Steemit Crypto Academy Contest / S13W5 [SUMMARY]: Layer-2 blockchain

Introduction

Hello Steemians,

I hope you're in good health and have had a fulfilling week. Our main focus today is to present the recap of our competition held from November 13 to November 19, 2023, in the fifth week of the Steemit Engagement Challenge during the thirteenth season. The competition proceeded seamlessly, thanks to the outstanding professionalism exhibited by our academy members, ensuring a successful and smooth event.

This report aims to provide a concise overview of the data and feedback collected during this period regarding your participation in the competition organized by the Steemit Crypto Academy community. The competition aimed to assess your knowledge in the field of crypto and blockchain.

The central theme of the competition during the third week was Layer-2 blockchain.

A Layer-2 blockchain is a solution designed to enhance the scalability and efficiency of existing blockchain networks. It operates "on top" of the primary blockchain, addressing issues such as slow transaction speeds and high fees. Layer-2 solutions aim to optimize and streamline processes by conducting certain operations off the main blockchain, subsequently reducing congestion and enhancing overall performance.

In this competition, our valued participants were assigned the following tasks:

In this competition, our valued participants were assigned the following tasks:

• What is layer 2 in a blockchain and how does it differ from layer 1?

• Give real-world examples of Layer 2 solutions and explain how they work.

• How does layer 2 help reduce transaction fees on a blockchain and facilitate interoperability between different blockchains??

• What is the underlying layer used by the Steem blockchain, and how does this layer facilitate transactions and interactions on the platform?

• What would be the implications of integrating a layer 2 solution on the Steem blockchain in terms of scalability, costs and ease of use for users?

We were delighted with the quality of the content submitted in the entries. Some of the participants were newcomers to our crypto competitions, and this initial challenge provided them with a valuable introduction to our platform. We eagerly anticipate discovering more talent in the upcoming seasons. Without further ado, let's delve into the statistics and expressions of gratitude.

Participation statistics

We received a grand total of 19 submissions for the contest, and thankfully, there were just one instances of entries deemed invalid.

Total number of entries	Invalid entry	Plagiarized content
19	2	0

_{Performance Distribution}

_{Score Distribution}

In the assessment conducted for this week, it was noted that 4 submissions earned an Excellent evaluation, accounting for 32% of the total entries. The largest portion of the entries, comprising 58%, received a Good rating, marking the highest score attained. Furthermore, There were two particular posts that was flagged as either Invalid or containing plagiarism, representing 10% within these categories.

Top 3 users of the week

In our selection process, we initially assessed the quality of participants' performance, giving priority to their interactions with fellow contestants.

When choosing the top 3 participants, we considered both their performance scores and their interactions. Additionally, we made a distinct selection based on an article that provided exceptional content relevant to the topic of discussion. Below, you will find the top 3 users we have acknowledged for this week.

Ranking	Username	Article
1	@sahmie	Link
2	@steemdoctor1	Link
3	@hamzayousafzai	Link

We highly appreciate your continuous participation, and congratulations to all those who earned a top spot this week. We encourage each of you to maintain the outstanding standards of quality and engagement with your fellow participants in our competitions. Please continue to join us in our future contests.