What is the core job of a layer 2?
A rollup executes transactions off the base chain and posts data back to it, inheriting the base chain's security while cutting the cost per transaction.
Withdrawing from an optimistic rollup through the official bridge takes about seven days because:
Optimistic rollups assume transactions are valid and allow a window for anyone to prove otherwise. The wait is the security model, not an inefficiency.
Sending tokens to the right address on the wrong network usually means:
The address exists on both chains but the funds land on the one you sent from. Sometimes recoverable with the private key and effort, often not, which is why test transactions matter.
Why have bridges been the largest single source of losses in crypto?
A bridge is the largest pot of money in the ecosystem, defended by code that must be correct across two different chains at once. Ronin, Wormhole and Nomad each lost hundreds of millions.
You arrive on a new chain with tokens but cannot transact. The most likely reason:
Fees are paid in the chain's native asset. Arriving with USDC and no ETH, SOL or equivalent is one of the most common and most frustrating beginner traps.
A wrapped token is best described as:
Wrapped BTC on Ethereum is a claim on real BTC held by a custodian or contract. You are trusting whoever holds the backing, which is a different risk from holding the asset itself.
Most layer 2s today still run a single sequencer. This means:
It is a real centralization caveat worth knowing, and distinct from custody. Your funds remain yours and withdrawable, but ordering and liveness depend on one party today.
When somebody says a chain has fast finality, they mean:
Finality is about how soon you can treat a transaction as permanent. It is why exchanges require different confirmation counts on different networks.
Work through what you got wrong
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