Blockchain Networks: Layer 1s, Layer 2s and Smart Contracts

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Networks & Ecosystems · Beginner
Layer 1 vs layer 2
Base chains settle; layer 2s batch transactions on top. What each layer does and who you end up trusting.
6 min readBeginner

Networks & Ecosystems · Intermediate
The Bitcoin Lightning Network
Payment channels, routed payments and invoices on Bitcoin's layer 2 — and what you must watch for.
5 min readIntermediate
Networks & Ecosystems · Intermediate
What does EVM-compatible mean?
Chains that run Ethereum's virtual machine: what carries over, what differs, and where users slip up.
5 min readIntermediate
Networks & Ecosystems · Intermediate
The blockchain trilemma
Scalability, security, decentralisation: why chains trade one for another, with real node-hardware numbers.
5 min readIntermediate

Block explorer
The search engine for a public blockchain, and how to read a transaction page.
Fork
How blockchains change their rules, and when a change splits the network.
Gas fee
What you pay to get an Ethereum transaction processed, with the formula worked through.