Key Takeaways
- Fast-growing chains like Base, TON, Sui and Sei all leveraged unique tech or ecosystems to attract users (e.g. Base’s Coinbase link, TON’s Telegram integration, Move-based parallelism).
- Many top chains saw wallet or daily-address growth in the +100s–1,000+% range over a year, often driven by targeted airdrops, stablecoin launch or major partnerships.
- New consensus models (Avalanche), execution environments (Move on Aptos/Sui), and scaling (Arbitrum/Optimism/Blast) lowered barriers. Chains offering low fees and fast UX won big.
- Analytics cite huge user numbers, but sometimes many wallets hold minimal value (e.g. Solana’s <$10 accounts. Sustainable growth depends on active engagement (DeFi usage, TVL) beyond raw address counts.
Blockchain adoption has surged over the past year, with several Layer-1 and Layer-2 networks seeing explosive user growth. Analytics platforms like Artemis, DappRadar and Nansen report dramatic jumps in active addresses on emerging chains.
For example, Solana’s monthly active addresses shot up from about 0.5M in early 2024 to over 100 million by late 2024 (but concerns remain over empty wallets).
The TON network saw monthly actives jump from 100k to 9.9M between Sept 2023 and Sept 2024. New blockchains like Sei and Sui are also surging, Sei’s wallets climbed 76% to 8.3M in one month, and Sui’s daily users jumped over 4,000% in 2024.
This article covers the 10 blockchains with their active-user growth, highlighting recent trends, key innovations (like parallelized architectures or rollup tech) and what makes each stand out. The data come from industry reports and analytics platforms (e.g. Artemis, Token Terminal, DappRadar).
1. Base (Ethereum L2 by Coinbase)
- A Coinbase-backed layer-2 on Ethereum Base has seen explosive user growth since its August 2023 launch.
- Monthly active addresses jumped from 3.96M in May 2024 to about 6.18M in June 2024, a 56% monthly increase. This surge coincided with Coinbase’s “Onchain Summer” incentives and the rollout of smart wallets.
- Base’s unique value lies in seamless fiat-to-blockchain integration (it leverages Coinbase’s user base) and heavy use of USDC stablecoins (Shopify and Stripe support payments on Base).
- Its very low fees and support for wrapped assets (ADA, DOGE, LTC) attract DeFi users and developers.
- Compared to other L2s, Base benefits from Coinbase’s marketing and liquidity, enabling fast ramp-up of users.
2. TON (The Open Network – L1)
- Originally developed by Telegram, TON has exploded in popularity.
- Monthly active addresses grew from 100K in Sept 2023 to 9.9M by Sept 2024, surpassing Ethereum’s 5.5M in the same period.
- TON’s growth is fueled by its integration with Telegram’s massive user base and zero-fee transactions (users pay gas in stablecoins like USDT).
- Updates like the W5 smart wallet (gasless transfers using USDT) have boosted adoption. TON’s appeal is its Telegram ecosystem integration, user-friendly wallets, and focus on speed/scalability (it can handle thousands of TPS).
- Compared to other L1s, TON stands out for tapping a mainstream messaging platform and a billion-plus installed user base.
3. Solana (Layer-1)
- Solana’s low fees and high throughput have driven massive wallet growth. By late 2024, on-chain analytics counted over 100 million unique SOL addresses (up from 0.5M a year earlier).
- In January 2025, Solana captured 33% of all daily active wallets among L1s, leading networks like Ethereum and Avalanche. This growth was spurred by a vibrant developer ecosystem (DeFi DEXes, NFT gaming) and improvements in network stability (e.g. the Firedancer validator client).
- Solana’s value propositions are ultra-fast transactions and ultra-low fees (often $0.01–0.02). This enables micropayments, high-frequency trading and “play-to-earn” apps.
- Critics note many new Solana addresses have tiny balances (suggesting bot-driven volume), but its raw user activity remains far above rivals.
4. Sei (Layer-1)
- Sei is a parallelized L1 built for high-speed trading. In mid-2025, Sei’s metrics spiked: wallet count rose 76% to 8.3 million in a single month, making it second only to Base in wallet count.
- Daily active addresses hit 670K (a record high) as investors and traders flocked to the chain. Key events include Circle’s USDC and CCTP V2 integration on Sei, and plans for a Sei staking ETF, both boosting confidence.
- Sei’s innovation is a highly parallelized matching engine that can process many transactions in lockstep, ideal for orderbook DEXes.
- Compared to competitors, Sei offers order-book style DeFi on an L1, which attracts market makers. Its focus on trading throughput and low fees sets it apart from general-purpose chains.
5. Sui (Layer-1)
- Sui, a Move-based L1 from Mysten Labs, saw explosive growth in 2024.
- Daily active addresses surged from 19.7K on Jan 1, 2024 to 843K by Oct 2024 (a +4,169% rise. Total value locked jumped 2,300% (to $1.0B) over the same period.
- Sui’s appeal lies in its Move language and object-centric architecture, enabling parallel transaction execution for high throughput.
- It targets consumer and gaming apps (e.g. social dApps) – over half of Sui’s activity comes from infrastructure and social applications. This contrasts with more financial-focused chains.
- Unique value: Sui offers cheap, fast transactions and innovative dev tools for Move. Its rapid rise reflects hype around Move L1s and major airdrops, yet its core strengths are tech-driven, low latency and a developer-friendly model.
6. Aptos (Layer-1)
- Aptos, another Move-based blockchain, also raced ahead. Total users quadrupled in 2024 (reaching 26 million unique users).
- Monthly actives climbed (over 1M new users in one week) as TVL hit $668M (4× the early-2024 level).
- Driving factors include early developer support (funding from a16z, Coinbase Ventures) and a range of DeFi launches (e.g. Amnis, Aries). Aptos’s strength is its scalable architecture (Parallel Execution engine) and focus on secure upgrades via Move.
- It appeals to projects seeking high throughput plus a robust safety model (e.g. modular transaction blocks).
- Compared to Solana or Ethereum, Aptos distinguishes itself by using Move (secure by design) and by quickly iterating its mainnet (several upgrades in 2024).
7. Avalanche (Layer-1)
- Avalanche’s user base grew sharply thanks to both its C-Chain and new subnets. In June 2024, Nansen reported Avalanche active wallets up 60% week-over-week (to 300K+).
- The Avalanche ecosystem has expanded via custom subnets (e.g. HyperliquidX) and high-profile launches (e.g. Berachain). Its consensus (Avalanche-X) allows quick finality, attracting DeFi and gaming projects.
- Key innovations: the Subnet framework (letting anyone launch a tailored blockchain) and its cross-chain compatibility (EVM/C-Chain).
- Compared to Ethereum, Avalanche offers faster confirmations (seconds vs. 12s blocks) and near-zero gas fees, which propelled user and asset inflows (its TVL surged and even briefly overtook Solana’s at times). Avalanche’s unique draw is this combination of speed, multi-chain flexibility and permissionless subnet creation.
8. Arbitrum (Ethereum Layer-2)
- Arbitrum One, the leading Ethereum L2, saw continued user growth as Ethereum demand climbed.
- In June 2025, Arbitrum’s daily active addresses jumped 37.7% month-over-month, driven by rising stablecoin adoption and DeFi usage on the chain (protocols like GMX saw strong volume).
- Arbitrum’s value proposition is EVM compatibility and high security: it inherits Ethereum’s trust model while offering 15× lower fees. Recent upgrades (ArbOS 40 “Callisto”) improved performance post-Ethereum’s Pectra upgrade. It also hosts new applications (e.g. Robinhood’s tokenized equity bridge, FDUSD stablecoin).
- Compared to other L2s, Arbitrum stands out for its large developer community and robust smart contract support, making it a go-to for complex DeFi and NFT projects leveraging Ethereum liquidity.
9. Algorand (Layer-1)
- Algorand posted one of the largest short-term growth rates in 2025.
- Nansen data showed Algorand’s active wallets spiked 72% week-over-week to 1.2 million – the highest growth by percentage.
- Algorand’s appeal is its pure proof-of-stake design offering finality in seconds. It’s known for low fees and stability (used in payment rails, central bank digital currency pilots).
- The chain’s ASA token standard has seen many stablecoin issuances (Circle is exploring more USDC on Algorand).
- Algorand’s 2025 roadmap ( “Algorand 2025+” vision) promises further scalability and RWA (real-world asset) integrations. Unique selling points: quick block times (1 block per second), instant finality, and a well-funded foundation boosting enterprise adoption.
- Compared to competitors, Algorand combines high throughput with strong institutional backing (e.g. FIFA, central banks).
10. Ethereum (Layer-1)
- As the dominant smart-contract platform, Ethereum’s user metrics remain strong.
- In mid-2025, daily active ETH addresses climbed past 930K – a two-year high – signaling renewed on-chain activity.
- Growth drivers include the mempool-congesting hype around DeFi, NFTs and the smooth rollout of upgrades like Dencun (layer-2 data sharding) and EIP-7702 (smart accounts).
- Ethereum’s value proposition is unmatched security and network effects: it hosts most DeFi liquidity and institutional interest (e.g. Ethereum ETFs).
- While its growth rate is slower (a high baseline), Ethereum still attracts new users, especially via layer-2 bridges.
- Compared to newer chains, Ethereum trades off higher fees for unparalleled decentralization and developer ecosystem depth.
FAQs
Platforms like Artemis or DappRadar typically count unique blockchain addresses performing transactions within a period (daily, monthly). Rapid growth means a spike in new or returning addresses interacting on-chain. However, this metric can overstate real human users if many addresses are empty or bot-driven. Analysts also look at related stats (TVL, revenue, developer activity) for context.
Layer-2 chains (e.g. Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, zkSync) grew because they inherit Ethereum’s security while slashing fees and boosting speed. Coinbase’s Base even leverages Coinbase’s existing user base and onchain incentives (the “Onchain Summer”), causing an L2 user boom. In short, L2s make blockchain use cheaper and easier, capturing demand from Ethereum and new users alike.
Stablecoins like USDT/USDC are key drivers. Chains that support native stablecoins (TON, Base, Arbitrum) see higher transaction volumes for payments and DeFi. For example, 2025 saw record stablecoin flow on Base and many L2s Growth of USD-linked assets (and tools like Circle’s CCTP bridges) has spurred new wallets and activity on these chains.
Many newer blockchains have indeed seen faster percentage growth than incumbents because they started small. Move-based chains (Sui, Aptos) and scalability-focused chains (Sei, Ton) reported quadrupling or even 10×+ user bases in months. However, Ethereum and established L1s still dominate in absolute users and capital. Investors watch whether growth on new chains translates into lasting ecosystems or short-lived hype.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be construed as, financial advice. We do not make any warranties regarding the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. All investments involve risk, and past performance does not guarantee future results. We recommend consulting a financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
CCN Editorial delivers comprehensive coverage of cryptocurrencies, blockchain breakthroughs, decentralized finance, and emerging fintech trends. From Bitcoin and Ethereum to stablecoins, NFTs, and global market innovation, our team provides timely news, in-depth analysis, and expert commentary. In addition to market insights, CCN Editorial is dedicated to educating readers, offering accessible guides, explainers, and learning resources to help everyone, from beginners to professionals, navigate the rapidly evolving world of digital finance and the future of money.
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