1️⃣Solana
Blazing-fast L1 with real users, real fees, and breakout apps. If crypto has a mobile moment in 2025, Solana is the rails. Liquidity, memecoins, and payments are flying in.
- ultra-low fees
- huge daily active users
- fast-growing DeFi and payments
- booming memecoin and NFT liquidity
- expanding validator set
- major integrations with stablecoins and fintech
- strong developer momentum
- occasional congestion during hype
- ongoing centralization debates
2️⃣Chainlink
The data power grid of crypto that every serious protocol plugs into. CCIP, staking, and real-world asset feeds position LINK for enterprise flows in 2025.
- dominant oracle market share
- recurring demand from DeFi and RWA
- CCIP unlocking cross-chain value
- new revenue models via data streams and staking
- deep partnerships across ecosystems
- battle-tested reliability
- token emissions can dilute returns
- roadmap dates may slip
3️⃣EigenLayer
Restaking turns idle ETH security into yield and bootstraps new services. The AVS ecosystem is early but expanding fast, offering asymmetric upside if adoption sticks.
- powerful ETH-aligned security
- early-mover advantage in restaking
- multiple AVS primitives launching
- strong developer interest
- smart-contract and slashing risks
- unproven long-term demand for AVSs
- complex mechanics not beginner-friendly
- regulatory treatment of restaking unclear
4️⃣NEAR Protocol
A consumer-friendly L1 focused on UX, account abstraction, and Web2-style onboarding. If on-ramps and growth marketing hit, NEAR can capture the next wave of users.
- smooth wallets and human-readable accounts
- fast and cheap transactions
- active growth grants
- Javascript and Rust tooling
- token unlocks and emissions still weigh on price
- lower liquidity versus majors
- traction concentrated in a few flagship apps
- competition from Solana and Ethereum L2s
5️⃣Celestia
Modular data availability for rollups that want scalability without running full L1s. It's a picks-and-shovels play if rollup adoption accelerates across ecosystems.
- clear product-market fit for DA
- strong rollup ecosystem interest
- scales without sacrificing light clients
- backed by top researchers
- developer tooling still maturing
- limited consumer-facing apps today
- pricing can be cyclical with L2 launches
- competition from Ethereum DA and other modular stacks