Peter Smith
SEI has climbed past several established Layer-1 competitors in monthly active users. Analytics from a16z crypto reveal the network now ranks among the top five blockchains by user activity, positioning itself as a rising force in the space.
SEI's Growing Network Strength
In a recent update, Coin Bureau highlighted data from Allium showing SEI's impressive jump in the rankings. The network now trails only Solana, BNB Chain, and Ethereum in active addresses. While Solana maintains its dominant position, SEI's segment shows a notable spike in late summer 2025, pushing it ahead of Sui, Polygon, and Aptos—all of which have seen steadier but slower growth.
This surge represents SEI's strongest adoption wave yet and aligns with its focus on speed, scalability, and developer accessibility. The platform's architecture, built for high-frequency DeFi and trading applications, is resonating with builders who prioritize performance. SEI's progress stems from both its technical capabilities and recent ecosystem developments, including cross-chain bridge connections and DEX protocol integrations. The platform's lightweight structure enables faster transaction finality—giving it an edge over other next-gen chains.
What This Means for Layer-1 Competition
The changing rankings point to a bigger shift in blockchain competition. Performance and usability are starting to matter more than being first to market. As SEI builds out its infrastructure and forms new partnerships, it's carving out a position in the Layer-1 ecosystem, especially for developers who need low-latency environments. The September 2025 numbers show how quickly user adoption can reshape the hierarchy—particularly as the market gravitates toward actual utility and scalability rather than name recognition.
If SEI maintains this momentum, the network could continue pulling in users through 2026, putting pressure not just on mid-tier chains but potentially on larger players too. For now, its steady climb signals that speed, efficiency, and user-focused design are becoming key differentiators in blockchain's next chapter.
Peter Smith
