People often mistake speed for substance when talking about Layer 1 blockchains. Here's the reality: if a chain outsources its long-term data to external solutions like Arweave or IPFS, it's not actually operating as a true Layer 1. What you're really looking at is a high-performance sequencer—fast, sure, but fundamentally dependent on something else for security and permanence.

The actual Layer 1? That's the slower, unglamorous archive running underneath. It's doing the hard work: maintaining immutability, ensuring data availability, guaranteeing security. Speed alone doesn't define Layer 1 status—it's just the flashy costume. Real Layer 1s prioritize censorship resistance and long-term settlement guarantees, not just transaction throughput. Until we separate marketing claims from architectural reality, this confusion will keep leading projects and users astray.