A Layer 1 (L1) chain is the main blockchain in a multi-level blockchain network. The Ethereum glossary puts it this way: “Layer 1 refers to the main blockchain in a multi-level blockchain network.” Bitcoin and Ethereum are the standard examples.
The definition, in two levels of precision
“Layer 1” is an architectural label, not a formally standardized term, and sources define it at different levels of detail.
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- Broad (Ethereum glossary): the main blockchain in a multi-level network. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the named examples.
- Technical (a terminology document for Ethereum interoperability standards): an L1 is a blockchain that is self-reliant on its own validator set for its security and consensus properties. That is one document’s wording, not a universal standard.
The common thread is that an L1 maintains its own consensus and security foundation instead of borrowing it from another chain.
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A blockchain is a series of blocks that each refer cryptographically to their parent, which produces an ordered history. Nodes store and share the network’s state, and participants use a consensus mechanism to agree on which new blocks belong in the chain. An L1 runs that whole process itself.
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The mechanism varies by chain. Ethereum’s technical introduction describes it as proof of stake: validators stake ETH and run validator software. That is an Ethereum detail, not part of the definition. A chain does not need to use ETH staking, or proof of stake at all, to be an L1.
How Layer 1 relates to Layer 2
Many Layer 2 (L2) systems move resource-intensive activity off the main chain while relying on an L1 for some security purpose. Ethereum’s official L2 explainer describes L1s such as Ethereum and Bitcoin as the foundations for L2 projects.
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The guarantees differ widely between L2s. The same explainer notes that sidechains and validiums do not derive their security or data availability from Ethereum mainnet. Interacting with an L1 therefore does not make a network an L2 that inherits the L1’s guarantees.
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Comparing two L1s
- Consensus and validator/security model: who validates, and how agreement is reached.
- Execution and functionality: how transactions are processed and what the chain supports.
- Role for connected systems: whether it settles or secures other networks.
Checking whether something is truly an L2
Ask how the system derives each of these from the L1:
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- Smart backup: Use your second Tangem Wallet as your Backup keys with end‑to‑end encryption; no more papers, pictures. If one card is lost, the remaining can still restore full access, with an optional seed phrase available for advanced users.
- Engineered to last up to 25 years: Waterproof (IP69K), shockproof and tested for extreme temperatures from −25°C to 50°C. A durable cold wallet with long‑term protection and independently audited security.
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- security
- settlement (including the bridge design)
- data availability
If it does not derive these from the L1, as with sidechains and validiums on Ethereum, it should not be assumed to carry the L1’s protection.
These criteria are the relevant technical questions according to the sources above. The sources do not rank any chain over another.
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