$XPL Plasma verification nodes expanded from the initial 2 to 10, which sounds like a significant step towards decentralization. However, those who truly manage know that behind this are countless late-night struggles and repeated weighing of difficult choices.
The hardware threshold keeps rising, and operational costs like servers, bandwidth, and electricity surge in like a flood, with the gap in ecosystem subsidies widening. The promise of zero-fee USDT transfers sounds appealing, but it is like a tightly pulled string that could snap with the slightest disturbance. The team must keep a close eye on the accounts, wondering who will foot the bill for new nodes? Should the subsidies come from the foundation's reserves? Rely on XPL inflation to fill the gap? Or bet on a surge in transaction volume to level out income? These bittersweet realities that no one wants to openly discuss can only be truly understood by those who have experienced them firsthand.
Every compromise and every gritted-teeth concession actually pushes towards a more realistic goal: making the network no longer a multi-signature vault controlled by a few, but genuinely dispersing risk and providing users with a tangible layer of asset protection. Decentralization has never been just a slogan; it requires real investment and a gradual redistribution of power.
The cost and struggle of expanding nodes reflect this pragmatic price. In today's crypto environment, where grand promises are made and short-term hype is chased, Plasma has not rushed to boast about a hundred-fold TPS, but instead focused on solidifying its foundation. This unseen effort makes it seem a bit out of place, yet it is also the most confident.
When the day comes that stablecoins circulate as naturally as sending a WeChat message, and users don't even have to think about transaction fees, only then will we look back at the bittersweet experience of expansion and realize whether it was worth it. Ultimately, reliable infrastructure never depends on noise; it relies on being able to withstand the test of time.
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