Monad: The EVM-Parallelized Blockchain Aiming for 10,000 TPS

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In recent weeks, Monad has captured significant attention in the blockchain space after securing a $255 million funding round. Backed by renowned firms like Paradigm and Electric Capital, the project is being hailed by Fortune as “the Layer 1 challenging both Ethereum and Solana.” With bold performance claims and deep technical innovation, Monad is positioning itself as a next-generation blockchain infrastructure. Let’s explore what sets this emerging Layer 1 apart.

What Is Monad?

Monad is a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain, designed to deliver unprecedented scalability while maintaining compatibility with the Ethereum ecosystem. Developed by Monad Labs, a team of nearly 40 engineers and researchers, the project is led by three experienced founders: Keone Hon, James Hunsaker, and Eunice Giarta.

Both Hon and Hunsaker previously worked at Jump Trading and Jump Crypto, where they built low-latency trading systems and decentralized applications. Eunice Giarta brings expertise from Bank of America Merrill Lynch and experience in developing institutional trading platforms at Broadway Technology. This strong background in high-frequency systems directly informs Monad’s mission: to create the fastest, most efficient Layer 1 blockchain without sacrificing decentralization.

Their vision? A blockchain that combines Ethereum’s developer familiarity with Solana-level throughput — but with a fundamentally different technical approach.

Unmatched Performance Goals

Monad aims to achieve 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) — a figure that would more than double Solana’s current throughput (~5,000 TPS) and dwarf Ethereum’s 10–20 TPS. But speed isn’t the only metric: Monad also targets a 1-second block time and 1-second finality, meaning transactions are confirmed and irreversible within a single second.

This combination of speed and finality is rare in the blockchain world. Most high-throughput chains compromise on either security or decentralization, but Monad claims it can deliver all three — thanks to two core innovations: parallel execution and superscalar pipelining.

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EVM Compatibility: Seamless Developer Onboarding

One of Monad’s most strategic decisions is its full Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility. This means:

As stated in Monad’s documentation:

“From a user’s perspective, Monad behaves very similarly to Ethereum. You can use the same wallets (e.g., MetaMask) or block explorers (e.g., Etherscan) to sign or view transactions. Monad’s address space is identical to Ethereum’s, so you can reuse your existing keys.”

This compatibility dramatically lowers the barrier to entry for both developers and users, accelerating ecosystem growth.

Core Innovations Behind Monad’s Speed

Parallel Execution: Processing Transactions Simultaneously

Traditional blockchains like Ethereum process transactions sequentially — one after another — to avoid conflicts. This creates bottlenecks, especially during network congestion.

Monad breaks this model with parallel execution, allowing multiple transactions to be processed at the same time. It uses an advanced technique called Optimistic Execution:

“Monad begins executing transactions before prior transactions in the block are completed.”

While execution happens in parallel, the final transaction order remains linear — preserving consistency from the user’s perspective. If two transactions conflict (e.g., both modify the same account), Monad detects the discrepancy and re-executes the affected transaction using up-to-date data.

Crucially, it leverages an intelligent caching system to avoid reprocessing unchanged data during re-execution, minimizing computational overhead.

This approach enables massive throughput gains without breaking EVM semantics.

Superscalar Pipelining: Maximizing Hardware Efficiency

To further boost performance, Monad implements superscalar pipelining — a concept borrowed from CPU architecture. Instead of waiting for one transaction to complete all stages (fetch, execute, commit), Monad breaks processing into parallel stages across multiple transactions.

Think of it like doing laundry:

“When doing four loads, a naive approach is to wash, dry, fold, and store the first load before starting the second. A pipelined approach starts washing the second load as soon as the first enters the dryer. This allows multiple resources to work simultaneously, increasing efficiency.”

By overlapping transaction processing stages across different blocks and validators, Monad maximizes hardware utilization and reduces idle time — a key factor in achieving 10,000 TPS.

MonadBFT: A High-Speed Consensus Engine

Underpinning the network is MonadBFT, a custom Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism derived from HotStuff — the same protocol used by Aptos and the defunct Diem (formerly Libra) project.

MonadBFT is optimized for low-latency finality and high throughput. Validators run full nodes that must meet specific hardware requirements:

Compare this to other major chains:

While Monad’s requirements exceed Ethereum’s, they are significantly lower than Solana’s — especially in RAM and bandwidth. This suggests a more accessible validator setup while still enabling superior performance.

👉 Explore how modern consensus mechanisms are shaping the future of decentralized networks.

Current Status: Promising, But Still Early

Despite its ambitious goals, Monad is still in development. There is no mainnet yet, and the public testnet has not launched — though it’s expected in the coming months. So far, the team has conducted internal Devnet iterations to validate core components.

All performance claims — including 10,000 TPS and 1-second finality — remain theoretical until independently verified on a live network. However, the team’s technical depth, funding strength, and transparent communication have built strong community momentum.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is Monad a competitor to Ethereum?
A: Yes and no. Monad competes in performance but complements Ethereum through EVM compatibility. It aims to offer a faster alternative for developers who want to scale without rewriting their apps.

Q: Can I stake MONAD tokens today?
A: Not yet. The token has not been launched, and there is no staking mechanism available on the current Devnet.

Q: How does Monad differ from Solana?
A: While both aim for high throughput, Solana uses a unique programming model (Rust-based) and consensus (PoH). Monad retains EVM compatibility and uses parallel execution + pipelining for speed — making it more accessible to Ethereum developers.

Q: Will running a Monad node be expensive?
A: More than Ethereum but less than Solana. The hardware requirements are designed to balance performance and decentralization.

Q: When will the testnet launch?
A: No official date has been announced. The team is prioritizing stability and security before public release.

Q: Is Monad vulnerable to MEV (Maximal Extractable Value)?
A: Like all blockchains, MEV is a potential issue. However, Monad’s architecture may allow for more efficient MEV mitigation tools due to its predictable execution environment.

Final Thoughts

Monad represents a compelling evolution in Layer 1 design — combining EVM familiarity with radical performance enhancements through parallel execution and pipelining. If it delivers on its promises, it could become a top destination for DeFi, NFTs, and high-frequency dApps.

While still in early stages, its strong team, significant funding, and technically sound roadmap make it one of the most watchable projects in 2025.

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Core Keywords: Monad, Layer 1 blockchain, EVM compatibility, parallel execution, superscalar pipelining, 10,000 TPS, Proof of Stake, blockchain scalability