Cryptocurrency experts predict that the Bitcoin network block will grow to a record 4 megabytes

A study by Mempool Research shows that the average block size on the Bitcoin network BTC $96,017.87 Bitcoin -0.65% Market capitalization $1.9 trillion VOL. 24 hours $0.9 billion could grow to 4 megabytes due to the widespread adoption of scripting. Currently, the average block size is approximately 1.5 MB, but due to changes after the Taproot update in 2021, some blocks have already reached 2.4 MB. If the trend continues, the total size of the Bitcoin blockchain could exceed 1 terabyte by 2026−2029.

Inventories allow for the efficient recording of arbitrary data inside Bitcoin blocks. In turn, this increases the need for storage space. However, larger blocks pose challenges to network scalability, as they require more memory and bandwidth to support full-fledged nodes.

The increase in Bitcoin blocks contrasts with blockchain competitors such as Solana SOL $169.24 Solana -2.30% Market capitalization $82.71 billion VOL. 24 hours $0.24 billion , which theoretically supports up to 128 MB per block. This makes it possible to process thousands of transactions per second. At the same time, Bitcoin retains its advantage in security and decentralization, which makes it a reliable financial infrastructure.

Taproot laid the foundation for expanding Bitcoin’s capabilities, including DeFi and smart contracts. Experts predict that in 2025, Bitcoin-centric financial instruments will gain significant development, which may increase the demand for the Bitcoin blockchain.

The next stage of Bitcoin’s evolution is expected to be determined by the balance between scalability, security, and regulation. As institutional adoption and integration of Bitcoin into financial systems grows, the network will need to adapt to remain competitive in the face of technological change.