What Blockchain Can Learn from Real-Time Payments’ $10M Transaction Limit Increase

In February 2025, The Clearing House, operator of the largest instant payment system in the US, raised the individual transaction limit to $10 million. Shortly after, it was revealed that the RTP network had surpassed one billion payments, just 18 months after crossing the 500 million transaction mark.

After a gradual uptake – taking over five years to reach half a billion payments – the network’s accelerated growth over the last year and a half highlights a growing demand for faster, more transparent, and, as The Clearing House puts it, “always-available payment solutions for consumers, businesses, and the financial community.”

Lesson for Blockchain: Scaling Insights from RTP

As blockchain technology continues evolving to challenge traditional payment systems, significant progress has been made in overcoming scalability and efficiency hurdles. Drawing from the real-time payment (RTP) network’s success, the following lessons highlight key strategies blockchain networks can adopt:

1. Build for Scalability and Speed

RTP Insight: The RTP network achieved rapid adoption by optimizing for real-time processing and handling high transaction volumes without compromising speed.

Blockchain Progress: Networks like Solana, Sui, Avalanche, and Coreum have improved transaction speeds and throughput through novel consensus mechanisms such as Proof-of-History (PoH) and parallel execution.

Blockchain Lesson: Blockchain systems must continue prioritizing scalability and low-latency transaction processing. Layer-2 solutions (e.g., Optimistic and ZK-Rollups) and modular blockchain architectures can further enhance scalability to rival RTP’s performance.

2. Enhance Regulatory Compliance and Trust

RTP Insight: RTP’s success is partly due to its strong regulatory framework and the trust built among established financial institutions.

Blockchain Progress: Several blockchain networks, including Ethereum and Coreum, have integrated compliance tools such as on-chain KYC/AML mechanisms and ISO 20022 messaging standards.

Blockchain Lesson: To gain mainstream adoption, blockchain solutions need robust regulatory alignment. Compliance-driven innovation, such as programmable compliance within smart contracts and decentralized identity verification, can help build trust and facilitate institutional adoption.

3. Focus on User Experience and Reliability

RTP Insight: The ease-of-use and reliability of RTP in processing high-value transactions have been crucial for its growth.

Blockchain Progress: Networks are increasingly optimizing for usability, with improvements in wallet experiences (e.g., Web3 wallet abstraction), gasless transactions, and seamless fiat onramps.

Blockchain Lesson: Blockchain platforms should prioritize frictionless user experiences by enhancing UI/UX design, ensuring network reliability, and offering enterprise-grade service-level agreements (SLAs). Seamless integration with traditional financial infrastructures will be key to widespread adoption.

4. Leverage Interoperability and Integration

RTP Insight: RTP’s integration with various financial institutions and fintechs has spurred innovation and increased network value.

Blockchain Progress: Projects like Chainlink’s CCIP, Cosmos IBC, and Coreum’s ISO 20022 compliance are enabling cross-chain interoperability and financial institution integration.

Blockchain Lesson: Blockchain networks should focus on interoperability with existing financial systems rather than pursuing standalone disruption. Open banking standards, blockchain-based payment orchestration, and cross-network liquidity bridges will unlock new collaborative opportunities.

5. Innovate with Smart Contracts and Automation

RTP Insight: The RTP system has opened the door for advanced financial solutions, such as enhanced liquidity management and instant high-value transactions.

Blockchain Progress: Smart contract advancements, such as Ethereum’s ERC-4337 for account abstraction and Solana’s state compression, are streamlining automation and reducing costs.

Blockchain Lesson: Leverage smart contracts and automation to enhance transaction efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and enable real-time financial operations. AI-driven smart contract execution and blockchain-based escrow services can further enhance competitive differentiation.

By drawing on these lessons and integrating recent blockchain advancements, decentralized networks can scale effectively, compete in real-time payments, and drive the transformation of financial services in a digital-first world.

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