At the moment, blockchains operate separately in silos. Polkadot aims to build a network of interoperable blockchains that create a decentralised internet, also known as [web3](https://www.cointree.com/learn/what-is-web3/). This is why it’s called a ‘multi-chain’ network; it joins networks together, much like the current internet connects sites, browsers and servers. Critically, they can transfer data and not just tokens over the blockchain. In this way, we can see they’re building a new infrastructure for the internet. Simply put, the key two advantages of Polkadot compared to competing layer 1 blockchains is that it is both highly scalable and interoperable.