Orca Crypto
Technology term

Layer 3

A chain built on top of a layer 2, usually for one application.

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Updated 2026-08-303 min readDefinition
Definition

A chain built on top of a layer 2, usually for one application.

A layer 3 settles to a layer 2 rather than directly to a layer 1. This gives an application its own dedicated block space, custom gas token and tailored rules.

It is the right answer when one app would otherwise congest a shared chain, and overkill for almost everything else.

In practice

Xai settles to Arbitrum, which settles to Ethereum. Games get their own chain without competing for space.

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