XRP Buzz Ignites Layer 1 Debate—Can New Projects Even Compete? These Altcoins Might Have Answers

Ripple’s latest move sends shockwaves through crypto circles—suddenly everyone’s asking where fresh Layer 1 contenders fit in a market dominated by grizzled veterans.

Here’s the brutal truth: building new blockchains in 2025 is like opening a boutique bank during the 2008 crisis. But against all odds, these three altcoins are punching above their weight.

First up: the interoperability play that’s eating Ethereum’s lunch. Then there’s the dark horse scaling solution—VCs hate how efficient it is. And don’t sleep on that privacy coin quietly doing 10k TPS while regulators aren’t looking.

Will any of them dethrone the incumbents? Unlikely. But in a market where ’disruption’ mostly means copying Uniswap again, at least they’re trying something new—unlike those hedge funds still pretending NFTs will rebound.

Why XRP Still Gets Attention

Recent XRP developments have kept it in the spotlight. From tokenized real-world asset integrations to growing traction in Asia, Ripple is positioning XRP for use in institutional finance.

But XRP has its limits:

• Centralized validator model

• Limited dApp support

• Minimal on-chain governance tools

• Not built for permissionless apps

This creates space for newer LAYER 1s to offer tools that XRP was never designed to support.

Ethereum and Solana Still Lead — But They Don’t Cover Everything

Ethereum dominates for smart contracts. solana wins on speed and low fees. But both chains still leave gaps:

• Ethereum suffers from latency and high gas costs

• Solana faces questions about uptime and validator centralization

• Neither chain offers native identity or streamlined cross-chain deployment

New Layer 1s are stepping in to fill those gaps — and one of the most structured among them is Kaanch Network.

Where Kaanch Fits In

Kaanch is a new Layer 1 blockchain currently in Stage 6 of its presale, with over $1.3M raised so far and the current token price at $0.32. The next stage is set to launch at $0.64, giving early buyers a narrow window to enter before price doubles.

The project isn’t just promising features. It has already delivered Core infrastructure.

Key specs:

• 1.4 million transactions per second

• Finality in 0.8 seconds

• Validator network with 3,600 nodes

• Ethereum, Solana, and BNB interoperability

• .knch domains for native on-chain identity

• Fixed supply of 58 million $KNCH tokens

• Staking live now with up to 30% APY during presale

These features position Kaanch to support identity, governance, and asset issuance on-chain — tools that older networks still lack or deliver through third parties.

What New Chains Need to Compete

To matter in a market still dominated by ETH and XRP, new chains must offer something functionally different.

They need:

• Fast, confirmed transactions

• Clear staking mechanics

• Developer flexibility

• A capped token supply

• Use cases beyond trading

Kaanch is checking those boxes early — and doing it in public, while still in presale.

Final Thought

XRP’s institutional push and Ethereum’s Layer 2 expansion continue to define the current cycle. But the next generation of chains will focus on where those leaders fall short.

Kaanch Network is not trying to replace XRP or Ethereum. It’s solving for what they don’t handle natively — speed, identity, and infrastructure that supports real-world applications.

With Stage 6 now live at $0.32, and the next price point set to double, $KNCH remains one of the best crypto tokens to watch before public trading begins.