Blockchain Networks

Explore and compare blockchain networks. Understand fees, speed, security tradeoffs, and which chains work with your wallet.

Network	Layer	Token	Block Time	Typical Gas	Best For
Ethereum	L1	ETH	~12 seconds	$1-50+	High-value DeFi, NFTs, and maximum security
Base	L2	ETH	~2 seconds	<$0.01	Beginners, low-cost transactions, Coinbase users
Arbitrum One	L2	ETH	~0.25 seconds	<$0.10	DeFi power users, trading, gaming
Solana	L1	SOL	~0.4 seconds	<$0.01	Fast trading, consumer apps, low-fee transactions
Bitcoin	L1	BTC	~10 minutes	$0.50-5+	Store of value, long-term holding, payments
Polygon PoS	sidechain	MATIC	~2 seconds	<$0.01	Low-cost transactions, brand/enterprise apps, gaming
Optimism	L2	ETH	~2 seconds	<$0.05	Public goods, Superchain ecosystem, governance
Avalanche C-Chain	L1	AVAX	~2 seconds	<$0.10	Institutional DeFi, custom subnets, gaming
BNB Chain	L1	BNB	~3 seconds	<$0.05	Low-cost DeFi, PancakeSwap trading, Binance ecosystem
Cardano	L1	ADA	~20 seconds	<$0.25	Staking, academic research applications, identity solutions
Cosmos Hub	L1	ATOM	~6 seconds	<$0.01	Cross-chain interoperability, sovereign app chains, staking
Sui	L1	SUI	~0.5 seconds	<$0.01	Gaming, social apps, high-throughput DeFi
The Open Network (TON)	L1	TON	~5 seconds	<$0.01	Telegram payments, mini-apps, social Web3
NEAR Protocol	L1	NEAR	~1 second	<$0.01	User-friendly dApps, chain abstraction, AI x Web3
zkSync Era	L2	ETH	~1 second	<$0.10	Privacy-preserving DeFi, secure low-cost transactions, native account abstraction

All Networks

ETH

Ethereum

The original smart contract platform. Home to DeFi, NFTs, and the largest developer ecosystem. Higher fees but maximum security and composability.

Gas

$1-50+

Block Time

~12 seconds

Explorer

ETH

Base

Coinbase-incubated L2 built on the OP Stack. Extremely low fees and growing rapidly. Great for beginners entering the Ethereum ecosystem.

Gas

<$0.01

Block Time

~2 seconds

Explorer

ETH

Arbitrum One

Leading Ethereum L2 with the largest DeFi TVL among rollups. Strong developer tooling and an active DAO governance system.

Gas

<$0.10

Block Time

~0.25 seconds

Explorer

SOL

Solana

High-throughput L1 chain known for extremely fast transactions and sub-cent fees. Popular for trading, memecoins, and consumer apps.

Gas

<$0.01

Block Time

~0.4 seconds

Explorer

BTC

Bitcoin

The original cryptocurrency and most secure blockchain. Primarily used as a store of value and payment network. Limited smart contract functionality.

Gas

$0.50-5+

Block Time

~10 minutes

Explorer

MATIC

sidechain

Polygon PoS

EVM-compatible sidechain with extremely low fees and wide adoption. Used by major brands for NFTs and loyalty programs.

Gas

<$0.01

Block Time

~2 seconds

Explorer

ETH

Optimism

Ethereum L2 and home of the Superchain vision. Known for its focus on public goods funding and the OP Stack used by Base and others.

Gas

<$0.05

Block Time

~2 seconds

Explorer

AVAX

Avalanche C-Chain

Fast EVM-compatible chain with subnet architecture. Known for institutional interest and the ability to create custom blockchains.

Gas

<$0.10

Block Time

~2 seconds

Explorer

BNB

BNB Chain

Binance's EVM-compatible blockchain with low fees and high throughput. One of the most active chains by transaction count, popular for DeFi and memecoins.

Gas

<$0.05

Block Time

~3 seconds

Explorer

ADA

Cardano

Research-driven proof-of-stake blockchain with a strong staking ecosystem. Known for its peer-reviewed academic approach to development and native token support.

Gas

<$0.25

Block Time

~20 seconds

Explorer

ATOM

Cosmos Hub

The 'Internet of Blockchains' connecting sovereign chains via IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication). Each chain in the Cosmos ecosystem is independent but interoperable.

Gas

<$0.01

Block Time

~6 seconds

Explorer

SUI

Sui

High-performance L1 built by former Meta (Diem) engineers using the Move language. Designed for parallel transaction processing and sub-second finality.

Gas

<$0.01

Block Time

~0.5 seconds

Explorer

TON

The Open Network (TON)

Originally designed by Telegram, TON is a fast PoS blockchain with deep Telegram integration. Growing rapidly through Telegram mini-apps and wallet features.

Gas

<$0.01

Block Time

~5 seconds

Explorer

NEAR

NEAR Protocol

Sharded L1 blockchain focused on usability with human-readable account names. Pioneering chain abstraction — making multiple blockchains feel like one.

Gas

<$0.01

Block Time

~1 second

Explorer

ETH

zkSync Era

An Ethereum L2 using zero-knowledge proofs (zk-rollups) for validity. Offers low fees with stronger security guarantees than optimistic rollups.

Gas

<$0.10

Block Time

~1 second

Explorer