Blocks don’t just store data—they can think. At least, as much as Cardano lets them. Let's learn about max_block_ex_steps, the parameter that sets a block’s total computation budget—its “brainpower.”

We talk about how Cardano counts “steps” inside Plutus scripts, why there’s a hard cap of 20 billion per block, and how this limit affects everything from smart contract performance to transaction wait times. You’ll hear why some transactions breeze through instantly while others politely wait their turn, and how developers optimize code to fit inside the block’s thinking window.

If you want to understand how Cardano balances efficiency, decentralization, and scalability, this parameter tells a big part of the story