TL;DR
- Ethereum onboarded 16,181 new developers in 2025, more than any other blockchain.
- Solana grew its total number of developers by 83%, capturing the market’s attention.
- Ethereum Core developers earn 50-60% below market rates, affecting retention.
An intense battle is being fought in the crypto ecosystem. The competition for talent is fierce. Although Ethereum remains the undisputed leader in absolute numbers, Solana has become the center of attention thanks to its breakneck pace of growth.
Electric Capital’s data makes it clear: Ethereum attracted 16,181 new developers between January and September 2025, reaffirming its position as the leading ecosystem for new talent. However, the market narrative is leaning towards Solana.
Despite Ethereum having almost double the total active developers (31,869 versus Solana’s 17,708), it was the latter network that demonstrated more impressive momentum.
Solana not only added 11,534 new developers but also increased its total base by 83% year-over-year. This notable progress highlights a perception gap: while Ethereum leads in volume, the developer growth in Ethereum and Solana shows that the latter dominates in momentum and popularity. For its part, Bitcoin ranked third with 7,494 new developers.
The Challenge of Compensation and Talent Retention
Beyond the attraction figures, the report reveals a critical problem for Ethereum: the compensation and retention of its core talent. An Ethereum core developer earns a median salary of $140,000, a figure that is between 50% and 60% below the market rate, which averages $359,000.
This disparity is so stark that almost 40% of these developers have received offers from rival networks with much higher salary packages.
This phenomenon contrasts with the general market trend, where executive compensation has soared, while salaries for mid-level and entry-level roles have decreased or remained flat.
The situation shows that developer growth in Ethereum and Solana depends not only on technology but also on the ability of ecosystems to value and retain their key contributors in an increasingly competitive environment.
