Web3’s True Potential Lies in Peer-to-Peer Transactions, Says Yellow Network’s Alexis Sirkia
As blockchain technology steadily makes its way into mainstream adoption, a critical bottleneck remains: scalability. Despite significant leaps in development and recognition from institutions and governments alike, blockchains still struggle to process information at the scale and speed required by global digital infrastructures. According to Alexis Sirkia, Captain of Yellow Network, the missing piece in the Web3 puzzle is a trustless peer-to-peer (P2P) communication layer — one that could revolutionize how decentralized systems operate.
Sirkia argues that even the most advanced blockchain platforms, while capable of handling transactions without intermediaries, are limited by their dependence on full blockchain execution for every interaction. This creates unnecessary overhead and impedes real-time performance. To overcome this, Yellow Network is working on a decentralized layer that enables secure, direct communication between users — eliminating the need for centralized servers or excessive on-chain processing.
Trustlessness Is Web3’s Defining Strength
When asked about the core advantages of Web3 and decentralized finance (DeFi) over traditional systems, Sirkia highlights trustlessness as the most transformative feature. In traditional financial systems, users must place their trust in institutions, servers, and human intermediaries. Web3, powered by blockchain, replaces these human-dependent processes with code and algorithms.
“Smart contracts and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) offer a way to automate decision-making and execute business logic without human interference,” says Sirkia. “This minimizes risks like insider trading, human error, and corruption.”
In such an environment, businesses can be launched and operated autonomously. Platforms like Uniswap exemplify this potential — once deployed, they run independently, driven entirely by code. This shift allows developers and entrepreneurs to focus on innovation, while the underlying system ensures compliance, execution, and trust.
Real-World Applications of Trustless Systems
To understand the practical implications of this model, Sirkia points to platforms like Amazon. While Amazon provides a relatively seamless experience by acting as a trusted intermediary between buyers and sellers, Web3 envisions a system where smart contracts manage these interactions directly.
“Imagine that same transaction process — but without Amazon,” explains Sirkia. “A smart contract ensures that if a buyer pays, the seller delivers. If there’s a dispute, the contract contains pre-defined logic to resolve it.”
This removes the need for centralized oversight while maintaining fairness. However, Sirkia acknowledges that smart contracts aren’t perfect. They lack the nuance and adaptability of human judgment — for example, they may not easily handle exceptions like shipping delays due to natural disasters. But as the technology matures, hybrid models could emerge where smart contracts handle routine operations, while edge cases are escalated to human arbitration.
Web3 Infrastructure Is Still Evolving
Sirkia compares the current state of Web3 to where artificial intelligence was around the year 2000 — promising, but still early-stage. The basic concepts are understood, but the infrastructure is only now maturing to a point where large-scale applications are viable.
“The idea of decentralized systems has existed for over a decade, but we’re only now assembling the full stack needed to make it truly functional,” he says. “Yellow aims to fill one of the last missing gaps — enabling trustless P2P communication that doesn’t rely on centralized servers.”
The Role of Peer-to-Peer Communication in Web3
While blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum laid the groundwork for decentralized value transfer and smart contracts, they still rely on centralized nodes or full-chain execution for messaging and coordination. Yellow Network is working to change that by enabling cryptographically secure, direct exchanges between two parties.
This approach dramatically reduces network congestion and improves scalability without sacrificing security. By bypassing the blockchain for non-critical data exchanges, applications can operate more efficiently, while still using the chain as an immutable source of truth when needed.
Scaling Without Centralization
One of the most persistent trade-offs in blockchain development has been between scalability and decentralization. Solutions like layer-2 rollups or sidechains improve throughput but often reintroduce trust dependencies or central points of failure.
Sirkia believes that a robust P2P layer can help resolve this dilemma. “Decentralization doesn’t have to come at the cost of speed,” he says. “By optimizing how data flows between peers, we can drastically improve performance without creating bottlenecks or single points of failure.”
This vision aligns with the broader philosophy of Web3: building systems that are secure, efficient, and fundamentally resilient — not just by design, but by architecture.
Yellow’s Architecture: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Yellow Network’s solution operates alongside existing blockchains, complementing rather than replacing them. It provides an abstraction layer where peers can negotiate, confirm, and process interactions off-chain, committing only final outcomes to the blockchain when needed. This model minimizes gas costs, accelerates transactions, and enhances user experience.
In a world where user expectations are shaped by instant messaging and real-time payments, waiting for blockchain confirmations is increasingly untenable. Yellow’s approach could be the catalyst that finally brings blockchain performance in line with mainstream digital services.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Autonomous Organizations
As Web3 infrastructure matures, new possibilities emerge for fully autonomous organizations — entities that operate without human intervention, governed by transparent code. Sirkia envisions a future where startups launch as DAOs, governed by community stakeholders and maintained by smart contracts.
In such a world, businesses could scale globally without the need for traditional hierarchies or manual oversight. Governance would be transparent, logic would be consistent, and trust would be algorithmic.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the promise, several obstacles remain. Smart contracts must evolve to handle more nuanced scenarios. User interfaces need to become more accessible. And regulatory frameworks will need to adapt to the reality of organizations without CEOs or boardrooms.
Nevertheless, the momentum is undeniable. Every major innovation — from AI to the internet — began with imperfect systems that evolved over time. Web3 is no different.
Conclusion: Web3’s Next Leap Is Peer-to-Peer
According to Sirkia, the future of Web3 won’t be built solely on blockchains — it will be powered by a mesh of peer-to-peer connections, decentralized protocols, and trustless computation layers. The Yellow Network’s mission is to enable that future by providing the tools needed to scale without compromise.
If successful, this approach could mark the beginning of a new era — one where the internet becomes not just decentralized, but truly autonomous.