Layer-1 and layer-2 chains compared: consensus, throughput, finality
Consensus mechanism, real-time throughput and time-to-finality for the chains an exchange or wallet user is most likely to interact with. Throughput figures are live, trailing one-hour real-world transaction rates — not each chain's theoretical maximum — snapshotted on the retrieval date; they fluctuate significantly hour to hour and should not be read as fixed capacity numbers.
Last verified: · Source: Chainspect — real-time blockchain TPS, block time and finality tracker (retrieved )
| Chain | Type | Consensus | Real-time TPS (1h snapshot) | Time-to-finality | Native token |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | Layer 1 | Proof of Work | 9.44 tx/s | ~1h (6 confirmations) | BTC |
| Ethereum | Layer 1 | Proof of Stake | 38.46 tx/s | ~12m 48s | ETH |
| Solana | Layer 1 | Proof of History + Tower BFT (PoS) | 1,670 tx/s | ~12.8s | SOL |
| Avalanche | Layer 1 | Avalanche consensus (PoS) | 42.71 tx/s | ~2s | AVAX |
| Polygon PoS | Sidechain / commit chain (Ethereum-linked, not a pure L1 or L2) | Proof of Stake | 58.99 tx/s | ~5s | POL |
| Arbitrum | Layer 2 (Optimistic rollup) | Inherits Ethereum security; fraud-proof challenge window | 19.24 tx/s | ~13m 48s to post to L1; separate ~7-day fraud-proof withdrawal window | ETH (gas); ARB (governance) |
| Optimism | Layer 2 (Optimistic rollup) | Inherits Ethereum security; fraud-proof challenge window | 12.92 tx/s | ~16m 48s to post to L1; separate ~7-day fraud-proof withdrawal window | ETH (gas); OP (governance) |
| BNB Chain | Layer 1 | Proof of Staked Authority | 122.5 tx/s | ~650ms | BNB |
| Cardano | Layer 1 | Ouroboros Proof of Stake | 0.55 tx/s | ~2m | ADA |
| Tron | Layer 1 | Delegated Proof of Stake | 87.66 tx/s | ~57s | TRX |
| Near Protocol | Layer 1 (sharded — Nightshade) | Sharded Proof of Stake | 7.88 tx/s | ~600ms | NEAR |
| Polkadot | Layer 0/1 (relay chain + parachains) | Nominated Proof of Stake (NPoS) | ~0 tx/s in this snapshot window | ~30s | DOT |
Methodology
Notes on our figures
- Polkadot's real-time TPS read as approximately zero at the moment of retrieval — a low-activity snapshot, not a network fault; Chainspect separately reports a maximum observed rate of ~462.7 tx/s across 100 blocks and a 1,000 tx/s theoretical maximum.
- Arbitrum and Optimism 'time-to-finality' as shown reflects the time for a transaction to post to Ethereum L1, not the ~7-day fraud-proof challenge period that governs a full withdrawal back to L1 — these are two different things and are both stated to avoid a misleading single number.
- Polygon PoS is deliberately not forced into the Layer-1/Layer-2 binary: it is best described as an Ethereum-linked sidechain/commit chain, per current independent analysis, not a rollup.