The main blockchain network itself — like Ethereum, Bitcoin, or Solana — that processes and finalizes transactions on its own.
Think of it like a highway system — it's the foundational road network that everything else is built on top of.
Choosing which Layer 1 to use affects your transaction speed, cost, and which apps you can access, since each is a separate ecosystem.
Watch out for Layer 1 networks that promise everything but have very few actual users or apps — a blockchain is only as useful as its community and ecosystem.
A separate network built on top of a Layer 1 blockchain to make transactions faster and cheaper, while still relying on the main chain for security.
A shared digital ledger that records every transaction across a network of computers, where entries can't be secretly changed or deleted.
A small fee you pay to process a transaction on a blockchain, which goes to the people running the network.
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