Developer analytics from Santiment reveal a new leader in blockchain innovation - and it’s not one of the usual suspects.
Over the past month, MetaMask USD (mUSD) recorded the highest level of developer engagement across all tracked crypto projects, signaling growing momentum behind MetaMask’s stablecoin initiative.
The findings, based on Santiment’s proprietary GitHub activity metrics, measure “meaningful development” – a gauge of actual code progress rather than raw commit counts.
A New Leader in Crypto Development
MetaMask USD claimed the top position with a developer score of 1,340, far ahead of established blockchain projects. Chainlink (LINK) ranked second with 403.7, followed by Internet Computer (ICP) at 369.8, Radworks (RAD) at 258.47, and Hedera (HBAR) at 236.2.
The rest of the top ten included Sui (SUI) and DeepBook Protocol (DEEP) tied at 155.7, Aptos (APT) with 153.13, Avalanche (AVAX) at 145.37, and Optimism (OP) rounding out the list at 135.7.
Interestingly, Ethereum (ETH) – the dominant ecosystem for many of these networks – did not appear among the top-ranked projects.
🧑💻 Here are crypto's top overall coins by notable development activity the past 30 days. Directional indicators represent each project's rank rise or fall since last month:
📈 1) @metamask $mUSD 🥇
➡️ 2) @chainlink $LINK 🥈
📉 3) @dfinity $ICP 🥉
📈 4) @radworks_ $RAD
📈 5)… pic.twitter.com/QlqieAJfwW— Santiment (@santimentfeed) October 22, 2025
MetaMask’s Stablecoin Push Captures Developer Attention
MetaMask’s surge in developer activity comes shortly after the wallet provider announced plans to introduce a native stablecoin, mUSD, designed for use across its decentralized ecosystem. The project has sparked major interest among developers, as it represents a rare blend of wallet infrastructure and digital currency creation – two of the most active segments in Web3.
As the only stablecoin initiative featured on Santiment’s list, MetaMask USD’s ranking suggests that its codebase is undergoing rapid development as the product moves closer to deployment.
Chainlink and Internet Computer Stay Resilient
Behind MetaMask USD, long-established projects Chainlink and Internet Computer maintained strong development scores, reflecting continued activity in oracle infrastructure and decentralized computation. Both have been steady fixtures in Santiment’s top developer charts, often viewed as technical bellwethers for the broader industry.
Similarly, Radworks and Hedera continue to show persistent technical momentum, each emphasizing real-world applications – decentralized identity for Radworks and enterprise-grade DLT solutions for Hedera.
Ethereum’s Absence Raises Eyebrows
Despite being the backbone for much of the DeFi and dApp ecosystem, Ethereum itself was notably absent from the top 10. Analysts suggest this may reflect the maturity of its codebase rather than a lack of progress – as most major upgrades, including those related to scaling and proof-of-stake optimization, have already stabilized.
Developer Activity as an On-Chain Health Metric
Santiment’s developer activity reports are widely followed as indicators of project vitality. Higher activity typically signals ongoing innovation, frequent updates, and a dedicated engineering community – factors that can help sustain long-term project relevance even through market downturns.
With MetaMask’s stablecoin initiative leading the month’s rankings, the data suggests that the next wave of Web3 growth could center not only on decentralized finance and infrastructure, but also on stablecoin integration directly at the wallet level – merging usability, liquidity, and development in one place.
