Throughput

Throughput is the rate at which a blockchain actually processes and settles work, most often expressed as transactions per second (TPS) or as the amount of data finalised in a given period. It differs from advertised capacity: a chain may quote a theoretical maximum, while real throughput depends on block size, block time, how heavy each transaction is, and how much spare room validators leave. A simple transfer consumes far less block space than a complex smart contract call, so one TPS figure rarely describes behaviour under real load. Throughput also drives the fee market — when sustained demand exceeds what the chain can settle, transactions queue in the mempool and users bid fees up to get included sooner.