What “TPS” means
TPS = Transactions Per Second
It tells you how many transactions a blockchain can process every second on average (usually measured on real on-chain activity, not just theoretical max).
Think of it like:
Road = blockchain
Cars = transactions
TPS = how many cars can pass per second without traffic jams
Higher TPS 👉 more capacity to handle users, apps, trades, NFTs, etc.
Top 15 Fastest Blockchains by Average TPS
Internet Computer $ICP: 3,900 TPS
Solana: 3,000 TPS
BSC (BNB Chain): 224.8 TPS
Tron: 125.9 TPS
Base: 113.2 TPS
Aptos: 72.6 TPS
Polygon: 69.3 TPS
Stellar: 50.2 TPS
NEAR Protocol: 40.8 TPS
Arbitrum: 28.3 TPS
Sei: 27.9 TPS
Avalanche: 27.3 TPS
Ethereum: 25.4 TPS
OP Mainnet: 24.9 TPS
Soneium: 23.6 TPS
How to read it.
Example:
Internet Computer (ICP): 3,900 TPS
→ Can handle ~3,900 transactions every secondSolana: 3,000 TPS
→ Very high throughput, good for high-frequency apps (DeFi, games)Ethereum: 25.4 TPS
→ Much lower throughput on Layer-1 → reason why gas fees get high
Why TPS matters
High TPS generally means:
✅ Faster confirmations
✅ Lower congestion
✅ Potentially lower fees
But TPS alone does NOT mean “better blockchain”.
Important nuance (very important 🚨)
1. Layer-1 vs Layer-2
Some chains in your list are:
Layer-1: Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, NEAR, Aptos
Layer-2: Arbitrum, OP Mainnet, Base (they depend on Ethereum)
L2 TPS is not directly comparable to L1 TPS.
2. Real TPS vs Theoretical TPS
Some projects advertise theoretical max TPS
Your list looks like real observed TPS, which is more honest
Example:
Solana claims 65k+ TPS theoretically
But real usage ~3k TPS
3. TPS vs Decentralization trade-off
Higher TPS often comes with:
Fewer validators
Higher hardware requirements
More centralization
That’s why:
Ethereum = low TPS but very decentralized & secure
Solana = high TPS but heavier hardware + outages history
Simple takeaway (one-line summary)
TPS shows how busy and scalable a blockchain is, but it does NOT alone decide which chain is best.