain into a new era of performance and scalability.
