Orca Crypto
Technology term

Layer 1

A base blockchain that settles its own transactions.

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Updated 2026-08-303 min readDefinition
Definition

A base blockchain that settles its own transactions.

A layer 1 is a self contained network with its own validators, consensus and security. Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana are all layer 1s.

Layer 1s face a hard tradeoff between decentralization, security and throughput. Every design is a different answer to which of the three to prioritize.

In practice

If a chain can operate without depending on another chain for security, it is a layer 1.

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