RadarRadar

How to use the Layer2State Radar

Introduction

Layer2State Radar is a helpful tool that shows us new and exciting technologies. It helps our teams choose the best ones for our work.

This document explains what the radar is, how we made it, and how to use it. It also talks about network states and their different stages of growth.

What is the Layer2State Radar?

Technology evolves at an astonishing pace, and new advancements and innovations are constantly shaping the landscape. At Layer2State it's crucial to continuously improve and stay informed about emerging technologies that bring tangible value. Actively pursuing innovations and regularly challenging established methods and technologies is key to remaining agile and responsive to change.

However, it’s equally important to make informed decisions about which technologies to incorporate into daily operations and ongoing projects. As we all know, no single solution is perfect or universally applicable; careful selection of tools is essential for sustainable and effective progress.

How it is created

Various teams propose the technologies featured in the Layer2State Radar. often directly linked to the challenges they encounter across different projects. Importantly, we only include technologies in the radar that we've personally tested at least once.

Extensive discussions have been held within various expert groups to evaluate and classify each technology or innovation. The insights gained from these discussions are reflected in the most recent iteration of the technology radar, ensuring a well-considered and practical selection.

How should it be used

The Layer2State Radar offers a comprehensive view of technologies we believe are essential for all team members to be aware of at this time.

Its primary objective is to guide and inspire daily operations within the teams, offering valuable insights and a high-level perspective. This ensures that decisions are made with a deeper understanding of the technologies at hand, resulting in more informed and aligned choices across projects.

Additionally, we hope that developers outside of Layer2State will find inspiration in our technology overview.

The items are categorized into four quadrants, and in cases where the placement isn’t entirely clear, we select the most appropriate fit.

The quadrants are:

  • Protocols — Key protocols and standards ensuring security, decentralization and interoperability
  • Governance — Physical and digital spaces, economic or political zones within existing states that enjoy a high level of autonomy
  • Infrastructure — Technologies and platforms for deploying and maintaining the infrastructural of network state
  • Community — Communities and tools for building communities whose purpose is certain aspects of the implementation of the network state

Here are four possible stages that a network state project might go through:

  • Concept — Conceptual Stage — At this stage, the project exists primarily as an idea or vision. It involves initial planning, ideation, and the formulation of core principles, goals, and governance models. During the conceptual stage, founders define the community's mission, gather interested individuals, and start building a foundational framework. There may be discussions, whitepapers, or proposals, but the project has yet to have a physical or digital infrastructure in place.
  • Develop — Development Stage — In the development stage, the project moves from theory to practice. This involves setting up the necessary infrastructure, whether digital (such as DAOs, blockchain systems, or online platforms) or physical (like acquiring land or establishing physical spaces). The focus is on building the foundational structures required for the community to function, including the establishment of governance mechanisms, economic systems, and communication channels. During this stage, initial members are often recruited, and pilot programs or prototypes are launched.
  • Active — Operational Stage — During the operational stage, the community is actively functioning and implementing its governance models, economic systems, and social structures. Members are participating in the day-to-day activities, and the project is managing resources, conducting governance meetings, and executing its mission. At this point, the project has a stable membership base and is actively refining its operations, rules, and practices based on real-world experiences.
  • Expansion — Expansion Stage — In the expansion stage, the project focuses on growth and scaling. This could involve expanding the physical territory, increasing membership, developing new services, or enhancing infrastructure. The community might seek to form alliances, create additional branches, or attract investment to further its mission. During this stage, the project often looks to increase its influence and impact, whether through attracting more participants, expanding its economic activities, or replicating its model in other locations.

These stages provide a framework for understanding the lifecycle of network state projects, from the initial idea to the point where they are actively growing and influencing larger networks.

Contributing

Contributions and source code of the Layer2State Radar are on GitHub: github.com/layer2state/radar