Layer 1
Last updated 17 October 2026Last verified 17 October 2026
What is a Layer 1 blockchain?
A base blockchain network that maintains its own consensus and security: Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, and others. All Layer 2 networks ultimately derive their security from an underlying Layer 1. The security, decentralization, and throughput trade-offs baked into a Layer 1 cannot be fully escaped by the Layer 2 networks built on top of it.
TradFi equivalentThe base settlement layer where final title changes hands, the role a central securities depository plays. Everything built above it inherits its throughput limits and its trust assumptions.