In the fast-paced world of blockchain technology, where meme tokens are exploding in popularity, a recent discussion on X highlights a crucial reality check for ambitious projects. Max Resnick, Lead Economist at Anza, kicked off the conversation with a pointed observation: teams attempting to build their own blockchain often underestimate the complexity involved. He estimates there are fewer than 100 people worldwide who truly understand how these systems work at a deep level, and with more corporations launching their own Layer 1 (L1) blockchains—base-layer networks like Ethereum or Solana—these experts will be in hot demand.

For context, an L1 blockchain is the foundational network where transactions are processed and secured through consensus mechanisms like proof-of-stake or proof-of-work. "Corpo L1s" refers to these chains launched by big companies, often to create customized ecosystems for their products or services. But as Resnick notes, rolling your own isn't as straightforward as forking open-source code and calling it a day. Challenges include ensuring network security against attacks, optimizing for high throughput to handle thousands of transactions per second, and maintaining decentralization while scaling.

This insight resonates deeply in the meme token space, where speed and low costs are key to viral success. Many top memes, like those on Solana, thrive because the underlying chain is battle-tested and performant. Building a new L1 from scratch could lead to downtime, hacks, or poor user experience—issues that have sunk lesser-known projects. As one reply from Brennan Watt, VP of Core Engineering at Anza, humorously put it, he's just glad the number of true experts is greater than zero.

The thread drew responses from across the crypto community. Gabriel Shapiro, a cyberpunk lawyer and founder of MetaLeX, agreed with Resnick's take, marking a rare consensus. Others suggested alternatives, like building directly on Solana instead of reinventing the wheel, as defido advised. Jinsuk from Matroos Labs questioned the difficulty for single-instance setups but acknowledged the hurdles in running multiple nodes reliably.

Rez pointed out that teams like Plasma consist of ex-Fuel Network devs, showing how talent migrates to promising projects. Miles countered with a link to AWS Managed Blockchain, implying managed services could simplify things, though true customization often requires in-house expertise. Rakurai emphasized that shipping a chain is one thing, but keeping it performant under real usage is where many fail— a lesson meme token launches on overloaded networks know all too well.

For meme token creators and blockchain practitioners, this discussion underscores the value of leveraging established platforms. Instead of pouring resources into a custom L1, focus on what makes your token unique: community, narrative, and utility. Platforms like Solana offer high TPS (transactions per second) and a vibrant ecosystem, reducing barriers for new memes to go viral.

As corporate giants enter the space, the shortage of top-tier blockchain engineers could drive up salaries and poaching wars. If you're in the meme game, staying informed on these trends via resources like Meme Insider can help you navigate the evolving landscape and build smarter.