A block holds a few thousand transactions every ten minutes. That is roughly a handful of payments per second for the whole planet. Making blocks much bigger would make running a node expensive, and fewer people checking the rules means a weaker network.
Settle rarely, pay often
The Lightning Network, described in 2016 and live since 2018, takes another route. Two people lock bitcoin together in one on-chain transaction, then pay each other as many times as they like off-chain, instantly and for tiny fees. Only the opening and the closing touch the blockchain.
The base chain becomes a settlement layer, like a court that only needs to be called when something goes wrong, while everyday payments move on top.
▶ SEE IT IN THE MACHINELIGHTNING NETWORK is the stop where payments leave the chain and flash between channels.