How to Build Ecosystems That Endure — and Perform
At a time when new blockchains emerge sooner than ever and narratives shift by the quarter, the query of how to construct ecosystems that final feels extra pressing than ever. During a panel hosted by Manta Network’s Head of Ecosystem, Shubham Bhandari, main builders from throughout Web3 — Altlayer, DeBridge, Sonic Labs, and Tezos (TZ APAC) — sat down to focus on what separates hype-driven launches from networks that endure.
From Narrative Hype to Real Utility
Opening the dialogue, YQ, Founder of Altlayer, mirrored on the evolution of the Layer 1 and Layer 2 panorama. “From 2021 to mid-2023, launching a sequence was all about narrative,” he mentioned. “Everyone wished to spin up an L1 or L2 — not as a result of there was demand, however as a result of it appeared good to buyers.”
But the development has shifted. “Now tasks need to launch chains as a result of they really want them,” YQ defined. “Perpetual DEXs, AI buying and selling platforms, cost protocols — they want super-low latency, sub-20ms efficiency, and full management over charges. It’s not nearly valuation — it’s about product-market match.”
Building Chains vs. Building Products
Moderator Shubham raised a query that hit the center of the present dilemma: ought to founders launch their very own chain or construct on current ones?
YQ’s reply was clear: “If you might have an app that wants deep liquidity and low latency, perhaps a sequence is sensible. But for those who’re constructing a standard DApp, keep the place the liquidity already lives — on Ethereum, Solana, or Base.”
It’s a rigidity many founders face at present: independence versus interoperability.
The Cross-Chain Future: Interoperability and Intents
Alex, Co-founder of DeBridge, has seen that rigidity play out throughout a whole bunch of integrations. As the corporate celebrates its third anniversary, he mirrored on the rise of “intents” — an idea that has gone from buzzword to architectural pillar.
“In cross-chain, there are two large verticals,” Alex defined. “Custody — managing property locked on one chain to subject them elsewhere — and buying and selling — the flexibility to transfer or swap immediately throughout ecosystems.”
Custody, he famous, is tough to monetize and comes with monumental danger. “You’re accountable for billions in TVL, however you possibly can’t use it to generate yield,” he mentioned. “That’s why at DeBridge, we centered on cross-chain buying and selling. Our mannequin is zero-TVL — no custody, no sleepless nights — simply immediate, intent-based buying and selling.”
He teased the corporate’s subsequent leap: gasless cross-chain buying and selling, the place customers signal an intent, solvers fulfill it immediately, and liquidity is aggregated throughout main DEXs. “We’re constructing the DeFi tremendous app the place customers don’t take into consideration chains — they simply commerce something, wherever, in a single click on.”
Sonic’s Reinvention: From Phantom to High-Speed DeFi
When Yohaan John, DeFi Growth Lead at Sonic Labs, spoke, the viewers instantly tuned in. Sonic, previously often called Phantom, has been via one in all Web3’s boldest rebrands.
“It wasn’t only a advertising and marketing transfer,” he clarified. “Sonic is a totally new chain — new infra, new token, new validator design.” The shift, he mentioned, was about redefining efficiency and developer incentives.
Sonic is absolutely EVM-compatible, able to 400,000 TPS, and introduces charge monetization — returning 90% of gasoline charges instantly to builders. “Builders can now earn from their functions,” Yohaan mentioned. “That’s our moat.”
But the deeper level was philosophical. “The business doesn’t want 100 L2s,” he warned. “Block house isn’t scarce — most chains barely fill their capability. What issues is having a transparent objective and worth proposition. Don’t simply construct a sequence for hype; construct one as a result of your product calls for it.”
Tezos APAC: Scaling People, Not Just Protocols
Representing a extra mature ecosystem, David Tng, Managing Director at TZ APAC, emphasised that ecosystem well being is determined by folks, not throughput.
At Tezos, their focus is the Fortify Labs Accelerator — a people-centric initiative designed to assist founders go from thought to product-market match. “We’re not simply handing out grants or tokens,” David mentioned. “We work facet by facet with tasks — typically with a two-to-one mentor-to-startup ratio — serving to them discover customers, income, and confidence.”
He famous a significant shift amongst VCs: from investing to incubating. “Most founders in Asia are technically sturdy however lack publicity to enterprise pitching or international go-to-market. We assist them construct that muscle,” he added.
David’s bigger level: the following stage of ecosystem development gained’t come from extra chains — it’ll come from making Web3 simpler for builders and customers alike. Tezos is now working to onboard JavaScript builders through Etherlink and simplified toolsets. “We have to decrease the entry barrier,” he mentioned. “The subsequent large app may not come from Solidity — it’d come from somebody who’s by no means written a sensible contract earlier than.”
The submit How to Build Ecosystems That Endure — and Perform appeared first on Metaverse Post.
