Find the right protocol
We research layer 1 blockchain protocols to provide the most accurate, up-to-date information on all of them and make this the easiest way for you to get to know and use them.
An overview of the layer 1 blockchain ecosystem
Key Value Proposition
Layer 1 blockchain protocols have to be decentralized, secure & scalable.
L1 blockchains will always be the bottleneck to scaling. L1 protocols need to achieve high throughput and it must be economically viable to run nodes & validators while being sufficiently decentralized and secure to remain credibly neutral infrastructure.
This is called scalability trilemma and Certik conceptualized a pyramid as scaling does not matter without decentralization which doesn’t matter without a secure blockchain.
Ecosystem Analysis
Today’s leading smart contract blockchains have some technical differences but for most use cases these are not decisive yet.
More important is tooling, ongoing tech development and maintenance, financial and development support, composability with other apps as well as transaction costs.
The (adoption of) innovation in the ecosystem is a key driver until the blockchain network is ready for mass adoption and the lower protocols become hardened protocols with very rare changes.
Picking the right Blockchain
Depending on the use case and your projects’ time horizon, different blockchains (layer 1 or layer 2) may be better suitable for you today.
In the short-term, your project may launch in a cheap environment first or go multi-chain to onboard as many users as possible and provide them the best experience.
In the long-term, you should be part of the best ecosystem. That can be a shared shard with composable DeFi apps or your own chain/rollup for a metaverse game or trading app.
All layer 1 blockchain protocols
You want to find the best blockchain protocol?
You are at the right place
- IF you are interested in learning about blockchain and looking for a good entry point,
- IF you are looking for opportunities to contribute and get fair rewards for your efforts,
- IF you are looking for a layer 1 blockchain to build your layer 2 protocol or blockchain use case on top,
- IF you are keen on getting deeper into blockchain and want to understand differences among blockchain protocols,
- IF you are interested in assessing blockchain protocols, core technologies, available tooling, and ecosystem,
- and IF you like to save time finding the best blockchain info & onboarding resources!
Getting started (Don’t forget to reach out for help!)
- Do you already know the basics of blockchain and some insights into specific blockchain topics? Good, then let’s find the right blockchain technology & ecosystem for you!
- Start browsing. You can filter and sort the tables in multiple ways & dive into websites, whitepapers & onboarding resources on BC.
- Take a look at Bitcoin. It’s the first blockchain protocol and all others are somewhat derived and influenced by it.
- Take a look at Ethereum. It’s the best-known smart contract protocol that many other protocols look up to and try to compete with.
- Dig deeper. There are differences among blockchain protocols in regards to tech, security, decentralization, scalability, usability, maturity of technologies as well as in ecosystem development, governance and more factors. It makes sense to reach out to insiders, to assess available resources, support & synergies.
- Compare blockchains & ecosystems. Joining a blockchain ecosystem means joining a community with existing rules and norms. It’s beneficial to create a list of technical, hard and soft requirements that you look for & need for your project. Make a shortlist of protocols.
- Join one or more communities and experiment with the tech and ecosystem. There is no way to skip this step and it will pay off!
- Define your requirements. Depending on use case, specific requirements and preferences, a private or public blockchain with more or less built-in functionality, tooling, transaction costs, privacy & throughput may be suitable.
- Follow some of the crypto influencers, get in touch with knowledgeable people and stay up-to-date. The blockchain ecosystem is very dynamic but also welcoming and inclusive. Let us know how we can help you.
- Follow our Telegram channel for insights from many blockchain ecosystems & our Twitter for up-to-date research and discussions.
Questions?
You can always message us through the live chat, the contact form or directly reach out through Telegram.