1️⃣EigenLayer
Restaking on Ethereum that lets operators secure new services with ETH. Liquidity stays productive while projects piggyback on Ethereum trust. Yield plus utility is a powerful flywheel.
- ETH native restaking
- compounding yield opportunities
- strong institutional interest
- rapidly growing developer ecosystem
- clear catalysts ahead
- smart contract and slashing risks
- policy changes could affect staking economics
- token supply dynamics may be volatile
2️⃣Celestia
Modular data availability layer powering faster, cheaper blockchains. Rollups plug in for scalability without sacrificing decentralization. Strong narrative with real builders shipping.
- modular design tailwinds
- growing rollup partners
- clear product market fit in DA
- robust research team
- token utility aligned with network usage
- competition from other DA layers
- usage fees may fluctuate with demand
- technology still maturing
3️⃣Monad
High performance EVM chain aiming for parallelized execution and low fees. If mainnet delivers, DeFi and gaming could flood in. Early but buzz is big.
- EVM compatibility
- promise of high throughput
- strong investor backing
- not yet battle tested
- launch timelines can slip
- ecosystem still small
- centralization concerns during early phases
4️⃣Berachain
DeFi first L1 with a unique proof of liquidity model. Designed to incentivize deep liquidity and sticky TVL. Meme energy meets serious builders.
- liquidity focused economics
- strong community
- early opportunities for builders
- tokenomics still experimental
- regulatory uncertainty for incentives
- potential reflexivity during drawdowns
- limited real world adoption so far
5️⃣Starknet
ZK rollup bringing provable scalability to Ethereum with Cairo based smart contracts. Powerful tech, but developer experience and performance are evolving. A long term bet with deep research roots.
- provable security via STARKs
- scaling aligned with Ethereum
- active grants and tooling
- Cairo learning curve
- occasional network congestion
- token inflation and governance debates
- fragmented liquidity across L2s