Alliance DAO Reveals Changing Trends in Blockchain Development
Alliance DAO, a neutral startup accelerator investing in over 100 Layer 1 and Layer 2 projects, reports a significant shift in developer preferences toward Solana. In a recent podcast discussion, Alliance DAO founders Imran Khan and Qiao Wang shared insights about the changing dynamics in blockchain platform adoption.
The accelerator's data shows that while overall project submissions are split evenly between Ethereum and Solana platforms, approximately 75% of top-tier talent is now choosing to build on Solana. This trend persists despite the additional learning curve for developers, who need one to two months to master Solana's Rust programming language and development framework.
Khan and Wang attribute this migration to Solana's superior user acquisition capabilities. Projects launched on Solana consistently attract larger user bases compared to identical applications deployed on Ethereum Layer 2 solutions. The founders noted that Solana's unified wallet experience through Phantom reduces entry barriers for new users, contrasting with the fragmented wallet ecosystem in the Ethereum space.
Base, Coinbase's Layer 2 solution, faces particular challenges despite strong distribution channels. According to Khan, many developers launching on Base struggle to attract users and maintain necessary liquidity levels. This situation has led some Base supporters to switch their focus to Solana, where users show greater willingness to experiment with new applications.
The discussion revealed that Alliance DAO continues receiving thousands of startup applications, with notable quality coming from both Base and Solana ecosystems. However, Khan expressed concern about market fatigue from frequent Layer 1 launches, noting declining liquidity flows into new blockchain platforms.
Looking ahead, Wang predicts that four to five blockchains will ultimately dominate the industry, with Solana currently leading due to its transaction throughput capabilities. He estimates other platforms like SUI, Aptos, and Monad have a 10-20% chance of competing effectively against Solana's established position.
