Layer 2 Solution

Eine Layer 2 Solution will, stark vereinfacht gesagt, den ersten Layer (die eigentliche Blockchain) entlasten und so die Gesamtgeschwindigkeit der Blockchain erhöhen. Eine Root Blockchain wie Ethereum (also eine Blockchain, auf der viele dApps aufsetzen) hat beispielsweise stark mit den geringen Transaktionszahlen pro Sekunde zu kämpfen: Es sind aktuell nur 15-20 Transaktionen pro Sekunde möglich.

Layer 2 Solutions werden häufig als off-chain Lösung bezeichnet. Ihr Hauptzweck besteht darin, die Kapazität der Blockchain Transaktionen zu erhöhen und dabei die Vorteile eines dezentralisierten distributed Protokolls beizubehalten.

How does Layer 2 blockchain technology work?

Layer 2 platforms and protocols process data in a way that decreases the burden the base layer (root chain) usually bears. By offloading transactions from the main chain onto layer 2 platforms, the blockchain network can handle much higher transaction throughput.

What does Layer 2 technology enable that Layer 1 alone can’t do?

Blockchain networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum face inherent scaling limitations.

Ethereum processes roughly 15-20 transactions/second compared to Paypal and Visa with several hundred transactions/second and several thousand transactions/second, respectively.

Why does this blockchain architecture lag in processing?

When a transaction happens, there has to be global consensus across the decentralized network. All nodes on the network keep a full copy of the transactions to validate the transactions on the network. It’s designed to solve the double spend problem without relying on a middleman.

Blockchain networks can serve as the layer 1 (i.e. base layer) of the decentralized web ecosystem. The end goal is to ‘re-decentralize’ the infrastructure, protocols, applications and various layers of the world wide web.

Solutions are tiered. Layer 1 serves as the security layer that anchors data transaction in a way that’s immutable, cryptographically secured without a central authority. Elizabeth Starks of Lightning Labs refers to blockchains as “the base layer for the decentralized Internet.”

Layer 2 allows you to massively cut down data processing on the blockchain by running computations off-chain. The base chain will still be the ultimate judge (arbiter) when there are disputes (this is cryptoeconomics after all).

The main benefit of second layer is that it minimizes the amount of data storage on the base layer. Taking transactions off the base layer, while still anchored to it, would free up processing resources to do other things while still getting the security and decentralization benefits.

What does layer 2 blockchain tech mean for the industry moving forward?

Blockchain is a system evolving into multiple layers.

Layer 1 is the base layer (or root chain), followed by layer 2, eventually layer 3, and so on (yes, even Layer 3!). So on the top of the base layer are extensions such as 2nd layer solutions like Plasma, Sharding, and State Channels, followed by an array of decentralized applications.

For example, in the Lucidity architecture, the Ethereum blockchain is our base, root layer. The Lucidity Protocol would be like the HTTP, Blockstack, or Lightning Network that sits on top of the main Ethereum chain. On top of the base we’re using Plasma to build sidechains. The top most layer will be Lucidity applications as well as other industry applications built by our partners.

Die Lösung der Transaktionsprobleme wird bei der Massenadaption helfen, deswegen eben Layer 2 Solutions.

---