Speed has been a fixation in the blockchain space years ago. We have witnessed Solana reach huge TPS, Avalanche boasting sub-second finality and a myriad of other Layer 1s claim to be the Ether killers. The point is however, that most of these pledges have not resulted in any tangible benefits to the real traders.
Enter Fogo (FOGO) is a relatively unknown Layer 1 that has been quietly working on something different. And having spent a period investigating their architecture and experimenting with their testnet, I now believe they could at least meet the speed promise in a manner that is significant to on-chain trading.
But So Fast! What Does That Mean to Trading?
What traders actually need before we plunge into Fogo specifically. It is not merely a question of high TPS or low latency, they are simply vanity measures unless they can be converted into actual performance.
What matters is:
Fast enough transaction finality to eliminate sandwich attacks.
Regular block times that are not marred by slowdowns that are frequent in other chains when a given chain is busy.
MEV resistance not only attached later but embedded within protocol layer.
Low cost fees that do not shoot to 50 during market turmoil.
The majority of Layer 1s trade off one or two of these. The method of Fogo appears to address all four one right after another which is where the interesting part comes in.
The Technical Edge: Parallel Implementation The Right Way.
Fogo provides what they refer to as Adaptive Parallel Execution, which in simple terms means that their validators can handle multiple transactions concurrently as opposed to the conventional sequential methodology. Parallel execution is not a new concept now. Solana is years old and Aptos, Sui have implementations of their own.
However, here is the distinguishing feature of Fogo: their system will dynamically change the parallelization based on the dependencies between transactions in real-time. Transactions that do not conflict (such as two individuals trading off pairs of different objects) are run in parallel. In case of probable conflict the system automatically orders them so as to avoid errors.
The result? They are also demonstrating consistent 400ms block times with real finality, rather than simple confirmation in controlled tests. That is much faster than Ethereum (12 seconds) which is also competitive with the architecture of Solana, but has been said to be more reliable when the network is under stress.
Protection of MEV That Works.
The price of the MEV has turned out to be the mute tax on the DeFi users. You put in a trade, and advanced bots front-run you, sandwich you, or otherwise make a profit off your trade before it can even run.
Fogo uses threshold encryption on the mempool level. The transactions are encrypted until they are placed in a block, and front-running becomes far more difficult. Validators are not informed of the content of transactions prior to inclusion creating unrest with the historical MEV playbook.
Is it perfect? Probably not. Resolute actors will ever have advantages. However, it is a protocol-level solution, and not an afterthought, which stands it in a better chance of succeeding in long-term.
The Trading Infrastructure under construction.
Speed would be nothing in the absence of real trading infrastructure. The ecosystem that attracted my attention is that of traders:
Some of these groups are building native order book DEXs on Fogo that would have been impossible on chains with weaker performance. We are referring to on-chain limit orders, stop losses, and other functions that cannot be managed now by the blockchain due to the impossibility to affect the blockchain as quickly as possible.
It is also being worked on perpetuals protocols, which may provide the same speeds as CEXs with on-chain settlement. When done effectively, this would help in closing the disparity between centralized and decentralized trading experience.
The Reality Check
No, I am not here to peddle a bone or vow results in the moon. Fogo has severe difficulties. They are entering a saturated market with Ethereum having the network effect, Solana having the momentum, and newer chains such as Sui being well-capitalized and experienced.
Their testnet results are encouraging, but testnet results and mainnet reality are frequently out of control. The story is not new here, high TPS claims that fall apart when trying to be used in the real world.
The team itself is not that well-known in comparison to other Layer 1 founders and that is why it may be hard to attract developers and liquidity providers. And, most honest traders do not have an interest in the underlying technology, liquidity, and that is why liquidity trails users, not technical excellence.
Why 2026 Could Be Their Year
Timing could play in favor of Fogo in spite of the challenges. The existing market cycle has merchants exasperated with high charges on Ethereum and trust problems on other chains. There is real need in something that simply works all the time.
Should Fogo be able to roll out, continue their performance assertions in a real-world setting, and get even some large protocols to develop on their chain, they would have a sizeable niche in the trading-centric blockchain environment.
The key will be execution. Technology is nothing without adoption and adoption demands nothing less than speed but it should also have ecosystem development, strategic alliance and to be honest, a stroke of luck when it comes to timing.
I am optimistic with a reservation with the potential of Fogo. They are addressing actual problems that real traders are confronting, and not necessarily optimizing numbers on benchmarks. Their technical strategy appears reasonable, but only the mainnet will answer the question on its sustainability.
Will they form the superior Layer 1 to trade? The answer to this is probably no--network effects are potent and Ethereum is not leaving. But would they be a viable option to traders who need speed and MEV protection? That seems possible.
The execution will be the test as ever in crypto. We have witnessed numerous good projects being let down. Fogo is however right in focus, right time, perhaps, right technology. Now they just need to execute.
How do you feel about new Layer 1s coming to the market in 2026? Have we gone beyond the stage where technical superiority is considered or can we still have a better mousetrap? Drop your thoughts below.
