General Blockchain Risk

Any blockchain, whether L1 or L2, may itself be exposed to the following major risks:

1. Scalability issues and congestion: slow confirmation times, high fees.

Some blockchains may face challenges in handling a high volume of transactions efficiently, leading to slow confirmation times and higher fees during peak usage periods.

These may in turn lead to congestion causing delays or even lost transactions.

1. Interoperability complexity: technical hurdles for cross-chain communication.

The compatibility and interoperability between different blockchains can be complex and challenging to achieve. Cross-chain communication and asset transfers may encounter technical obstacles and when used, bridges can create additional vulnerabilities.

1. Centralization concerns: concentration of governance power and barriers for validators.

While the concept of decentralization is a cornerstone of blockchain technology, some networks might exhibit centralization tendencies due to the concentration of governance power, control by a few major players, or high barriers to entry for validators.

1. Governance challenges: disagreements and decision gridlock.

Decentralized governance mechanisms of blockchains can encounter difficulties in achieving consensus on important decisions, leading to disagreements and potential gridlock.

1. Economic incentives: tokenomics misalignment, unintended outcomes.

Economic models underpinning networks, such as tokenomics and governance mechanisms, may not always align with the best interests of the network participants, leading to unintended outcomes.

1. Forking risks: multiple blockchain versions, community split.

Forks in the blockchain, whether intentional or contentious, can lead to the creation of multiple versions of the blockchain, potentially causing confusion, disruption, and a split in the community.

1. Technology Evolution: newer mechanisms may make networks obsolete.

As blockchain technology evolves, newer consensus mechanisms and cryptographic techniques may outperform the original solutions, potentially making some networks obsolete or less competitive.

Furthermore, advances in cryptography and new technologies like quantum computing might unveil or introduce vulnerabilities that could put the protocol and crypto assets at risk. The cryptographic consensus mechanism that holds up the blockchain might become vulnerable. So, it's important to stay vigilant, adaptable, and ready to address potential challenges that could affect how the protocol and crypto assets operate.

The above list is non-exhaustive.