If Ethereum is to live up to its promise of being a “world computer,” its developers will need to answer a number of thorny questions about how to make it better able to handle large transaction volumes. But the Cryptokitty-caused congestion on the Ethereum network is also exposing a core challenge facing blockchain builders: applications running on blockchains still are much slower than what we’ve come to expect from Internet apps. “Think breedable Beanie Babies,” says the game’s website.Ĭute. If you buy two, you can use more Ether to execute a program that makes your digital cats the parents of a new kitten. The most expensive one somehow went for more than $114,000, but the median sale price for a blockchain-secured, tradeable digital feline asset is currently $11.44 worth of Ether. If you’d like to buy a “cryptocollectible” cat, first you need some of Ethereum’s cryptocurrency, called Ether. Its sudden emergence has stressed the network, causing a significant backlog of pending transactions.

Even though it just launched last week, CryptoKitties, a platform for “breeding” and trading collectible digital cats, is already too popular for the network to handle, accounting for 12 percent of all transactions on Ethereum.

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