Hey! 😊 Do you want to become, or you are already a hodler?

I would like to use this article to help you choose your new cryptocurrency.

In crypto, Layer 1 (L1) and Layer 2 (L2) mainly refer to scalability solutions for blockchains (how to handle lots of transactions quickly and cheaply).

Layer 1

The base blockchain itself (the “main” chain).

Has its own security and consensus mechanism (Proof of Work for Dogecoin/Bitcoin, Proof of Stake for most others, etc.).

All transactions are recorded directly here.

It's the ultimate source of truth — final settlement happens on L1.

Problem with L1: Usually limited capacity (TPS — transactions per second), because it prioritizes maximum decentralization and security → slow and expensive during peak times. (Dogecoin does better here with ~1-minute blocks and very low fees, making it great for payments/tips.).

Security:

Native (highest)

Speed:

5–150 TPS (Solana exception ~65k; Dogecoin ~40 TPS but very consistent)

Transaction cost:

$0.01–$50+ (Ethereum peaks; Dogecoin usually <$0.01)

Decentralization:

High

Final settlement:

Immediate on-chain

Examples:

Bitcoin, Ethereum (mainnet), Solana, BNB Chain, Cardano, Avalanche, Sui, Aptos, Dogecoin (DOGE), etc.

Layer 2

Scaling solutions built on top of an L1 that natively support smart contracts. (mostly on Ethereum).

Does not have its own independent security → it inherits security from L1 (mainly Ethereum).

Processes transactions off the main chain (off-chain / via rollups) → much faster and cheaper.

After batches of transactions (or periodically), it sends a summary (proof) back to L1.

In 2026, most new DeFi, gaming, NFTs, social apps, and micro-transactions run on L2s, because pure Ethereum L1 is often too expensive for everyday use. Leading ones right now (by TVL/activity) include Arbitrum (DeFi king), Base (fastest growing, Coinbase-backed), Optimism, and various ZK options. Dogecoin shines more as a pure payment/meme asset on its L1.

Security:

Inherited from L1 (very high, but dependent)

Speed:

1,000–100,000+ TPS

Transaction cost:

$0.0001–$0.20 (often under 1 cent)

Decentralization:

Medium to high

Final settlement:

Depends on L1 (usually minutes to days)

Examples:

Arbitrum, Base (Coinbase's L2), Optimism, zkSync, Starknet, Polygon (zkEVM and others), Mantle, Linea, Scroll, Blast, etc.

(On Bitcoin: Lightning Network, Ark, Stacks, and newer ones. Dogecoin doesn't have major native L2s dominating yet, though community projects like Dogechain or proposals for ZK/L2 compatibility exist.)

One-sentence summary (2026 perspective):

L1

“a super-secure main highway with only a few lanes — safe, but can get congested and expensive” (Dogecoin is like a fast, fun side road on that highway, great for quick trips/payments)

L2

“express lanes and bypass roads built right on top of that highway” — way faster and cheaper, but the final security and truth still come from the main L1 highway

Grok helps me with data collection and evaluation ;-) try it too.

$BTC $DOGE $BNB ...