Layer-1 Track Heats Up in 2024: A Look at the 15 Major Players

Last year was all about performance, but this year Layer-1s are focusing on differentiation. Here’s an overview of the current market landscape:

**Performance Powerhouses**
- Solana (SOL): $1.65B TVL, up 306% in a year. Firedancer upgrade will skyrocket TPS, ecosystem is red hot.
- Kaspa (KAS): Up 1400%, GHOSTDAG consensus delivers explosive block speeds, mining shift to Rust unlocks performance.
- Avalanche (AVAX): $781M TVL, C-Chain daily transaction peak reaches 2.33M, inscription hype drives up fees.

**Ecosystem Depth**
Ethereum remains the absolute king: $35B TVL, $283B market cap, 3,000+ dApps. In 2023, PoS transition completed, Layer2 solutions keep improving, and 2024 focus is still scalability.

**Rising Stars**
- Sei (SEI): Soared 7283%, DeFi-specialized chain, on-chain order book optimization is its killer feature.
- Sui (SUI): $488M TVL, Move language + parallel execution engine attracts developers, zkLogin lowers entry barriers.
- Aptos (APT): $171M TVL, also uses Move, but protocol quality in the ecosystem is mixed.

**Cross-chain Hubs**
- Polkadot (DOT): $162M TVL, 2.0 upgrade underway, parachain ecosystem expanding.
- Cosmos (ATOM): Interchain Security just launched, Hub status is solidifying.
- ZetaChain (ZETA): Omnichain positioning is novel, but TVL is only $610K, betting on the future.

**BNB Chain and Cronos, as CEX-backed leaders, have a considerable number of dApps but growth is slowing down.**

Key Observation: The performance war is settled; next, it’s all about ecosystem stickiness and differentiated applications. SOL and AVAX are capitalizing on the inscription boom, Sui/Aptos are fighting for developer mindshare, and Ethereum is guarding its core.

⚠️ Investment Risk Disclaimer: Crypto assets are highly volatile. Do thorough research before getting involved.