You might hear some crypto naysayers argue that blockchain databases are slow and cost more than other existing ledger technologies. But, in reality, many blockchains are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional options.
Even Bitcoin’s blockchain, which is one of the earliest cryptocurrency blockchains, is capable of processing transactions in under an hour, at an average cost of a few US dollars (during normal uncongested times).
In addition to blockchains, there are also secondary scaling technologies that boost the efficiency of many popular blockchains. For example, the Bitcoin Lightning Network is a solution that significantly improves bitcoin transaction times and fees, while Arbitrum is a Layer 2 platform that helps to scale the Ethereum blockchain.