Amazing Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions powering NFT's and blockchain games
Nowadays, there are many great projects that are top contenders in the gaming blockchain sector. In the past articles, we have mentioned Sandbox, Axie Infinity, Sorare, Vulcan Forged just to name a few. However, top blockchain games require very powerful technologies underneath (known as layers) that have to handle the important aspects of decentralization, security and scalability.
Before we jump into the projects themselves, it is essential to define the meanings of L1 and L2 and its functions that greatly affect the whole development of gaming and NFT projects.
So, there are two primary ways to achieve blockchain scalability: Layer-1 and Layer-2 solutions.
To compete with legacy payment processing methods, blockchain networks must become highly scalable, able to handle an ever-increasing number of users, transactions, and data.
Layer-1 solutions add utility to a native blockchain to optimize its performance.
Layer-2 solutions are third-party protocols that integrate with an underlying Layer-1 blockchain to increase transactional throughput.
Further reading: https://www.gemini.com/cryptopedia/blockchain-layer-2-network-layer-1-network
In this issue, our top picks for L1 and L2 solutions for gaming blockchain belong to Phantasma (SOUL) and Immutable X (IMX).
Phantasma (SOUL)
Phantasma is a scalable Layer 1 solution (L1) blockchain for Gaming Smart NFTs with the ability to perform 5000 transactions for each infinite side chain.
A sidechain is a transactional chain that runs alongside a blockchain and is generally used for big bulk transactions. Sidechains make use of a different consensus method from the main chain, which can be tuned for speed and scalability..
Another reason why we have decided to jump into the Phantasma's ecosystem is the considerable lower market cap and newer technologies compared to giants such as Solana, Polkadot and Avalanche. Thus Soul is definitely an interesting project for the NFTs and gaming blockchains.
In the first graph, there is the comparison between Phantasma and other popular L1s, while the second picture represents the infographic showing specific features making Phantasma a truly unique layer 1 solution for gaming NFT's.
Immutable X
Immutable x is the first Layer 2 for NFT's on Ethereum to experience zero gas fees, instant trades and carbon neutral NFT's for marketplaces, gaming and applications. Massive scales are unlocked with the engine that supports more than 9000 transactions per second (tps).
Therefore, the firm has named themselves as the best technology on the best blockchain (Ethereum). A new level of decentralization has been achieved by making NFT minting + trading permissionless in September. In addition, projects that have decided to apply to build on immutable have increased in value 100 times.
Immutable X has built major partnerships on the table with Ember Sword, ESL Gaming and Playco and has brought key benefits to these projects such as massive speed and responsiveness, increased accessibility, credit card payment integration and improved security.
With the incredible features that IMX has provided to the market, it proved to be a trustworthy L2 solution for the NFT and blockchain gaming community. The future of IMX is bright and it is certainly expected from the firm to establish new breathtaking partnerships.