A new Electric Capital report tracking blockchain developer activity from January to September 2025 reveals that Ethereum and Solana continue to dominate the crypto ecosystem in attracting new developer talent, cementing their positions as the most actively built networks in the industry.
According to the data, Ethereum added 16,181 new developers this year, the highest across all ecosystems, followed by Solana with 11,534. Bitcoin ranked third with 7,494, while Polygon, Stacks, and Sui rounded out the top six, drawing between 3,000 and 3,600 new contributors each.
Ethereum Remains the Developer Hub of Crypto
Ethereum’s lead reflects the continued expansion of its Layer-2 rollup ecosystem and the surge of interest around upcoming protocol upgrades like Fusaka and Glamsterdam, which aim to enhance scalability through data availability sampling (PeerDAS) and block-level access lists.
The report notes that Ethereum’s developer count includes contributions to both its Layer 1 and affiliated L2 networks tracked by L2Beat, demonstrating the depth and diversity of the ecosystem. Its robust open-source culture and EVM compatibility continue to make it the most attractive environment for smart contract and DeFi development.
Solana’s Growth Highlights Performance Appeal
Solana’s addition of 11,500+ new developers underscores its growing reputation as a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain with low transaction fees and fast execution times. Following the Alpenglow consensus upgrade, which reduced finality to under 150 milliseconds, Solana has become increasingly popular for AI, gaming, and DeFi projects seeking high throughput.
Institutional engagement, including VanEck’s Solana ETF filing and the network’s dominance in tokenized stock trading, has further expanded developer interest.
Broader Ecosystem Trends
Beyond the top two, Bitcoin’s developer resurgence shows increasing interest in Layer 2 and Ordinals projects, while Polygon, Stacks, and Sui continue to attract developers through modular scaling and user-friendly frameworks.
Meanwhile, ecosystems like Internet Computer, BNB Chain, Stellar, and Aptos are maintaining steady developer inflows, signaling sustained interest across the broader Web3 landscape.
As the crypto market enters its next phase of technological competition, the report reinforces a clear trend: Ethereum remains the heart of blockchain innovation, while Solana is rapidly emerging as the industry’s high-speed frontier for builders.