Chainlink, StarkNet, and Ethereum Dominate Dev Activity Among ETH-Based Projects

• Chainlink has emerged as the most actively developed project within the blockchain ecosystem, reflecting its growing influence. 
• Following behind in development activity are Ethereum, Starknet, and EigenLayer, each playing a unique role in the blockchain ecosystem.

Santiment, a market intelligence platform known for tracking on-chain and social data across more than 3,800 cryptocurrencies, recently shared on its official X account a list of the top Ethereum-based projects ranked by development activity.

Here are crypto's top coins that are partially or fully associated with the Ethereum-based ecosystem, by development activity. Directional indicators represent each project's ranking positioning since last month:

1) @chainlink $LINK
2) @starknet $STRK
3)… pic.twitter.com/mlUItoIoLg

— Santiment (@santimentfeed) July 7, 2025

Chainlink (LINK) is currently leading the pack, highlighting just how vital it’s become within the Ethereum ecosystem. While Ethereum (ETH) lays the groundwork for building smart contract-powered decentralized apps (dApps), those contracts can’t do much without real-world data, and that’s where Chainlink steps in.

As a decentralized oracle network, Chainlink acts as Ethereum’s eyes and ears, securely bringing in trusted information from the outside world so that smart contracts can function as intended.

For instance, a DeFi app built on Ethereum might rely on Chainlink for real-time price feeds like ETH/USD. A weather-based insurance contract could depend on it for verified rainfall data. A sports betting platform might need accurate match results delivered straight to the blockchain.

Just behind Chainlink is Starknet (STRK), an Ethereum Layer 2 solution using zero-knowledge rollups to increase transaction speed and reduce costs. Starknet enables developers to build faster and cheaper dApps while still anchoring their security to Ethereum’s battle-tested base layer.

Ethereum ranks among the top projects in active development. As the foundational smart contract platform for much of Web3, Ethereum continues to grow.

CNF reported about its Pectra upgrade in May, validators can stake 2,048 ETH, a huge increase from the allowed 32 ETH, and it also enables high efficiency of smart contracts following the transition to the EVM Object Format (EOF).

Also, EigenLayer (EIGEN) was in the top four. By enabling “restaking,” EigenLayer lets ETH holders use their staked tokens to support other networks and services. This effectively recycles security and liquidity in a way that benefits the entire Ethereum ecosystem.

Ranking Overview

While these projects continue to gain traction, others have seen a decline in development activity. Decentraland (MANA), once a frontrunner in the metaverse space, has dropped in the rankings, potentially indicating a shift in focus or reduced momentum in virtual world development.

Axelar (AXL), known for enabling cross-chain communication, also experienced a dip, possibly due to changing project priorities or competition from other interoperability solutions. Status (SNT), a mobile-first dApp and messaging platform, followed a similar trend, suggesting either slowed updates or a shift in strategic focus.

Within DeFi, sUSD, Synthetix (SNX), and Liquity Protocol (LQTY) all dropped in the rankings. These declines may reflect reduced development activity in the stablecoin and synthetic asset sectors or a broader realignment as newer DeFi protocols enter the space.

Demand for the Ethereum network appears to be on the rise. A recent boost in accessibility, like BBVA’s move to let Spanish retail customers buy, sell, and store both Bitcoin and Ethereum directly through its mobile app, is making it easier than ever for everyday users to engage with crypto.

Ethereum reserves on Binance now exceed 4%, a figure that’s sparking discussion in the community about whether we’re seeing signs of incoming selling pressure or quiet accumulation by larger players. As of now, ETH is trading at $2,556, following a solid 4.02% gain over the past week.