Throughput
Throughput is the amount of gas used per second, reflecting how much computational work the network is handling. We only include EVM equivalent Layer 2 gas usage.
About this metric
What does Throughput tell you?
Throughput is a crucial metric for assessing scalability, reflecting a blockchain's actual compute capacity more accurately than transaction counts, which can vary in complexity (i.e. 21,000 gas for an eth transfer vs 280,000 gas for a simple Uniswap swap). Similarly to how modern storage devices are marketed with specs on read/write speeds rather than the number of files they can process, throughput provides a direct measure of a blockchain's ability to handle compute effectively. Throughput also reveals how close a chain is to its operational limits. This metric is essential for app developers and Layer 2 teams to gauge growth potential, potential cost implications, and performance constraints.
How is Throughput calculated?
At growthepie, we analyze every transaction and sum the total gas used by user-initiated transactions within that block. We then calculate the average gas used per second (dividing block gas usage by block time) to determine the throughput. By focusing on EVM equivalent Layer 2 gas usage, we ensure that our throughput metric accurately reflects the computational work being performed on the network. Important to note: we measure throughput based on gas used, not gas limit or block gas target. This onchain metric is also often called 'Gas Used per Second' or 'Network Throughput'.
How can Throughput be gamed?
Since throughput focuses on gas used rather than transaction count, it is less susceptible to manipulation through small spam transactions. However, it is still possible that larger transactions could be used to flood the network. This metric is best analyzed together with Chain Revenue or Transaction Costs . If users have to pay high fees to get their transactions in they are less likely to spam the network.
How to interpret Throughput?
The throughput chart often appears as a flat line for some chains (i.e. Base) because they operate well below their maximum capacity (block gas target). If a chain is operating close to its maximum throughput, it may experience congestion and higher fees during periods of high demand.