vProgs - What is a L2?

Layer 2's are generally speaking an overloaded term, which could mean different terms to different people.

I use the definition I consider the most useful and unambiguous. Layer 2 is an external add on to an L1 node, which allows the node to infer information not natively dictated by an L1 node. By this definition, ordinals, rollups, a colored coin, krc20, based rollups, an individual kdapp, an individual vProg, and even Kasia, are all Layer 2.

This is a technical definition, and to an extent is a personal one. I am aware some projects go to lengths to argue something is not L2, and if they use a different definition, then good for them, but the reason projects do this is mostly because some L2 have garnered bad reputation. Similar to discussions on "wrapped" and "bridges", I think inventing new terms for each variant makes the academic discourse harder than it should imo.

There is still some room to refine this definition actually: if a layer 2 has existence independent of its layer 1, is it really a layer 2 or just cross chain communication? If we add this restriction as a new condition, arguably some Ethereum rollups aint really L2. If we reject this condition, other cans of worms open up - can two DLT be L2 of each other for example? definitions are hard.

posted 3 days ago

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FreshAir28‭

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