How Does ‘Layer 2 Scaling’ Fundamentally Differ from ‘Layer 1 Scaling’?

Layer 1 scaling involves increasing the base blockchain's capacity (e.g. larger blocks, sharding). Layer 2 scaling involves building protocols on top of the base chain to handle transactions off-chain, then periodically settling the state back to Layer 1.

Layer 2 prioritizes scalability while inheriting Layer 1's security.

What Is the Security Trade-off of Using Off-Chain Aggregation?
How Does Proof Size Impact Blockchain Scalability?
What Scaling Solutions Aim to Reduce the Impact of Network Congestion on Fees?
How Does Layer-Two Scaling Aim to Reduce Gas Fees?
How Does the ‘Gas Limit per Block’ Affect Network Capacity?
How Do Layer 2 Solutions Aim to Reduce Smart Contract Gas Costs?
What Are the Primary Scalability Limitations of Proof of Work?
How Does a PoC Address the Scalability Trilemma in Its Initial Design?

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