Ethereum Adds 16K Developers in 2025, Yet Solana Steals All the Hype
Ethereum added 16,181 new builders from January to September 2025, greater than any blockchain, but Solana captured the narrative as the trade’s hottest ecosystem, in line with Electric Capital knowledge.
The Ethereum Foundation confirmed that its community stays the “#1 ecosystem for brand spanking new builders in 2025” and hosts 31,869 whole lively builders, almost double the variety of lively builders on Solana, which stands at 17,708.
However, Solana added 11,534 new builders and grew the whole developer rely by 83% year-over-year, claiming the “#1 ecosystem for brand spanking new builders” title in Electric Capital’s 2024 annual report.
The competing claims present a notion hole the place Ethereum leads in absolute numbers, whereas Solana dominates in phrases of progress momentum and market consideration.
Bitcoin ranked third with 7,494 new builders and 11,036 whole lively contributors.
Total crypto builders declined 7% in 2024, but established builders with 2+ years of expertise reached all-time highs, rising 27% and committing 70% of code.
The developer knowledge contrasts with compensation realities. Protocol Guild revealed that Ethereum core builders earn a median wage of $140,000, which is50-60% under market charges, averaging $359,000.
One developer turned down a $700,000 package deal to proceed engaged on Ethereum core.
Compensation Crisis and Regional Shifts
Ethereum maintained #1 ecosystem standing on each continent for whole developer exercise, with Asia now main international developer share forward of North America.
India onboarded the most new crypto builders in 2024, whereas U.S. developer share dropped to 19% from 38% in 2015.
According to Electric Capital’s 2024 report, one in three crypto builders now works on a number of chains, up from underneath 10% in 2015. Base contributed 42% of the new code written in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Despite main developer additions, Ethereum faces challenges in retaining its builders. Protocol Guild has distributed over $33 million since May 2022, with the median contributor receiving $67,121 yearly.
This introduced the whole median compensation to $207,121, which remains to be 33% under market.
Almost 40% of Ethereum core builders acquired exterior job presents from rival networks in the previous 12 months, providing greater packages.
Researchers earned the highest median money compensation at $215,000, whereas shopper builders earned round $130,000.
Notably, a report final month discovered that Latin American developers strongly prefer Ethereum and Polygon, in line with a survey by Sherlock Communications.
Developers throughout Latin America are more and more selecting to construct on well-established blockchains like Ethereum and Polygon.#Ethereum #Polygonhttps://t.co/QLoL67MRug
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) September 11, 2025
The research of 85 builders discovered Ethereum accounted for over 75% of blockchain exercise between June 2024 and June 2025, with Polygon rising from 11% to twenty%.
Luiz Eduardo Abreu Hadad, a blockchain researcher at Sherlock Communications, famous that builders present “robust technical maturity” and give attention to “fixing real-world issues” inside trusted ecosystems, moderately than constructing new platforms.
Crypto Salaries Decline Despite Rally as Executive Pay Surges
Amidst this variation in developer choice, crypto salaries declined across nearly all roles in 2024-2025 regardless of Bitcoin’s document rally, in line with Dragonfly Capital.
Entry-level positions bore the brunt of cuts, whereas govt compensation surged, creating what Dragonfly known as “a barbell impact.”
International engineering executives out-earned U.S. friends for the first time at $530,000 to $780,000.
Product Management executives posted the highest salaries, starting from $390,000 to $484,000. Founder salaries elevated 37% to $197,000 from $144,000 in 2023.
However, mid-level roles skilled flat progress whereas entry-level roles absorbed the steepest cuts.
Engineering-led progress with 78% of groups increasing, although compensation drove 83% of provide declines.
Web3 builders commanded premium paychecks regardless of the pullback.
North American salaries ranged from $120,000 to $250,000, Europe provided $82,400 to $185,400, and the Asia-Pacific area paid $70,000 to $150,000.
Specialized roles remained premium. Zero-knowledge cryptographers commanded annual salaries of $300,000, blockchain builders earned between $150,000 and $210,000, and sensible contract engineers made between $160,000 and $250,000 for senior positions.
Geographic growth accelerated as 81% of firms adopted a global-first hiring strategy.
Asia’s presence almost doubled from 20% to 41% year-over-year. Work insurance policies remained 54% totally distant, 30% hybrid, and solely 2% totally in-office.
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