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Networks

Every network, and how the layers fit together

Forty plus networks, what separates them, and which one actually makes sense for what you want to do.

Layer 1 networksLayer 2 networks
20Layer 1 chains
14Layer 2 chains
7Layer 3 chains
LiveMarket data
The layer model

Why there are hundreds of blockchains

Every chain makes a tradeoff between decentralization, security and speed. You cannot maximize all three, so each project picks two and lives with the third. Layers are the industry answer to that constraint.

Layer 1

Base settlement chains

A layer 1 secures itself with its own validators and settles its own transactions. Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana are all layer 1s. They differ mostly in what they chose to sacrifice.

See all layer 1 networks
Layer 2

Cheaper, faster, still secured

A layer 2 processes transactions off the base chain and posts results back, so you get a fraction of a cent fees while inheriting most of the security underneath.

See all layer 2 networks
Layer 3

One chain per application

A layer 3 settles to a layer 2 rather than a layer 1. Games and specific apps get their own block space so they never compete for capacity.

See all layer 3 networks
The trilemma

Pick two, seriously

This is not a marketing framing. It is a genuine engineering constraint, and understanding it explains every design decision you will see.

  • Decentralization. How many independent parties run the network, and how easily anyone can join them.
  • Security. How expensive it is to attack, and how much it would cost the attacker to fail.
  • Scalability. How many transactions it can process, and how cheaply.

Bitcoin maximizes decentralization and security, and processes about seven transactions per second. Solana maximizes speed and security, and requires expensive hardware that limits who can validate. BNB Chain maximizes speed and cost, with a small validator set.

Layer 2s sidestep the trilemma rather than solving it. They borrow security from a layer 1 and add speed on top, which is why almost all new activity has moved there.

You are not choosing a team
You do not need to pick a favorite. Most people end up using two or three networks for different purposes, and switching between them in a wallet takes one click.

For long term holding

Bitcoin and Ethereum. The most decentralized, the most battle tested, the least likely to surprise you.

For actually doing things

Base, Arbitrum or Solana. Fees low enough that you stop thinking about them.

Live market data

The ten largest layer 1 networks

Prices load from CoinGecko when the page opens. Market cap is far more useful than price for comparison.

NetworkTickerPrice24hMarket cap
BitcoinBTC
EthereumETH
SolanaSOL
BNB ChainBNB
XRP LedgerXRP
CardanoADA
AvalancheAVAX
TRONTRX
PolkadotDOT
Cosmos HubATOM

Live from CoinGecko on page load. Figures are a snapshot, not advice.

All layer 1 networks Layer 2 networks Layer 3 networks Why market cap, not price
Choosing one

Which network should you actually use?

Your situationUseWhy
You want to hold long term with minimum complexityBitcoinFifteen years of uninterrupted operation, the widest support, the simplest design
You want to use DeFi and onchain appsBase or ArbitrumEthereum security with fees measured in fractions of a cent
You want speed and very low costSolanaSub second confirmation and fees that round to zero
You are coming from a US exchangeBaseDirect withdrawal from Coinbase with no bridging required
You care most about privacyMoneroAmounts and parties hidden by default, not as an option
You want maximum ecosystem depthEthereumEverything gets built here first, and the tooling reflects that

Not sure which chain to start on?

It is genuinely the most common question we get, and the answer depends on what you want to do rather than which chain is best. Twenty minutes on a call usually settles it.

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