What Is a Layer-2 Blockchain?
The post What Is a Layer-2 Blockchain? appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Layer-2 blockchains are one of the most important pieces of crypto infrastructure because they address a problem every active blockchain user eventually notices: major networks can become slow, expensive, or difficult to use when demand rises. If Ethereum already exists, why do networks like Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, zkSync, Starknet, or other scaling networks matter? If Bitcoin already works as a settlement network, why does the Lightning Network exist? The simple answer is that Layer-2 networks are designed to make blockchain activity faster and cheaper without replacing the base blockchain. They sit above a Layer-1 network and help process transactions more efficiently, while the underlying chain still plays a role in security, settlement, data availability, or dispute resolution. This guide explains what a Layer-2 blockchain is, how it works, how rollups and payment channels differ, why Ethereum Layer 2 has