Layer 1 (L1) coins: are they halal?

What is Layer 1 (L1)?

Layer 1 coins are base blockchains with their own independent consensus mechanism and ledger, rather than networks that settle on top of another chain.

How CryptoUmmah screens Layer 1 (L1) coins

Like Smart Contract Platforms, L1s benefit from the protocol-versus-third-party distinction baked into our scoring — the base chain is judged on its own consensus mechanics, fee structure, and treasury, not on the applications built above it. Where an L1 does pick up a riba concern, it's almost always through its staking design (fixed versus performance-based rewards) rather than the base protocol itself. Gharar tends to be the more decisive factor across this category: team transparency, audit history, and governance clarity vary far more between L1s than their underlying riba or maysir exposure does. Across the 200 Layer 1 (L1) coins we've screened, the average Shariah compliance score sits at 66.3/100, with 41% classified Halal, 51% Mashbooh, and 8% Haram.