The blockchain technology landscape took a significant leap forward as the Shanghai-based Conflux team launched its highly anticipated Conflux Tree-Graph Public Chain System 1.0. This milestone event, held during the Shanghai Blockchain Innovation and Major Achievements Release Conference, marks a major advancement in high-performance, secure, and decentralized blockchain infrastructure.
With growing global competition in next-generation technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, Shanghai is positioning itself as a leading innovation hub. According to Wang Ye, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, over 400 companies in the city are now engaged in blockchain research and application development. Clusters like Xuhui’s West Bund, Yangpu Blockchain Tower, Jing’an’s Shibei Blockchain Valley, and Hongkou Fintech Building have emerged as specialized zones nurturing this rapidly evolving ecosystem.
Breakthrough Performance Without Compromising Decentralization
At the heart of this technological leap lies the Conflux Tree-Graph Public Chain System 1.0, independently developed by the Shanghai Conflux Blockchain Research Institute. Unlike traditional blockchains that struggle with scalability bottlenecks, Conflux leverages an innovative Tree-Graph consensus algorithm—a novel approach to transaction ordering that enables high throughput without sacrificing security or decentralization.
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This breakthrough allows the system to process over 3,000 transactions per second (TPS)—surpassing both Bitcoin (7 TPS) and Ethereum (30–40 TPS) by factors of 428x and 75x respectively. More impressively, transaction confirmation time has been reduced to under 30 seconds, closely matching the performance of centralized systems like Visa, which handles 1,500–3,000 TPS with ~10-second confirmations.
Dr. Long Fan, founder of Conflux, emphasized during a remote presentation that the full 1.0 system was successfully deployed on October 29, 2020, and has since operated stably for over 120 days. During this period, it processed more than 4 million transactions from tens of thousands of users, currently averaging around 40,000 daily transactions.
Solving the Scalability Trilemma: Security, Decentralization, and Speed
One of the most persistent challenges in blockchain development is the so-called "scalability trilemma"—the idea that a blockchain can only achieve two out of three key properties: decentralization, security, and scalability. Most existing public chains sacrifice either speed or decentralization to maintain security.
Wu Ming, CTO of the Shanghai Conflux Blockchain Research Institute, highlighted how Conflux tackles this issue head-on:
“For years, poor performance has been the biggest barrier to mainstream blockchain adoption. On networks like Ethereum, users must bid against each other for limited block space—making transactions expensive and slow. It's like early mobile internet: costly and frustrating. High fees exclude average users and kill potential applications.”
By achieving high throughput while maintaining a decentralized architecture and robust security model, Conflux moves blockchain closer to real-world utility across industries—from finance and supply chain to digital identity and decentralized apps (dApps).
A World-Class Team Driving Innovation
The success behind Conflux stems from its elite technical team, composed of top-tier Chinese scientists and global developers specializing in distributed computing, cryptography, game theory, and computer systems. The institute was officially established on January 9, 2020, under Shanghai’s strategic talent引进 program.
Notably, Turing Award laureate Professor Andrew Yao (Yao Qizhi) serves as chief scientist, contributing to the formal verification of Conflux’s consensus algorithm. His involvement underscores the project’s academic rigor and theoretical soundness—an essential foundation for trustless systems.
This blend of academic excellence and engineering prowess positions Conflux at the forefront of blockchain innovation—not just in China but globally.
Advancing Blockchain Ecosystems Through Open Collaboration
Shanghai’s broader strategy includes fostering open-source platforms, advancing core technologies like efficient consensus mechanisms and smart contract frameworks, and promoting real-world pilot applications. The Conflux release exemplifies this vision: a homegrown, open, and scalable blockchain platform capable of supporting mass adoption.
Wang Ye encouraged continued investment in foundational research and open ecosystems:
“We hope Conflux will strengthen its work on core technologies and open-source community building. By participating in international standardization efforts, Shanghai can make greater contributions to global blockchain progress.”
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Why This Matters for Global Blockchain Development
The launch of Conflux 1.0 isn’t just a local achievement—it signals China’s growing influence in defining the next generation of blockchain infrastructure. As nations compete for leadership in Web3 technologies, projects like Conflux demonstrate that scalable, secure public chains are no longer theoretical but operational realities.
With its unique Tree-Graph algorithm, Conflux avoids the inefficiencies of linear blockchains by allowing multiple blocks to be generated simultaneously and then mathematically ordered into a coherent history—a radical departure from traditional Nakamoto consensus.
This innovation opens doors for new use cases:
- Real-time micropayments
- High-frequency decentralized exchanges
- Scalable NFT marketplaces
- Enterprise-grade supply chain tracking
- Identity and credential verification systems
As adoption grows, these applications could benefit from lower costs, faster settlements, and enhanced user experiences—bridging the gap between decentralized ideals and practical usability.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What makes Conflux different from Bitcoin or Ethereum?
A: Conflux uses a Tree-Graph structure instead of a linear blockchain, enabling parallel block processing. This allows much higher transaction throughput (over 3,000 TPS) while maintaining decentralization and security—something current systems struggle with.
Q: Is Conflux a private or public blockchain?
A: It is a public, permissionless blockchain, meaning anyone can participate in validation, send transactions, or build applications without needing approval.
Q: How does Conflux ensure security with high-speed processing?
A: Security is maintained through rigorous cryptographic protocols and a mathematically proven consensus algorithm. The system uses directed acyclic graph (DAG)-like structures combined with Greedy Heaviest Adaptive Subtree (GHOST) rules to securely order transactions.
Q: Who can use the Conflux network?
A: Developers, enterprises, financial institutions, and individual users can all leverage Conflux for building decentralized applications (dApps), launching tokens, executing smart contracts, or conducting fast and low-cost transactions.
Q: What role does Shanghai play in blockchain innovation?
A: Shanghai has become a national leader in blockchain R&D, hosting over 400 dedicated firms and establishing specialized innovation zones. The city supports foundational research and encourages collaboration between academia, government, and industry.
Q: Can Conflux support smart contracts?
A: Yes. The platform supports Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible smart contracts, enabling developers to easily port existing tools and dApps from Ethereum with minimal changes.
Looking Ahead: Toward Mass Adoption
The stable operation of Conflux 1.0 for over four months demonstrates its readiness for broader deployment. As more developers migrate to high-performance chains and enterprises seek scalable solutions, platforms like Conflux will play a pivotal role in driving blockchain’s transition from niche experiments to mainstream infrastructure.
With strong institutional backing, world-class talent, and a commitment to open innovation, Shanghai—and the Conflux team—are setting a new benchmark for what’s possible in decentralized systems.
As global demand for faster, cheaper, and more reliable digital infrastructure grows, breakthroughs like the Tree-Graph consensus remind us that the future of blockchain isn’t just about decentralization—it’s about delivering performance that meets real-world needs.