# Too Many Layer-1, Not Enough Users

*Blockchain in 2025: Fewer Winners, Countless Ghost Chains*

By [Horuka](https://paragraph.com/@horukamaxi) · 2025-09-27

layer1, user, ethereum

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Between 2020 and 2023, the number of layer-1 blockchains grew rapidly, most of them aiming to solve the same set of problems: transaction speed, high gas fees, and scalability. Yet this boom has created another issue—**redundancy**.

By 2025, reality has proven that only a handful of layer-1s have managed to retain liquidity, active developers, and real users. Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, and a few with genuine architectural innovations (like Aptos or Monad) continue to thrive, while dozens of others have turned into “ghost chains” — TVL drained, explorers showing barely any real activity.

This surplus of layer-1s has led to fragmented resources:

*   **Capital** was spread thin, with VC money from 2021–2022 never returning to chains that failed to prove a competitive edge.
    
*   **Developers** chased short-term incentives, but most projects faded once rewards dried up.
    
*   **Users** eventually consolidated around ecosystems with real products, rather than scattering across dozens of chains.
    

At this stage, the question is no longer _“How many more layer-1s do we need?”_ but rather: _“Do we need any more at all, unless they bring true breakthroughs?”_ Successful infrastructures today must demonstrate **clear differentiation** (parallel execution, AI/DePIN optimization, native cross-chain capabilities) instead of simply promising higher TPS.

### Outlook 2025–2030

Over the next five years, two parallel trends are likely:

1.  **Consolidation & standardization**: a small number of ecosystems will capture the majority of liquidity and developer mindshare, much like Big Tech in Web2. Smaller chains will either be absorbed or fade away.
    
2.  **Specialized layer-1s**: a few new chains may still emerge, but they will focus on niches (e.g., AI-driven workloads, IoT data, or blockchain integration with traditional finance) instead of competing solely on throughput.
    

If this plays out, blockchain’s trajectory will no longer hinge on _launching yet another layer-1_, but on its ability to **scale real-world applications** and **address socio-economic challenges at large**.

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*Originally published on [Horuka](https://paragraph.com/@horukamaxi/too-many-layer-1-not-enough-users)*