The Next Generation of L1 Blockchains: Modularity, DA & High TPS
Read 6 MinThe next wave of layer one blockchains is being shaped by three key concepts: modularity, specialized data availability, and genuinely high throughput that can cater to mainstream applications without compromising on security. These trends are changing the way founders approach base layers, moving away from rigid, monolithic chains to more flexible stacks. In this new landscape, execution, settlement, and data availability can evolve independently, all while providing a seamless experience for users and developers. For builders, this translates to more options in trade offs and greater freedom to design chains tailored for specific use cases like DeFi, gaming, AI, or real world assets, rather than trying to create a one size fits all solution. From monolithic L1s to modular architectures The first generation of L1s bundled execution, consensus, settlement, and data storage into a single, tightly integrated system. While this made them robust, it also made scaling difficult without either raising fees or sacrificing decentralization. The new wave of chains embraces modularity, allowing for the separation of concerns. This means components like execution environments, data availability layers, and interoperability protocols can be swapped, upgraded, or specialized over time. We can see this in ecosystems that support parallel chain rollups or app specific instances, all while relying on a shared base for security and finality. Modular design brings two major benefits. First, it allows performance to scale horizontally across multiple execution environments instead of just vertically through hardware upgrades. Second, it gives different applications the flexibility to choose the right mix of latency, cost, and security without forcing the entire network to conform to the same parameters. As more L1s embrace this approach, the competitive landscape is shifting towards who can offer the best developer experience and the most seamless abstraction over what is, in reality, a complex multi layer stack. Data availability as a first class design choice Data availability, once just a background detail, has now taken center stage as a crucial design element for the next generation of blockchains. High throughput applications and rollups require a dependable method to publish transaction data affordably and securely, ensuring that anyone can reconstruct the state even if execution nodes fail or go offline. Specialized data availability layers and data aware Layer 1s are stepping up, providing high bandwidth data publication with varying security and cost profiles. This allows rollups and application chains to offload storage while still benefiting from the guarantees of the base layer. This shift in focus on data availability is reshaping the economics of scaling. Rather than having every node store all data redundantly, some networks are adopting sampling, erasure coding, or economic incentives to maintain availability at a lower cost per byte, all while resisting censorship and data withholding attacks. Consequently, builders can now consider workloads like high frequency trading, gaming event streams, and AI data applications that would have been too costly under traditional full replication models. Being aware of data availability is quickly becoming a vital factor for teams when deciding which Layer 1 or Layer 1 plus data availability combination to build upon. High TPS and real world performance When it comes to raw transactions per second (TPS), many figures are more about marketing than reality. However, for consumer scale applications and on chain finance, the trifecta of high effective throughput, low latency, and predictable fees is what truly matters. Modern Layer 1s are experimenting with sharding, parallelized execution, optimized consensus protocols, and hardware aware networking to push live throughput far beyond what the first wave of chains could manage. Some are utilizing dynamic state sharding, while others are leveraging high performance virtual machines or parallel transaction schedulers to allow non conflicting transactions to run simultaneously. The key metric isn’t just peak theoretical TPS, it’s about sustained real world performance under load, with modest hardware requirements and stable fees. Layer 1s that can keep fees low even during peak activity open the door to product categories like micropayment streams, in game transactions, and machine to machine commerce, which simply wouldn’t be viable if a single transaction costs more than a cup of coffee. As more L1s reach thousands of TPS in production developers increasingly weigh ecosystem maturity and tooling as heavily as benchmark scores. Interoperability and multi chain futures One of the standout features of the next generation of Layer 1 blockchains is their native interoperability. Instead of betting on a single chain to dominate, many new architectures are now envisioning a future where various specialized Layer 1s and Layer 2s can coexist, linked together through bridges, relay chains, or messaging protocols. Take Polkadot, for example, with its parachains, or modular ecosystems that support application specific chains, these illustrate the shift towards a network of independent yet interconnected chains that can share security and liquidity. For developers, this means creating applications that can seamlessly communicate across different chains from the get go, whether it’s for sharing liquidity, exchanging data, or managing cross chain governance. Layer 1s that offer strong interoperability features lessen the reliance on fragile external bridges, making it simpler to view the multi chain landscape as a single programmable ecosystem. In the coming years, success won’t just hinge on the strength of an individual Layer 1 but also on how effectively it integrates into this expansive network of networks. Developer experience and ecosystem gravity Even the most sophisticated architecture can fall short without a robust ecosystem of developers and users. The competition among next gen Layer 1s is increasingly focused on the quality of their tools, programming languages, SDKs, documentation, and grant opportunities, rather than solely on consensus mechanisms. Some chains are attracting existing Ethereum developers by offering EVM compatibility or multi VM environments, while others are introducing new programming languages designed for safety or parallel execution. Ecosystem gravity starts to take shape when wallets, exchanges, infrastructure providers, and dApp frameworks rally around specific Layer 1s, making it easier to launch new projects there compared to more isolated networks. By 2026, research is expected to highlight a cluster of leading Layer









