Crypto/Layer 1 Protocol

• A Layer 1 protocol refers to the base-level blockchain architecture — the foundational layer upon which everything else is built. It handles core functions like:
• Consensus (how nodes agree on the state of the network)
• Data availability (who stores what)
• Transaction execution (who does the computation)

  
  Examples:
  

• Ethereum
• Bitcoin
• Solana
• Avalanche

  
  When people say “Layer 1,” they mean the primary chain itself — not the apps on top, and not scaling solutions. By contrast:
  

• Layer 2 protocols (like Optimism or Arbitrum) are built on top of Layer 1s to improve speed, reduce cost, etc.
• Apps/dapps run above Layer 1 and Layer 2.

  
  In the agent context, if someone says “we’re building a Layer 1 for agents,” they probably mean:
  
  

  “We’re creating a foundational decentralized protocol where agent communication, coordination, and transactions happen natively — not as an app on Ethereum, but as its own network.”