How can a subnet scale security and performance?

• A. Reduce the number of validators to simplify governance.
• B. Increase the block time to reduce load.
• C. Limit the VM to minimal operations.
• D. Add more validators, optimize VM efficiency, and manage governance for validator rotation and upgrades.

Answer: (D)

Scaling security and performance in a subnet comes from increasing validator participation and making the runtime more efficient, all coordinated through governance. Adding more validators strengthens security by improving decentralization and fault tolerance, so the network is harder to subvert. At the same time, optimizing the VM makes transactions and smart contracts run more efficiently, boosting throughput and responsiveness. Governance for validator rotation and upgrades keeps the system evolving safely, with regular rotations and well-managed upgrades that protect security and support performance gains. In contrast, fewer validators weaken security, longer block times slow everything down, and restricting the VM limits what the network can do and erodes performance.