Ethereum added 16,181 new developers from January to September 2025, more than any blockchain, yet Solana captured the narrative as the industry’s hottest ecosystem, according to Electric Capital data.
The Ethereum Foundation confirmed that its network remains the “#1 ecosystem for new developers in 2025” and hosts 31,869 total active developers, nearly double the number of active developers on Solana, which stands at 17,708.
Source: X/@ethereumfndnHowever, Solana added 11,534 new developers and grew the total developer count by 83% year-over-year, claiming the “#1 ecosystem for new developers” title in Electric Capital’s 2024 annual report.
The competing claims show a perception gap where Ethereum leads in absolute numbers, while Solana dominates in terms of growth momentum and market attention.
Bitcoin ranked third with 7,494 new developers and 11,036 total active contributors.
Total crypto developers declined 7% in 2024, yet established developers with 2+ years of experience reached all-time highs, growing 27% and committing 70% of code.
The developer data contrasts with compensation realities. Protocol Guild revealed that Ethereum core developers earn a median salary of $140,000, which is50-60% below market rates, averaging $359,000.
One developer turned down a $700,000 package to continue working on Ethereum core.
Compensation Crisis and Regional Shifts
Ethereum maintained #1 ecosystem status on every continent for total developer activity, with Asia now leading global developer share ahead of North America.
India onboarded the most new crypto developers in 2024, while U.S. developer share dropped to 19% from 38% in 2015.
According to Electric Capital’s 2024 report, one in three crypto developers now works on multiple chains, up from under 10% in 2015. Base contributed 42% of the new code written in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Despite leading developer additions, Ethereum faces challenges in retaining its developers. Protocol Guild has distributed over $33 million since May 2022, with the median contributor receiving $67,121 annually.
This brought the total median compensation to $207,121, which is still 33% below market.
Almost 40% of Ethereum core developers received external job offers from rival networks in the past year, offering higher packages.
Researchers earned the highest median cash compensation at $215,000, while client developers earned around $130,000.
Notably, a report last month found that Latin American developers strongly prefer Ethereum and Polygon, according to a survey by Sherlock Communications.
The study of 85 developers found Ethereum accounted for over 75% of blockchain activity between June 2024 and June 2025, with Polygon rising from 11% to 20%.
Luiz Eduardo Abreu Hadad, a blockchain researcher at Sherlock Communications, noted that developers show “strong technical maturity” and focus on “solving real-world problems” within trusted ecosystems, rather than building new platforms.
Crypto Salaries Decline Despite Rally as Executive Pay Surges
Amidst this change in developer preference, crypto salaries declined across nearly all roles in 2024-2025 despite Bitcoin’s record rally, according to Dragonfly Capital.
Entry-level positions bore the brunt of cuts, while executive compensation surged, creating what Dragonfly called “a barbell effect.”
International engineering executives out-earned U.S. peers for the first time at $530,000 to $780,000.
Product Management executives posted the highest salaries, ranging from $390,000 to $484,000. Founder salaries increased 37% to $197,000 from $144,000 in 2023.
However, mid-level roles experienced flat growth while entry-level roles absorbed the steepest cuts.
Source: DragonflyEngineering-led growth with 78% of teams expanding, though compensation drove 83% of offer declines.
Web3 developers commanded premium paychecks despite the pullback.
North American salaries ranged from $120,000 to $250,000, Europe offered $82,400 to $185,400, and the Asia-Pacific region paid $70,000 to $150,000.
Specialized roles remained premium. Zero-knowledge cryptographers commanded annual salaries of $300,000, blockchain developers earned between $150,000 and $210,000, and smart contract engineers made between $160,000 and $250,000 for senior positions.
Geographic expansion accelerated as 81% of companies adopted a global-first hiring approach.
Asia’s presence nearly doubled from 20% to 41% year-over-year. Work policies remained 54% fully remote, 30% hybrid, and only 2% fully in-office.
The post Ethereum Adds 16K Developers in 2025, Yet Solana Steals All the Hype appeared first on Cryptonews.
