When it comes to blockchain scaling, many people think of Plasma—a layer 2 scaling solution explored for years within the Ethereum ecosystem. Its core logic is actually not complicated: move a large number of transaction computations to side chains, then periodically submit the compressed results to the main chain for settlement. This approach can both reduce the main chain's load and lower users' gas costs.

It sounds wonderful, but in practice, implementation is quite complicated. The biggest issue is data availability—how to ensure that the data on the side chain is genuine and valid? Additionally, the exit process when users want to withdraw is quite complex to design, which is why newer solutions like Rollup have focused on optimizing these aspects.

That said, although Plasma has not been widely adopted, its concept has indeed paved the way for layered blockchain scaling. In fact, the entire thriving layer 2 ecosystem today more or less stands on Plasma's shoulders. It proved that off-chain computation combined with on-chain settlement is feasible, and it also helped subsequent solutions understand how to avoid pitfalls. From this perspective, the value of Plasma far exceeds the transaction volume it actually handled.