1. Introduction
The emergence of Bitcoin has brought revolutionary changes to the global financial system, but as the number of users increases, its network scalability and transaction speed face severe challenges. In order to overcome these problems, many Bitcoin sidechains and Layer 2 (L2) projects have emerged. Although the Ordinals protocol improves the programmability of Bitcoin, it still cannot fundamentally change the basic characteristics of Bitcoin. For this reason, it is particularly important to develop Layer 2 solutions to increase the throughput of the Bitcoin network and reduce transaction fees and confirmation time.
2. Bitcoin Layer 2 Classification
Bitcoin's Layer 2 projects lack a unified classification standard, but can generally be divided into the following categories:
Bitcoin Sidechain
Scaling blockchains independent of Bitcoin, such as Stacks and RSK.Multi-signature + EVM
Using MPC multi-signature scheme or threshold signature, by crossing BTC into the multi-signature address, new BTC is generated on the EVM chain to make it compatible with EVM smart contracts. Melin Chain is a representative of this category.Rollup
Transactions are verified by introducing client-side verification or building a self-built data availability (DA) layer. Projects such as BitVM, B2, and Bison are typical representatives of this type.State Channels
The Lightning Network, for example, offers excellent scalability, security, and privacy, albeit at a slower pace of development.Client Validation
Scaling solutions based on Bitcoin’s UTXO model, such as RGB and BitVM, are able to store data off-chain and be verified by clients, although progress is slow.
3. CKB’s Positioning and Advantages
CKB (Nervos Network) was initially launched in 2019 in a PoW+UTXO mode and has now transformed into a Layer 2 solution that is isomorphic to Bitcoin. CKB has accumulated rich experience in security, programming capabilities, and ecological development.
1. Team and financing
CKB's development team is composed of professionals in the global blockchain field. Chief architect Jan Xie has contributed to Ethereum clients Ruby-ethereum and pyethereum, and worked with Vitalik Buterin to develop Casper and sharding technology. In 2018, the project completed a $28 million financing, with major investors including Polychain Capital and Sequoia China.
2. Technical features
Security
CKB uses the same PoW consensus mechanism as Bitcoin to ensure security and decentralization. In 2023, CKB successfully completed its first mining halving and reduced the inflation rate.Programming skills
CKB adopts a generalized UTXO model, called Cell, which supports the storage of arbitrary data. Its virtual machine is based on the RISC-V instruction set and supports multiple programming languages to ensure efficient execution of smart contracts.User Experience
The CKB mainnet is compatible with BTC addresses, and users can use it directly through the JoyID wallet without the need for mnemonics or passwords, simplifying the operation process.
3. Ecosystem
CKB is ahead of other Bitcoin sidechain solutions in terms of ecosystem construction:
Wallet Products
JoyID wallet supports multiple chains, and users can directly access CKB applications through Bitcoin addresses.DID Products
The DID project supports multiple chains, has richer functions, and has completed its A round of financing.Inscription Protocol
The Omiga protocol provides users with a fair and efficient token minting and management experience.RGB++ Protocol
The RGB extension protocol launched by CKB combines Bitcoin's UTXO with CKB's Cell model to solve the problem of data silos.
4. Advantages of RGB++ protocol
The RGB++ protocol allows new assets to be issued on the Bitcoin layer and is Turing complete. Unlike other sidechains, CKB's technical features ensure security and effectiveness. Recently, the RGB++ asset $Seal issued by @crypcipher has achieved remarkable market performance.
V. Conclusion
Although CKB is not the earliest project in Bitcoin Layer 2, its unique technology and ecological potential provide broad space for future development. As the Bitcoin ecosystem continues to grow, CKB's potential will become more and more apparent. Through continuous innovation and technological iteration, we have reason to believe that the Bitcoin ecosystem will usher in a new outbreak.
