Ethereum and BNB Chain continued to dominate blockchain development activity over the past month, even as most leading networks experienced significant declines in developer events and contributor participation, according to the latest data compiled by Santiment.
Developer activity is widely regarded as a key indicator of a blockchain’s long-term health because it reflects ongoing innovation, ecosystem growth, and community engagement. Although the latest figures showed weaker activity across the industry, Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Polygon remained the most active blockchain ecosystems based on developer-related events.
Solana stands out with a modest increase in contributors despite lower development activity
Ethereum retained its leadership position by recording 263,300 developer activity events over the previous 30 days, maintaining the highest level of development activity among the top 10 blockchains despite a 40.29% decline from the previous period. The network also registered approximately 1,100 contributors, representing a 13.23% decrease over the same timeframe.
BNB Chain ranked second after recording 121,800 developer activity events during the month. Santiment’s data indicated that this represented a 40.72% decline compared with the earlier reporting period. The blockchain also recorded 603 contributors, reflecting a 17.62% reduction in developer participation.
Polygon secured the third position with 100,400 developer activity events over the past 30 days. The figures indicated that activity on the network declined by 40.85%, while the number of contributors fell to 452, marking a 16.14% decrease.
Arbitrum followed in fourth place with 79,000 developer activity events. The blockchain experienced one of the sharpest declines among the leading networks, with activity falling 45.22%. Contributor numbers also weakened, dropping 18.02% to 373 developers.
Optimism ranked close behind after recording 78,400 developer activity events during the month. Santiment’s data suggested that development activity on the network declined by 45.3%, while contributor participation dropped by 18.01% to 355 developers.
Despite a 32.14% decline in developer activity events to 77,400, Solana was the only major blockchain among the leading networks to report growth in contributors, with the total rising 1.62% to 377 developers. The increase suggested that while overall development events slowed, contributor participation on the network remained comparatively resilient.
Avalanche also remained among the leading blockchain ecosystems for developer activity. The network recorded 73,400 developer events during the 30-day period, reflecting a 43.93% decline. Contributor numbers also moved lower, falling 15.34% to 320 developers.
Harmony ranked next with 62,900 developer activity events. According to Santiment, development activity on the blockchain decreased by 39.45%, while contributor numbers declined 10.87% to 287 developers over the same period.
Cardano completed the top 10 list after recording 62,600 developer activity events. The data indicated that activity on the network fell by 34.58%, while contributor participation declined by 11.41% to 295 developers.
Although nearly every major blockchain recorded lower developer activity and contributor counts over the past month, Ethereum and BNB Chain maintained their leadership positions, while Solana distinguished itself by posting a modest increase in contributor participation despite reduced development activity. The overall trend pointed to a broad industry slowdown in development metrics, even as the leading blockchain ecosystems continued to account for the highest levels of innovation and ongoing project development.