LayerZero: Enhancing Blockchain Interoperability

There have been a number of new blockchain innovations under the umbrella of “layer 0s,” such as bloXroute, Marlin and LayerZero. Layer 0s generally reference architecture underneath layer 1s, hence the name. Being underneath layer 1s means that layer 0s are typically cross-chain fabrics that facilitate composability across layer 1s. Aside from increasing the degree of interoperability of layer 1s, Layer 0s can also be used to scale the throughput of a layer 1 blockchain deployed on top of it via block compression or optimized data propagation.

Given the relative recency of Layer 0s development, it has been referred to across various contexts by various parties with somewhat different definitions. For instance, Gavin Wood, the founder of Polkadot, has referred to generic architecture support blockchains as layer 0s in a CoinDesk podcast. According to CoinMarketCap’s article on layer 0s, it is a “network framework running beneath the blockchain.” As with most bleeding-edge technologies, it would take a certain level of adoption before there exists an industry-wide formal definition.