{"id":1000165,"date":"2026-06-17T08:06:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T08:06:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.themarketperiodical.com\/glossary\/layer-2\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T08:06:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T08:06:41","slug":"layer-2","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/dev.themarketperiodical.com\/es\/glossary\/layer-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Layer 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Layer 2 (L2)<\/strong> solutions address one of the central challenges in blockchain design: the trade-off between scalability, security, and decentralization \u2014 sometimes called the blockchain trilemma. Base-layer blockchains like Ethereum prioritize security and decentralization but have limited throughput, resulting in congestion and high fees during periods of high demand.<\/p>\n<p>Layer 2 networks handle transactions in bulk off-chain and periodically submit compressed proofs or summaries to the Layer 1, inheriting its security while dramatically increasing capacity. Common L2 designs include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Optimistic rollups:<\/strong> Bundle many transactions into a single batch submitted to Layer 1. They assume transactions are valid by default (optimistic) and allow a challenge window during which fraud can be disputed. Examples: Optimism, Arbitrum.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Zero-knowledge rollups (ZK-rollups):<\/strong> Generate a cryptographic proof that all transactions in a batch are valid, submitted along with the batch. Faster finality than optimistic rollups but more computationally intensive to generate proofs. Examples: zkSync, StarkNet, Polygon zkEVM.<\/li>\n<li><strong>State channels:<\/strong> Allow two or more parties to conduct many transactions off-chain, only recording the opening and closing states on-chain. The Bitcoin Lightning Network uses this approach.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sidechains:<\/strong> Separate blockchains with their own consensus mechanisms that connect to a main chain via a bridge. They offer scalability but have different security assumptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Gas fees on major Ethereum L2 networks are often a fraction of those on the Ethereum mainnet, making applications practical for smaller transactions. Users must bridge assets from Layer 1 to interact with a specific L2, and bridging carries its own technical and security considerations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Layer 2 (L2) solutions address one of the central challenges in blockchain design: the trade-off between scalability, security, and decentralization \u2014 sometimes called the blockchain trilemma. Base-layer blockchains like Ethereum prioritize security and decentralization but have limited throughput, resulting in congestion and high fees during periods of high demand. Layer 2 networks handle transactions in \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":[],"class_list":["post-1000165","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.themarketperiodical.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary\/1000165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.themarketperiodical.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossary"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.themarketperiodical.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/glossary"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.themarketperiodical.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1000165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}