Public blockchains are the foundational infrastructure of the decentralized digital world, yet they remain in their early developmental stages. In a 2019 interview with Odaily Planet Daily’s Big Names Speak series, Ma Haobo, founder of aelf, shared his insights on the evolution of public chains, the challenges facing blockchain adoption, and the future trajectory of the industry. His perspective offers valuable clarity for developers, entrepreneurs, and users navigating the complex blockchain landscape.
This article revisits Ma Haobo’s forward-thinking commentary, refines it for modern SEO standards, and expands upon key themes to deliver a comprehensive, reader-friendly analysis of public chain development—where it's been, where it stands today, and where it’s headed.
The Role of Public Chains in the Blockchain Ecosystem
Public blockchains serve as the backbone of decentralized applications (DApps), much like how the internet supports web services. According to Ma Haobo, public chains are the infrastructure of blockchain, analogous to cloud computing platforms in traditional tech ecosystems.
"Just as early internet users were limited to email, chat rooms, and portals, today’s blockchain users mostly interact through exchanges, ICOs, and simple games like CryptoKitties."
This comparison highlights a critical point: blockchain is still in its infancy. While the technology holds transformative potential across finance, supply chain, healthcare, and more, widespread adoption hinges on usability and real-world integration.
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Key Challenges Facing Public Chain Development
Despite rapid innovation, public chains face several persistent bottlenecks that hinder mainstream adoption. Ma Haobo identifies two primary issues:
1. High User Entry Barriers
Most blockchain applications require users to understand complex concepts—wallets, gas fees, private keys—before they can even begin using a service. This stands in stark contrast to user-friendly platforms like WeChat or Amazon, where functionality is intuitive.
To achieve mass adoption, blockchain must abstract technical complexity away from end users. For example:
- Application providers could cover transaction costs instead of passing them to users.
- Background processes like CPU allocation should be hidden from view.
- Onboarding should resemble traditional app sign-ups—simple, fast, and secure.
2. Performance Limitations and Resource Contention
Scalability remains a major hurdle. As Ma notes, Ethereum一度 faced severe congestion due to CryptoKitties—a single DApp consuming disproportionate network resources.
This illustrates a fundamental flaw in many existing blockchains: lack of resource isolation. When one application slows down the entire network, it undermines reliability and discourages enterprise adoption.
Solutions like multi-chain architectures, sidechains, and parallel processing are essential to ensure stable performance at scale.
Ranking Priorities for Successful Public Chains
When asked to rank the most important factors for a public chain’s success—such as scalability, developer attraction, community engagement, ecosystem growth, security, and cash flow—Ma Haobo emphasized three core priorities:
1. Usability
A public chain must be:
- User-friendly for consumers (C-end): No technical knowledge required.
- Developer-simple for businesses (B-end): Easy-to-use SDKs, clear documentation, and modular tools.
2. Stable & Efficient Performance
As user numbers grow, the network must maintain high throughput and low latency. Stability attracts serious developers—not just crypto enthusiasts but industry experts who understand real-world business logic.
“If Jack Ma built a blockchain-based Taobao, he’d outperform most in the space because he understands commerce. Blockchain needs more people like that.”
3. Real-World Industry Integration
Rather than building isolated ecosystems, public chains should integrate with existing industries—retail, logistics, media—to solve tangible problems.
This shift from speculative use cases to practical applications marks the next phase of blockchain maturity.
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The Future of Public Chains: Trends Beyond 2019
Ma Haobo predicted several pivotal shifts for 2019 and beyond—many of which have since materialized or remain relevant today.
Market Consolidation ("A Shakeout")
The crypto bear market would naturally eliminate weaker projects lacking sustainable cash flow or technical depth. Only teams with real product-market fit would survive.
This prediction proved accurate: by 2020–2021, numerous underperforming public chain projects had faded into obscurity.
Rise of Practical DApps
While 2018 was dubbed the “Year of Public Chains,” 2019 was expected to usher in functional decentralized applications—not just games or gambling platforms, but tools addressing real needs in identity verification, data sharing, and digital rights management.
Need for Disruptive Innovators
Ma likened the current blockchain landscape to pre-e-commerce internet—and called for a "Pinduoduo-like disruptor" in blockchain: an unexpected player that simplifies access, reduces costs, and drives mass adoption through unconventional strategies.
Such innovation could come from emerging markets or hybrid models combining centralized convenience with decentralized security.
FAQ: Addressing Common Questions About Public Chain Development
Q1: What makes a public chain truly scalable?
A scalable public chain uses advanced consensus mechanisms (like DPoS or BFT), supports parallel transaction processing, isolates DApp resources, and enables inter-chain communication. Examples include modern L1 solutions designed for enterprise-grade throughput.
Q2: Why is developer adoption so crucial?
Developers build the applications that attract users. Without robust tooling, APIs, and documentation, even the most technically advanced chain will fail to grow its ecosystem.
Q3: How can blockchain become more user-friendly?
By hiding wallet creation behind social logins, subsidizing gas fees via dApp operators, and offering seamless recovery options—similar to traditional SaaS platforms.
Q4: Can public chains compete with centralized systems?
Not head-on—at least not yet. Instead, they should focus on areas where decentralization adds unique value: censorship resistance, transparent governance, verifiable ownership, and permissionless innovation.
Q5: Is industry integration really possible?
Yes—but only when blockchain solves specific pain points better than existing systems. For instance, supply chain tracking with immutable records or decentralized identity for cross-platform authentication.
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Core Keywords & SEO Optimization
Throughout this article, we’ve naturally integrated key terms aligned with search intent:
- public chain
- blockchain infrastructure
- DApp development
- scalability
- user-friendly blockchain
- industry integration
- developer adoption
- resource isolation
These keywords reflect both technical depth and practical application—catering to developers, investors, and business decision-makers alike.
Final Thoughts: Building the Internet of Value
Ma Haobo’s 2019 insights remain remarkably prescient. Four years later, the blockchain industry continues its journey from hype to utility. The winners will not be those with the most aggressive marketing or highest TPS claims—but those who prioritize real usability, developer empowerment, and meaningful industry partnerships.
As public chains evolve into mature platforms capable of supporting global-scale applications, the focus must shift from technological showmanship to human-centered design.
The future belongs to blockchains that don’t just function well—but feel effortless to use.