Why do countries need their own Layer 1 blockchain?
Public Layer 1 blockchains such as Ethereum or Solana serve the global digital-asset market effectively. The public sector, however, has fundamentally different requirements: data sovereignty, compliance with domestic law, controlled access management, and the ability to operate reliably without dependence on foreign third parties.
This is precisely why more than 80 countries are investing in Layer 1 blockchain infrastructure to support public services. Each platform reflects the institutions, policy priorities and technological capabilities of its own country. There is no single “correct” model — only the model that best fits a given context.
🔑 Read more: What is a Layer 1 Blockchain? Operating mechanism and pivotal role in the Blockchain ecosystem
EBSI - The European Union’s Layer of Trust
Background and governance
The European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) was launched in 2018 as an initiative of the European Commission together with the European Blockchain Partnership (EBP). By 2026, EBSI connects the 27 EU member states plus Norway and Liechtenstein, bringing the total to 29 countries participating in the network.
Governance of EBSI has been entrusted to EUROPEUM-EDIC, an intergovernmental mechanism that ensures every member state has a voice in the development and operation of the network. This model reflects the EU’s distinctive philosophy of “shared sovereignty.”
Architecture and applications
EBSI uses a permissioned architecture with a Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism. This design prioritises compliance with the GDPR — the world’s strictest personal data protection regulation over pure transaction performance.
EBSI’s three flagship use cases are: European Digital Credentials (EDC) for cross-border digital diplomas, notarisation (digital notarial services), and integration with eIDAS 2.0 for EU-wide electronic identity. The long-term ambition is for any EU citizen to be able to verify credentials, sign contracts and interact with any government in the bloc on a single, unified trust layer.
🔑 Read more: What Is EBSI? The Role of EBSI in Europe’s Digital Infrastructure
BSN - The world’s largest blockchain service network
Background and governance
The Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) was officially launched in April 2020. It was developed by Red Date Technology and co-sponsored by China’s State Information Center (SIC) and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). BSN is not a single blockchain but a multi-chain infrastructure platform that integrates multiple blockchain frameworks within the same operating layer.
The scale of BSN’s deployment is impressive: hundreds of nodes spread across China’s major cities, serving local governments, state-owned enterprises and the private sector at the same time.
Architecture and applications
BSN supports multiple frameworks, including Hyperledger Fabric, FISCO BCOS (a domestic Chinese blockchain framework) and Ethereum-compatible chains. A distinguishing feature is that the BSN China edition does not support crypto, completely separating the blockchain infrastructure from crypto assets, in line with China’s regulatory policy.
BSN deploys RealDID, a decentralised identity system tied to real-world identity. Its applications range from supply-chain management and food traceability to smart-city infrastructure and city-level e-government.
🔑 Read more: What is BSN (Blockchain-based Service Network)? A Complete A–Z Overview
NDAChain - The digital backbone of Vietnam’s digital trust infrastructure
Background and governance
Against the backdrop of Vietnam’s accelerated national digital transformation under Resolution 57-NQ/TW, Decision 1131/QĐ-TTg on the National Data Strategy, and Decision 3090/QĐ-BKHCN, NDAChain has been developed as a layer of trust infrastructure serving data sovereignty and digital governance.
NDAChain’s governance model combines the public and private sectors: 49 validator nodes drawn from both state agencies and major enterprises (SunGroup, Masan, and others). This approach strikes a balance between state oversight and the innovation momentum that the private sector brings.
Technical architecture
NDAChain runs on a PoA-qBFT consensus mechanism, combining the fast validation speed of Proof of Authority with Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT). The platform reaches 1,200–3,600 TPS with a block time of just 2 seconds remarkable figures for a permissioned national blockchain.
The platform is EVM-compatible (Ethereum Virtual Machine), allowing it to leverage Ethereum’s extensive developer-tool ecosystem. It also integrates Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) for transactions that require data confidentiality, a critical factor when handling citizens’ information.
Decentralised identity: did:nda
NDAChain implements the W3C DID (Decentralised Identifiers) standard with the did:nda method, which was registered with the W3C DID Registry in 2025. This is an important step that affirms the platform’s international interoperability while preserving identity-data sovereignty on domestic infrastructure.
Analysis: Different roles, different objectives
EBSI: The challenge of cross-country interoperability
EBSI is solving a problem no other platform has to face: how can 29 countries with different legal systems, languages and IT infrastructures share a single trust layer? Its single-chain, permissioned design, GDPR-first compliance posture, and intergovernmental governance mechanism all serve that objective.
Strengths: cross-border standardisation and a clear legal framework. Challenges: slow decision-making due to the need for consensus among 29 countries, and performance is not the top priority.
BSN: The challenge of scale and application diversity
BSN solves a different problem: China, with 1.4 billion people, hundreds of cities and thousands of government agencies, needs an infrastructure flexible enough to serve many industries, many tiers of government and many frameworks at once. Its multi-chain architecture allows each application to choose the most suitable framework while still running on a single service network.
Strengths: the largest deployment scale, and high flexibility. Challenges: operational and maintenance complexity grows as the number of frameworks increases.
NDAChain: The challenge of building digital trust infrastructure for a rapidly digitalising nation
NDAChain tackles a problem specific to Vietnam: building a trust-infrastructure layer for a country in an accelerated digital-transformation phase that simultaneously requires high performance (1,200–3,600 TPS), strong protection of citizen data (ZKP), international interoperability (EVM, W3C DID), and a governance model aligned with Vietnam’s institutional setting.
Selecting PoA-qBFT enables fast validation without sacrificing fault tolerance. The public–private validator-node model creates a cross-supervision mechanism, the state ensures compliance, while enterprises ensure operational efficiency. Registering the did:nda method with the W3C Registry sends a clear message: data sovereignty does not mean isolation, the platform remains ready to connect with the global decentralised-identity ecosystem.
Recommendations for policymakers and enterprises
When evaluating a national Layer 1 blockchain
The right question is not “Which platform is best?” but rather “Which platform best fits the national context, legal framework and specific strategic objectives?” The three most practical evaluation criteria are:
Data sovereignty: Where are citizen and enterprise data stored and processed? Who controls the physical infrastructure? Does the governance model ensure that no single party controls the entire network?
International interoperability: Does the platform comply with open standards (W3C DID, EVM, eIDAS)? How well can it interoperate with other national blockchains? This factor will determine long-term value as cross-border commerce becomes increasingly digital.
Real-world scalability: Performance under real-world conditions (not just theoretical benchmarks), the ability to upgrade without service disruption, and a developer ecosystem large enough to sustain the platform over the long term.
NDAChain’s position in the global landscape
NDAChain does not compete directly with EBSI or BSN, because each platform serves its own national context. What matters is that Vietnam is one of the few Southeast Asian countries to own a national Layer 1 blockchain with W3C-compliant decentralised identity, measurable performance, and a clearly articulated public–private governance model.
Within the broader picture of more than 80 countries building Layer 1 blockchain infrastructure for the public sector, NDAChain represents a model worth studying: a domestic digital backbone aligned with international standards, balanced governance, and oriented towards a safe, transparent and prosperous digital economy.
