Solana has managed to maintain its hegemony by capturing 26.79% of global interest in blockchain ecosystems throughout 2025, securing first place for the second consecutive year. According to the latest comprehensive analysis presented by data firm CoinGecko, the layer-one network demonstrated notable resilience despite facing fierce competition and a considerable 12 percentage point decrease in its total market share compared to the previous period.
Although it retained undisputed leadership, the network’s share fell from the 38.79% recorded in 2024, partially affected by the difficulty of expanding its narrative beyond speculation. On the other hand, Base and Ethereum stood firm completing the podium, with Base reaching 13.94% of investor interest thanks to key strategic developments such as the integration of direct USDC payments on Shopify and the rebranding of its main wallet.
Sui and BNB Chain emerged as the year’s most standout winners, doubling their respective market shares to authoritatively claim fourth and fifth place in the global ranking. Sui recorded a massive jump of nearly seven points, positioning itself as a credible technical alternative in specific narratives, while BNB Chain leveraged the momentum from the Binance Alpha launch and the resilience of its native asset’s price to lead trading volumes.
The Strategic Realignment and Consolidation of Emerging Networks
Competition in Ethereum’s scaling layer has become brutal, as Base, Arbitrum, and Optimism now process nearly 90% of all Layer 2 transactions. Furthermore, it is estimated that most competing chains will not survive until 2026, given that smaller rollups have seen their activity plunge by 61%, creating the dreaded “zombie chains” with evaporated liquidity and minimal usage by real users.
New entrants like XRP Ledger and Bittensor have reshaped the competitive landscape, securing positions within the top 10 with focuses on payments and artificial intelligence respectively. Likewise, Hyperliquid starred in the year’s most dramatic rise, climbing 44 positions by building robust decentralized exchange infrastructure and launching its own successful stablecoin, demonstrating that specialization in financial products can capture market share quickly against general-purpose blockchain networks.
Can Institutional Innovation Halt the Market Share Decline?
Solana’s momentum continues to build through deep integrations, such as the activation of native trading on the Coinbase app and the planned acquisition of the Vector platform. In parallel, Jupiter reinforced the ecosystem’s depth with critical upgrades, handling massive transaction volumes exceeding a trillion dollars and launching advanced financial products like JupUSD to retain the sector’s most sophisticated users against competitive pressure.
Finally, Solana’s institutional validation is reinforced by innovative sovereign initiatives, such as the launch of Bhutan’s gold-backed token through DK Bank. The battle for supremacy among blockchain ecosystems will define the next market cycle, where technological efficiency, speed, and real adoption will be the determining factors for the long-term survival of these projects in a rapidly maturing industry.
