Arbitrum One is a Rollup chain that is one of the two Arbitrum chains currently running on the Ethereum mainnet. Arbitrum One operates as a sub-module within Ethereum, which allows it to offer a faster and more cost-effective way to do everything you usually do on Ethereum. It is an Optimistic Rollup protocol that inherits Ethereum's robust security.

Arbitrum Nova is an AnyTrust chain, which is the other of the two Arbitrum chains currently running on Ethereum's mainnet. It is designed to offer high transaction throughput for applications that do not require full decentralization that rollups provide. Nova operates on the same parallel chain as Arbitrum One and provides its users lower fees.

Arbitrum Rollup is a trustless protocol that runs as a sub-module within Ethereum. Its goal is to offer fast and cost-effective transactions by using "optimistic execution" rather than processing every transaction like Ethereum does. The Arbitrum Rollup protocol can handle thousands of transactions per second while remaining secure by using Ethereum's model.

Optimistic Rollup is a type of layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum that runs on top of the Ethereum mainnet. Optimistic Rollup protocols are designed to enable high throughput, secure, and scalable transactions on the Ethereum network, and it uses a mechanism that assumes all of them are valid. Rollups allow to reduce the computational workload on the Ethereum mainnet while ensuring the same level of security.

An AnyTrust chain is a type of Arbitrum chain that is designed to provide a lower fee alternative to Rollups. AnyTrust does not have the same decentralization, trustlessness, and permissionless security guarantees of a Rollup chain. Data management is off-chain, but in the case of a challenge, an AnyTrust chain will revert back to "rollup mode," and the assumption here is that at least two of the committee members are honest, meaning they will provide the necessary data. The lower transaction costs offered by AnyTrust make it a sensible tradeoff for dapp use cases with different needs.

Before you begin using the Arbitrum One or Nova networks, make sure you have enough gas fees on the network. You can start by bridging some ETH from the Ethereum mainnet to Arbitrum. Unlike some other scaling solutions, such as Optimism, which use Wrapped Ether (WETH), Arbitrum uses native ETH. This means that when you bridge your ETH over to Arbitrum, it remains in its original native form, making the transition much smoother and more efficient. Once you have ensured that you have enough gas fees to operate on Arbitrum, you can bridge your other assets and experience the full benefits of the network.

Bridges are the key to sending crypto from Ethereum to either Arbitrum One or Nova. They enable the transfer of tokens between different blockchain networks. While there are many bridges out there to choose from, such as native Arbitrum Bridge, BlockWallet makes it easy to bridge your ETH and other ERC-20 tokens directly within its interface. Not only does it offer low fees, but you won't even have to leave the wallet to bridge your crypto.

Of course! In fact, one of the advantages of using Arbitrum One is that it supports the use of native Ethereum tokens, unlike some other scaling solutions that use wrapped Ether. This means that you can use ETH on Arbitrum One just as you would on Ethereum blockchain, but with faster transaction times and lower fees. And if you ever need to move your tokens back to Ethereum mainnet, you can easily do so using the built-in BlockWallet Arbitrum bridge or other compatible bridges. So go ahead and use your tokens on Arbitrum One without any worries!

Layer 2 (L2) networks are a group of blockchain networks that are designed to operate in tandem with the Ethereum blockchain, enabling quicker and more economical transactions. L2 networks are able to achieve this by using a variety of scaling solutions such as state channels and sidechains that help enhance the functionality and efficiency of the Ethereum network. By moving some of the processing workload from the primary Ethereum chain to L2 networks, the transaction processing speeds are greatly increased and gas fees are lowered. What's even more convenient is that you can use the same Ethereum-based wallet to enjoy all these benefits. Some popular L2 networks include Optimism, Polygon, xDai, and Arbitrum, among others.

When it comes to selecting a wallet that supports Arbitrum, there are many options available, including popular choices such as Metamask and TrustWallet. While we always recommend doing your own research, we would also be remiss if we didn't mention BlockWallet as a wallet that values both privacy and security, offers a premium user experience and easy access to the Arbitrum One or Nova networks. BlockWallet provides a user-friendly interface and built-in Arbitrum swaps and bridges, which eliminates the need for third-party DEX or bridges. This allows you to bridge or swap ETH directly within the wallet. Additionally, for Arbitrum One users, BlockWallet operates a private node infrastructure, which ensures a smoother, more reliable, and more private Arbitrum One experience compared to public nodes that may be clogged. To see how BlockWallet compares to other Arbitrum wallets, be sure to check out our comparison page.