Solana SOL cryptocurrency physical coin. Source: Dennis - stock.adobe.com

Key Takeaways:

Solana overtakes Ethereum: In 2024, Solana became the top ecosystem for new developers, attracting 7,625 new contributors compared to Ethereum’s 6,456.
Ethereum’s strength endures: Ethereum remains the global leader in total developer activity, with 26% of monthly crypto developers focusing on its network and L2 solutions.
Broader trends in crypto developers: Despite Solana’s surge, the total number of new crypto developers in 2024 fell by 7% from the previous year.

In 2024, Solana overtook Ethereum as the leading blockchain ecosystem for onboarding new developers, ending Ethereum’s eight-year streak.

A report by Electric Capital revealed that Solana attracted 7,625 new developers, surpassing Ethereum’s 6,456.

Breaking News: Electric Capital’s Developer Report shows Solana as the #1 ecosystem for new developers in 2024!

This marks the first time any ecosystem has surpassed Ethereum for new devs since 2016 — 7,625 new devs built on Solana this year.

Let’s dive into some highlights 🧵 pic.twitter.com/ynMs13kjRL
— Solana (@solana) December 12, 2024

This marked the first time since 2016 that Ethereum was surpassed in new developer adoption.

Much of Solana’s growth was driven by increased activity in Asia.

Solana also experienced an 83% increase in ecosystem activity, occasionally outperforming Ethereum on metrics like network activity and daily fees.

Despite this shift, Ethereum remains the global leader in total developer activity, with 26% of monthly crypto developers focusing on its mainnet and layer-2 (L2) solutions.

Ethereum’s L2 ecosystems have grown 64% since 2021, and EigenLayer, a restaking protocol, was its fastest-growing project in 2024, with a 167% rise in developer activity.

Overall, the crypto industry saw 39,148 new developers in 2024, a 7% decline from 2023 and significantly lower than the 2022 peak of 77,000.

While Solana’s growth reflects evolving developer interests and geographic trends, Ethereum retains its dominance and continues to be a cornerstone of the crypto ecosystem, highlighting the ongoing competition between the two platforms.