Ethereum Maintains Developer Activity Lead Despite Market Contraction
As of July 2025, Ethereum continues to dominate blockchain developer activity with 83.5K events, even after experiencing a 15.21% decline. The number of contributors also saw a slight dip of 3.6%, settling at 1.3K. Following Ethereum, BNB Chain recorded 39K events, marking an 11.34% drop in activity and a 3.44% reduction in contributors. Polygon, another major player, noted 38.4K events, reflecting a 13.59% decrease, with contributors shrinking by 5.58%. Layer-2 networks like Arbitrum and Optimism faced more pronounced declines, with Arbitrum's activity falling by 13.97% (32.6K events). Despite these contractions, Ethereum's resilience underscores its pivotal role in the blockchain ecosystem, even as the broader market navigates a period of reduced developer engagement.
Developer Activity Declines Across Major Blockchain Ecosystems
Ethereum maintains its lead in developer activity with 83.5K events, despite a 15.21% decline. Contributor numbers dipped 3.6% to 1.3K. BNB Chain follows with 39K events, reflecting an 11.34% drop in activity and 3.44% fewer contributors.
Polygon recorded 38.4K events, down 13.59%, with contributors shrinking 5.58%. Layer-2 networks Arbitrum and Optimism saw sharper contractions—Arbitrum's activity fell 13.97% (32.6K events), while Optimism posted the steepest decline at 17.97% (29.8K events).
Avalanche and Cosmos bucked the trend in contributor retention. Avalanche's 27.5K events represented a 7.2% activity drop, but Cosmos held steady at 27K events with no change in contributor count—a rare bright spot in an otherwise cooling development landscape.
Ethereum Unveils Symbolic NFT Torch Ahead of 10-Year Anniversary
Ethereum has ignited a unique NFT torch to commemorate its upcoming 10-year anniversary, symbolizing the network's ethos of collaboration and innovation. The digital artifact, dubbed "The ethereum Torch," will be passed between wallets daily until July 30, honoring the community that shaped the ecosystem.
Joseph Lubin, Ethereum co-founder and ConsenSys founder, serves as the ceremonial first bearer. A curated group of prominent figures will subsequently hold the torch for 24-hour intervals during the 10-day countdown to the milestone.
Ethereum Surges Above $3,800 as Institutional Demand and ETF Inflows Fuel Rally
Ethereum breached the $3,800 threshold with a 6% daily gain, outpacing the broader crypto market. The rally reflects mounting institutional interest, evidenced by $2.18 billion flowing into U.S. spot ether ETFs last week—a clear signal of Wall Street's growing crypto appetite.
On-chain activity reveals a $50 million ETH accumulation by a major whale at $3,714, reinforcing bullish sentiment. Price action oscillated between $3,534 and $3,790 with 7.22% intraday volatility, finding strong support NEAR $3,600 where transaction volumes exceeded 215,000 daily trades.
Technical patterns show higher lows suggesting sustained accumulation. The momentum coincides with favorable U.S. regulatory developments, dubbed 'crypto week' by industry observers—a potential inflection point for institutional adoption.
SharpLink and Bitmine Surpass Ethereum Foundation in ETH Holdings
SharpLink Gaming and Bitmine Immersion Technologies have emerged as the largest corporate holders of Ethereum, eclipsing even the Ethereum Foundation. SharpLink, a Minneapolis-based iGaming firm, holds 280,706 ETH worth over $1 billion, staking its holdings for yield and bridging traditional equity markets with decentralized finance through an "ETH-per-share" metric.
Bitmine Immersion Technologies, led by Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee, now leads with 300,657 ETH valued at $1.13 billion. Mirroring MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy, Bitmine raises capital to acquire ETH, stakes for yield, and leverages crypto mining cash flow. The company employs ETH options to expand its treasury ambitiously, targeting 5% of Ethereum's total supply. Backed by investors like Peter Thiel, Bitmine aims to position itself as an institutional reserve for ETH.
Tensions surfaced when Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin criticized the competition as "cut-throat one-upmanship," highlighting the high-stakes corporate race for ETH dominance.
Ethereum Gas Limit Increase Sparks Debate as Traders Target $4,000
Ethereum's LAYER 1 gas limit has risen to 37.3 million, with nearly half of stakers supporting a further increase to 45 million, according to co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The adjustment allows blocks to process more transactions but raises concerns about network strain and decentralization.
Buterin linked the change to recent technical upgrades, including Geth 1.16.0's PBSS archive mode that reduces node storage requirements from 20TB to 1.9TB. Market observers note the timing coincides with ETH testing the $4,000 resistance level.
Historical precedent shows block size increases can marginalize smaller node operators. The community remains divided on whether higher throughput will sustainably lower fees or simply defer congestion pressures.
DeFi Resurgence Hits $138 Billion TVL as Institutional Interest Grows
Decentralized finance protocols have staged a remarkable recovery, with total value locked surging 57% since April to reach $138.5 billion—the highest level since May 2022. Ethereum remains the dominant force, commanding nearly 60% of the ecosystem's value.
The revival is being driven by three key sectors: lending protocols, liquid staking solutions, and the emerging restaking category. While still below its 2021 peak, this rebound signals renewed confidence from both retail participants and institutional players exploring tokenized real-world assets.
Market analysts note the growth isn't uniform across all DeFi sectors, with capital concentrating in areas offering clear yield opportunities. The resurgence comes as ETH regains momentum and traditional finance shows increasing appetite for blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
