Monolithic Blockchain

A monolithic blockchain handles every core function — execution, consensus, settlement and data availability — inside one integrated network, the design used by Bitcoin and by Solana. Because a single set of nodes does all the work, the system is easier to reason about, transactions stay in one environment, and users do not have to bridge assets between layers to interact with applications. The trade-off is that scaling a monolithic chain means asking every full node to do more, which raises hardware requirements and can gradually push out smaller operators. Monolithic and modular are architectural choices rather than a ranking: a monolithic design favours tight integration and one shared security domain, while a modular stack favours specialisation and independent upgrades.