Guild and Layer3 compared

Layer3 is an onchain distribution platform that pays users in tokens for Activations; Guild manages token-gated access to Discord, Telegram and pages, with points and AI agents.

Guild and Layer3 both reward people for doing things onchain, but they are built for different jobs. Layer3 is a distribution platform: projects publish Activations (what Layer3 used to call quests) to Layer3's own users, pay them in tokens, and record each completion as a CUBE credential. Guild manages access: roles with requirements decide who gets into your Discord, Telegram groups and gated pages, and Guild keeps that access current as members qualify or stop qualifying. To reach new users and pay them in tokens, Layer3 is the better fit. For access that stays current in the community you already have, or an AI agent to run it, look at Guild.

Facts about Layer3 come from its own site and docs, as of November 2026; see Sources.

At a glance

Guild Layer3
What it is Roles with requirements that unlock rewards. Members gain and lose roles as their wallets and accounts change. An onchain distribution and user acquisition platform: a consumer app of Activations, Streaks and Competitions, the self-serve Builder for projects, CUBE credentials and the L3 token. [1][2]
Discord Discord roles as a reward. Members who qualify claim the role; Guild removes it when they stop qualifying. Free plan. A Join Discord Server step, checked by the Layer3 bot. Discord roles are not among the Builder's reward types. [10][11]
Telegram Telegram groups as a reward. Members who qualify join through an invite link, and the bot removes those who stop qualifying. Free plan. A Join Telegram Group step, checked by the Layer3 bot. Arena, a separate Telegram bot for trading competitions, is invite-only. [11][16]
Onchain requirements Tokens, NFTs and contract queries on 50 EVM mainnets. Wallet activity and EAS attestations on fewer chains, holding history on Ethereum and Base. Contract interactions with method and date filters, AND/OR rules over interactions and token transfers, token and NFT holdings, NFT mints, POAPs and Gitcoin Passport scores. Activations run on EVM chains and Solana. [4][11]
Quests and points Roles as quests that combine onchain and social requirements. Point systems with leaderboards, and roles that require a points balance or an earlier role. Activations mix onchain steps with info cards, quizzes and polls. Streaks reward a repeated action. XP, Levels, Leagues and a global leaderboard. [4][5][6][11]
Rewards Points, NFTs, secrets, Discord roles, Telegram groups, gated pages, and forms on Pro. No token payouts. Every Activation must offer an incentive: tokens (any ERC-20, SPL or native token) from an escrow you fund, or points, NFT allowlist spots or raffles. Completers also get a CUBE and XP. [8][10][12][13]
AI agents The Guild MCP server at https://mcp.guild.xyz/mcp (beta, free on every plan). The Builder docs mention "AI-ready infrastructure for automated tasks", and the site points to Layer3 Intel. No MCP server is listed in its docs index. [1][7][3]
Cost Free plan. Starter $29, Pro $99 and Growth $399 per month per guild. Self-serve, with no published plan prices. To submit Activations, a project stakes L3 on Ethereum for at least 12 months. Members pay a fee to mint each CUBE, which creators share once they have referred 50 new users. [9][14][17]

When to choose Guild

  • You gate a Discord server or Telegram group. A member who sells the token or leaves the required server loses the role when they are next checked, and with it the Discord role or Telegram group. Both are on the Free plan. See Token-gate Discord.
  • Your members climb tiers. A role can require another role, a points balance or other Guild activity, so you can build a path from newcomer to core contributor. See Points and leaderboards.
  • You don't want to hold a token to start. Guild's plans are subscriptions, starting free. Members earn roles by meeting the requirements; they don't mint a credential to get one. See Plans.
  • You want an AI agent to run it. Claude, Codex, Cursor and other MCP clients can create roles, set up requirements and rewards, edit pages and read analytics. Each connection manages one guild with the permissions you grant. See Agents.

When to choose Layer3

  • You want new users, not only your own community. Layer3 lists Activations in its Discover feed and in your project's Community Space, and its Builder docs say it reaches over 250,000 monthly transacting users. [4][7]
  • You reward with tokens. Each Activation gets an escrow contract you fund, with a per-user amount and a participant cap; members claim the tokens when they mint their CUBE. Layer3 pays the gas to deploy the escrow. Guild has no token reward. [13]
  • You need Solana. Layer3 distributes SPL tokens and mints CUBEs on Solana. Guild's onchain requirements work on EVM chains only. [12][15]
  • You want quizzes, Streaks or a reusable onchain audience. Layer3 has quiz and poll steps, Streaks for repeated actions, and CUBEs you can target with later Activations or turn into allowlists. Creators can also earn a share of CUBE fees. [6][11][14][15]

Using Layer3 and Guild together

A common setup: a Layer3 Activation brings people in, then a Guild role gives those who completed it ongoing access.

  1. Create a guild at /create, then choose Manage guild to open the admin panel.
  2. In Spaces & roles, add a role such as "Layer3 explorers". Under Who gets it, press Requirement and pick one of:
    • NFT Balance for the CUBE contract, on an EVM chain Guild supports. Layer3 lists one CUBE contract address for most chains. This counts CUBEs from any Activation, so it can't tell which one a member completed. [2]
    • Allowlist, with a .txt or .csv file of the wallets that minted your Activation's CUBE. See Allowlist.
    • The same onchain condition as your Activation, such as a Contract call or Token balance, so Guild checks it directly. See Reward onchain activity.
  3. Under Unlocks, press Add reward and add a Discord role, a Telegram group, points or an NFT.
  4. Choose View as member to test it, then share the guild's link in your Activation's last step or in your Community Space.

To run community quests on Guild instead, rebuild each Activation as a role; see quests and campaigns.

FAQ

Is Guild an alternative to Layer3? For community quests and token-gated access, yes, with roles, points, Discord and Telegram gating on the Free plan. It is a different tool, though: Guild has no token rewards and no audience of its own to send you.

Can Guild check Layer3 CUBEs? Yes, as NFTs on a supported EVM chain: add an NFT Balance requirement for the CUBE contract. To reward one Activation's completers, upload their wallets as an allowlist.

Can an AI agent manage my quests on Guild? Yes. Connect any MCP client to https://mcp.guild.xyz/mcp. It's free on every plan and in beta. See Manage your guild with an AI agent.

Sources

  1. Layer3 home page
  2. Layer3 llms.txt
  3. Layer3 docs index (llms.txt)
  4. Layer3 docs: Activations
  5. Layer3 docs: Rewards & Progression
  6. Layer3 docs: Streaks
  7. Layer3 docs: Why build with Layer3
  8. Layer3 docs: Getting Access
  9. Layer3 docs: Unlock your Community Space
  10. Layer3 docs: Activations (Actions & Rewards)
  11. Layer3 docs: Action Types Reference
  12. Layer3 docs: Token Distribution
  13. Layer3 docs: Token Reward Configuration
  14. Layer3 docs: Creator Rewards
  15. Layer3 docs: CUBEs (Credentials)
  16. Layer3 docs: Arena (Telegram)
  17. Layer3 docs: CUBEs

All Guild docs