Layer by Layer 2021 Review: Part 2

Amidst the general increase in network demand and gas fees on Ethereum this year, EVM-compatible chains were well-positioned to capture the flow of capital from Ethereum to other L1 ecosystems as users and developers sought low-fee alternatives with familiar UI and concepts. At the same time, the shift in attention to L1 alternatives also brought a renewed focus to non-EVM compatible blockchains, along with their differences in terms of performance, security, and design.

In this second part of our two-part series, we summarize the different ways in which non-EVM L1s were optimized through protocol upgrades in 2021 and take a look at how blockchains are becoming increasingly interconnected through the rollout of cross-chain messaging protocols and bridges.