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For those who’ve hung round in crypto circles, you then’ve in all probability heard of the time period “layer 2,” which is often used to explain numerous crypto property. However what’s layer 2 crypto, and is there any layer 1 (or 3, or 4…)? What do layers should do with blockchain, anyway? Let’s discover out!
How Does Layer 2 Work?
Blockchains might not be onions, however they do have layers… Effectively, at the very least technically. “Layer 2” merely refers to any extra frameworks constructed on prime of present blockchains, that are known as layer 1. You’ll be able to consider it as placing race automobile wheels and engine in your trusty previous Honda.
Designed to unravel elementary points that plague most blockchain networks like Bitcoin, layer 2 options stability scalability, transaction velocity, and throughput with a excessive stage of safety. They do that by processing transactions off-chain after which passing them again to the primary chain for settlement.
Kinds of Layer 2 Frameworks
Layer 2 options are extra integrations used along with the unique blockchain, not as a substitute of it. Though these options will not be as well-known to the general public, there are fairly a number of examples of them within the crypto market already. They arrive in several varieties, and listed here are the most typical ones.
Sidechains
Sidechains are precisely what they appear: separate networks that may effectively course of transactions and have full interoperability with their unique blockchains. They don’t seem to be a layer 2 framework however another scaling answer that always comes up in discussions of the blockchain expertise trilemma concern.
Every sidechain can have its personal consensus protocol, block measurement, safety, and so forth. Sidechains function independently from the blockchain they’ll assist and to which they’re related utilizing a two-way bridge.
Bitcoin blockchain scaling options such because the Liquid Community, primarily utilized by exchanges to facilitate quicker and cheaper BTC transactions, often flip to sidechains.
Plasma
Ethereum’s Plasma combines sensible contract expertise and cryptographic verification to allow quick and low cost transactions on layer 1 networks. Such a result’s achieved by offloading transactions to facet chains often called plasma or baby chains. Plasma chains are principally impartial and solely periodically report back to the primary community in case of disputes or points.

This layer 2 answer sort will be pictured as a tree — that’s as a result of it sometimes has lots of baby chains that every one have their objective and will be constructed on prime of one another.
Plasma just isn’t a highly regarded layer 2 answer sort because it nonetheless has lots of drawbacks, corresponding to lengthy withdrawal time frames. Nonetheless, it’s at present being totally researched, so any and all points might quickly be addressed and resolved.
Validium
Validium is a layer 2 framework in a position to dramatically decrease transaction charges whereas concurrently growing transaction speeds. It’s a zero-knowledge proof answer that processes blockchain transactions off the primary community. These off-chain operations get verified utilizing sensible contracts.
This layer 2 framework sort doesn’t retailer knowledge on its underlying blockchain, which sacrifices some community safety however permits for a lot quicker and cheaper transactions.
State Channels
State channels are, properly, channels that get connected to the bottom layer — the unique blockchain — and carry out numerous operations that later get reported again to the primary chain. They usually discover purposes as fee channels of their simplified type.
State channels are extremely efficient, permitting customers to make any variety of transactions whereas solely submitting two situations of transaction knowledge to the underlying chain. Sadly, they are often fairly expensive to arrange and should be periodically checked on.
This framework sort is the layer 2 scaling answer utilized by Bitcoin’s Lightning Community.
Rollup Chains
Rollup chains can roll up a whole lot of transactions right into a single one on the layer 1 community. Ethereum particularly favors this answer as a result of it dramatically reduces charges by splitting them amongst all of the transactions within the rollup. On the similar time, for the reason that execution of transactions truly occurs on the layer 1 blockchain, all knowledge concerned stays totally safe.
There are two varieties of rollup chains, zero-knowledge and optimistic ones. They differ in how they relay transaction knowledge again to layer 1. ZK rollups, additionally known as zero-knowledge proofs, are quicker than optimistic rollups however much less user-friendly and assume a sure stage of unverifiable belief.
What Is the Distinction between Layer 1 and Layer 2?
As we have now already talked about, layer 1 refers back to the blockchains everyone knows and love — Bitcoin, Ethereum, the Binance Sensible Chain — the checklist goes on. Any layer 1 answer equals a elementary change within the construction of the blockchain itself, a modification. It might be a rise in block measurement, an introduction of a brand new consensus mechanism, and extra.
Layer 2 options, however, function off-chain. They improve the way in which transactions and knowledge are processed and arranged as a substitute of utterly overhauling them. Whereas they switch transactions again to the blockchain, it’s essential to notice that a lot of them will not be as safe as the unique layer 1 blockchain.
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Is There a Layer 3?
Fashionable blockchain networks don’t cease at layer 2: aside from it, they have an inclination to introduce layer 3. In actual fact, there’s additionally layer 0: let’s take a quick have a look at it.
Layer 0
Layer 0 is the inspiration and the premise that enables blockchains to perform as easily as they do. Whereas layer 2 options are constructed upon present networks, layer 0 ones can assist numerous crypto initiatives, no matter what they’re like. They’ve a number of features:
- Offering baseline infrastructure
An enormous entry barrier many blockchain builders face is having to code a whole mission from scratch, which is not any simple process. Not solely does it require lots of abilities, it is also fairly heavy on sources, most significantly, one’s time. Layer 0 options repair that by offering baseline important infrastructure to all blockchains that use their service.
- Enabling interoperability
One of many large downsides of crypto initiatives is that they usually should be on the identical chain as another mission they wish to hook up with and work with. Though there are 3–4 foremost networks that home nearly all of DeFi initiatives, this nonetheless creates points and, in a method, makes the trade much less decentralized.
Interoperability fixes that: so long as two blockchains initiatives are constructed on the identical layer 0, they are going to work together as if they’re housed on the identical chain.
- Facilitating cross-chain exchanges
Cross-chain exchanges are powerful to execute and will be extremely time-consuming and cost-ineffective. The charges can rise sky-high. Nonetheless, layer 0 initiatives can come to the rescue: not like layer 2 options, they enhance the effectivity of cross-chain interplay as a substitute of the velocity and the price of any explicit blockchain.
The perfect examples of layer 0 initiatives embrace Cardano, Cosmos, and Polkadot. Please word, nevertheless, that regardless of the way it could seem, layer 0 just isn’t mandatory, and lots of blockchains don’t have it. Nonetheless, it’s very helpful and can undoubtedly play an enormous position in the way forward for the crypto trade.
Layer 3
Layer 3 is all of the purposes customers make on prime of blockchains. These enhance the usability facet of networks, making their options much more digestible and user-friendly. Some examples of layer 3 options are Uniswap, numerous gaming initiatives like Blockchain Cuties, and so forth.
FAQ
What does layer 2 imply?
Layer 2 is a further framework/protocol constructed on prime of the present blockchain community to reinforce it.
What’s the perform of layer 2?
Layer 2 protocols often make blockchains extra scalable, permitting them to course of extra transactions per hour at decrease prices and so forth. All in all, their principal perform is to make the present blockchain higher.
Is Bitcoin a layer 2 cryptocurrency?
Bitcoin is a layer 1 cryptocurrency, similar to Ethereum or Solana.
What’s a layer 3 crypto?
Layer 3 refers to blockchain-related purposes like dApps, distributed storage, and video games.
Disclaimer: Please word that the contents of this text will not be monetary or investing recommendation. The data supplied on this article is the writer’s opinion solely and shouldn’t be thought-about as providing buying and selling or investing suggestions. We don’t make any warranties concerning the completeness, reliability and accuracy of this data. The cryptocurrency market suffers from excessive volatility and occasional arbitrary actions. Any investor, dealer, or common crypto customers ought to analysis a number of viewpoints and be conversant in all native rules earlier than committing to an funding.
