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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsA Level 1 chain is the main, base blockchain in a multi-level blockchain network. In blockchain documentation it is almost always written Layer 1 or L1, and it is the network that other systems are built on. Bitcoin and Ethereum are standard examples.
Layer 1, L1, and Level 1: the same term
“Level 1 chain” is a plain-English version of the term blockchain sources use most often, “Layer 1” or “L1.” The Ethereum.org glossary defines it as the main blockchain in a multi-level blockchain network. The word “level” and the word “layer” refer to the same idea here: a base network at the bottom, with other networks stacked above it.
What the base chain does
A blockchain is a public database that is shared and updated across many computers. Each block cryptographically references the block before it, and the network’s nodes agree on each new block and on the chain as a whole. That shared, consensus-maintained base is what the Layer 1 label points to. When a larger system is described as having layers, the Layer 1 is the part where final agreement on the ledger happens.
How Layer 1 relates to Layer 2
A Layer 2 network is built on top of a Layer 1 to help it scale. Ethereum.org’s scaling documentation explains that rollups execute transactions outside Layer 1 and post data back to Layer 1, where consensus is reached. In the optimistic rollup design it describes, Ethereum contracts manage rollup blocks, state updates, and deposits, while computation and state storage take place on a separate virtual machine. In that arrangement, Ethereum is the base layer for the rollups.
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| Aspect | Layer 1 (base chain) | Layer 2 (built on top) |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Main blockchain where consensus is reached | Scaling network that runs on top of an L1 |
| Where transactions execute | On the Layer 1 itself | Outside Layer 1 in rollup designs, as described by Ethereum.org |
| What reaches the Layer 1 | Not applicable: it is the settlement base | Data posted back to Layer 1 |
| Example relationship | Ethereum as base layer for its rollups | Rollups that settle to Ethereum |
Examples of Layer 1 chains
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is listed in the Ethereum.org glossary as an example of a Layer 1 blockchain.
Ethereum
Ethereum is also an example of a Layer 1 blockchain. It is additionally the base layer for the Ethereum rollups described in Ethereum.org’s scaling documentation, which is why it is often discussed in both roles at once.
When the label depends on context
The general glossary definition is simply “the main blockchain” in a multi-level network. More specific Ethereum interoperability work adds a security and consensus test: a Layer 1 relies on its own validator set for its security and consensus properties. Under that test, a network’s classification rests on what secures it, not only on the label it uses.
This matters because projects do not all use the terminology identically. When a chain’s classification is disputed, check two things:
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- How any scaling network associated with it settles. If that network posts its data back to the chain and relies on it for final agreement, the chain is acting as a base layer for it.
Comparing Layer 1 networks
If you want to compare actual Layer 1 networks, the relevant axes are:
- The security and consensus model, including the validator set where one applies.
- Decentralization.
- Transaction speed and throughput.
- How scaling approaches interact with the base chain.
Ethereum.org names speed, throughput, decentralization, and security as the main scaling trade-offs. The Ethereum L2 interoperability nomenclature specifically names validator-set security and consensus as the Layer 1 test. Neither source ranks Layer 1 networks against one another, so any ranking you see should be checked for its date, method, and criteria.
Quick Recap
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Key takeaways
- “Level 1 chain” means “Layer 1” or “L1,” the main blockchain in a multi-level network.
- Bitcoin and Ethereum are standard examples.
- Layer 2 networks run on top of a Layer 1 to scale it, and rollups post their data back to the base chain.
- Some technical definitions also require a Layer 1 to rely on its own validator set for security and consensus, so the label can depend on context.
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