A Comprehensive Survey of Blockchain Scalability: Shaping Inner-Chain and Inter-Chain Perspectives

Abstract

Blockchain is widely applied in logistics, finance, and agriculture. As single blockchain users grow, scalability becomes crucial. However, existing works lack a comprehensive summary of blockchain scalability. They focus on single chains or cross-chain technologies. This survey summarizes scalability across the physical and logical layers, as well as inner-chain, inter-chain, and technology dimensions. The physical layer covers data and protocols, while the logical layer represents blockchain architecture. Each component is analyzed from inner-chain and inter-chain perspectives, considering technological factors. The aim is to enhance researchers' understanding of blockchain's architecture, data, and protocols to advance scalability research.