The SUI blockchain demonstrated a peak throughput of 6,086,766 transactions per second (TPS) during a public stress test conducted on July 4 on the mainnet. This is nearly 100 times higher than the peak indicator of the Visa payment system, which is around 65,000 TPS. The test was open — anyone could observe the process.
However, behind these impressive numbers lies an important nuance. The achieved performance is not the result of processing 6 million native transactions directly on the blockchain. In normal mode, the SUI mainnet operates at a level of several hundred TPS. The record was made possible thanks to a technology called Sui Tunnels.
How do Sui Tunnels work?
Essentially, these are programmable state channels using zero-knowledge proofs (ZK). A user opens such a channel with one on-chain transaction. After that, millions of interactions — whether AI agent actions, game mechanics, or micropayments — occur off-chain, instantly and without fees. The final state of the channel is then returned to the mainnet, and the ZK proof confirms its correctness.
Critics rightly note that comparing "off-chain" TPS with native TPS is incorrect. And there is sense in that. The developers themselves admit that 6 million TPS in this format is not needed by anyone right now. The real value lies in creating applications that "feel instantaneous": AI agents operating at machine speed, real-time games, and microtransactions. The idea conceptually resembles Bitcoin's Lightning Network but appears significantly more powerful and versatile.
Technical outlook on SUI price
Against the backdrop of this technological breakthrough, the SUI token price is testing a key descending trend resistance around $0.74. A breakout of this level could open the path to the $0.85–0.93 range. In case of a pullback, the key support zone is the $0.68–0.70 area.
My expert opinion: Sui Tunnels is an elegant engineering solution demonstrating how to scale a blockchain without sacrificing mainnet security. However, investors need to separate technological progress from short-term market expectations. The "agent race" has already begun, and the coming days will show whether the market can adequately assess this fundamental step forward.