As 2025 progresses, attention is increasingly on networks that show measurable usage, ongoing development, and resilience through different market conditions. Prices may grab headlines, but ecosystem activity and technical execution are often what determine longer-term relevance.
Below is a look at four projects frequently discussed in 2025 conversations, focusing on reported usage and planned upgrades rather than promotional framing. Mentions of activity or funding are based on publicly available statements from the projects and market data, and may not be independently verified.
1. BlockDAG (BDAG): Reported mining and user activity
BlockDAG is being marketed by its team as an early-stage network with an associated token sale. The project says that its X1 mobile app has more than 3 million daily users who mine BDAG, and that this activity is used to test its hybrid Proof-of-Work and Proof-of-Engagement approach. These figures and technical claims should be treated as project-reported until independently confirmed.
If accurate, sustained participation could indicate user interest and help surface performance issues early. However, user counts alone do not establish network security, decentralization, or long-term adoption.
The project also reports that it has raised nearly $410 million and sold more than 26.2 billion BDAG tokens to date. The sale has been described as occurring in multiple batches with different prices over time. Readers should note that fundraising totals, token allocations, and any implied return calculations are not guarantees of future performance and may change based on project terms and market conditions. For reference, the project’s website is here: BlockDAG (BDAG).
2. Avalanche (AVAX): Network development and DeFi activity
Avalanche has continued to see DeFi usage and protocol updates. By September 2025, AVAX was trading around $47, after recovering from earlier lows during the year. Developments such as Avalanche Evergreen Subnets and changes in DeFi activity (including on platforms such as Trader Joe) have been among the factors market participants have cited when discussing the chain.
The network’s emphasis on throughput and fees is being tested across multiple use cases, including business-oriented deployments. As with any smart-contract platform, adoption trends can shift quickly and depend on developer activity, liquidity, and broader market conditions.
3. Polkadot (DOT): Focus on the JAM upgrade
Polkadot has drawn renewed attention around its proposed JAM (Join-Accumulate Machine) upgrade. DOT was around $6.10 in September 2025. Supporters argue that the network’s development roadmap reflects long-term engineering work rather than short-term market cycles.
Activity across parachains has been cited by community members, with Moonbeam and Astar among ecosystems that continue to add dApp integrations. If the JAM plan results in faster execution, improved developer tooling, and stronger cross-chain functionality, it could influence how Polkadot is evaluated relative to other multi-chain platforms. These outcomes remain uncertain until implementation and real-world usage can be assessed.
4. Ethereum (ETH): Ongoing scaling work
Ethereum remained a major smart-contract network at around $2,410 as of September 2025, supporting DeFi applications, NFTs, and a large share of on-chain developer activity.
Following EIP-4844 (Proto-Danksharding), the network’s roadmap includes further work toward Danksharding, which is intended to improve scalability and reduce costs for some Layer-2 use cases. Staking participation and validator economics continue to be closely watched by both retail and institutional market participants, but they do not eliminate volatility or protocol risk. Discussions about future price moves are inherently speculative.
The Bottom Line
Narratives about “top” or “trending” crypto assets can change quickly, and price action alone may not reflect underlying progress. In this list, Avalanche and Polkadot are being discussed largely in connection with network development milestones, while Ethereum continues to iterate on scaling and infrastructure. BlockDAG is notable primarily for the scale of participation and fundraising it reports during an early-stage token sale, although those figures and claims should be evaluated carefully and independently.
As with any cryptoasset discussion that includes token sales, staking, or fundraising, readers should consider disclosure, token distribution, security assumptions, and liquidity risks, and avoid treating project marketing as verified performance.
This article contains information about a cryptocurrency token sale. This outlet is not affiliated with the project mentioned. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.
