Blockchains can scale infinitely without sacrificing decentralization or their permissionless nature, but they must be... ❌: Synchronous (e.g., Ethereum): Tasks run sequentially—predictable but resource-heavy. ✅: Asynchronous (e.g., Mina): Tasks run independently—scalable, efficient, & privacy-focused. Mina splits consensus & execution to unlock dynamic resource allocation & parallel processing. Tradeoff? Building complexity + limited on-chain execution (hard for DEXes). Still, the benefits—better scalability, resource utilization, & privacy—are worth it!