L2 gaming activity spikes in February, but wallets decline
In February 2025, gaming activity on layer-2 (L2) blockchains experienced a significant surge, with some networks reporting unprecedented growth. Notably, Abstract, an Ethereum L2 developed by Igloo (the parent company of NFT collection Pudgy Penguins), saw daily active unique wallets (dAUWs) increase by over 20,000%. Sony's Ethereum L2 blockchain, Soneium, reported a 3,200% rise, while Linea, another L2 platform, experienced growth exceeding 1,000%.
This surge was primarily driven by popular games on these platforms:
Treasure Ship on Abstract: Approximately 72,000 unique active wallets daily.
Evermoon on Soneium: Around 32,000 unique active wallets daily.
Despite this uptick in gaming activity on specific L2s, the overall number of daily unique active wallets (dUAWs) across the blockchain ecosystem declined by 16% month-over-month, settling at approximately 5.8 million. This decline is attributed to a shift in investor focus towards decentralized finance (DeFi) amid market uncertainty.
In terms of gaming dominance by dUAWs, the leading blockchains were:
opBNB: An L2 built on the BNB Smart Chain, with 1.28 million daily unique active wallets.
Aptos: An independent layer-1 blockchain designed for decentralized applications, recording 603,000 daily active wallets.
Investment in blockchain gaming also saw a notable increase in February, with $55 million invested—a 243% rise from January. Notably, 92% of these funds were allocated to infrastructure development, underscoring a strong commitment to enhancing the blockchain gaming ecosystem.
However, challenges persist in the sector. Industry experts have observed that existing capital is often recycled between gaming projects, with investors moving from one project to another in search of value, rather than new funds entering the ecosystem. This pattern suggests a need for strategies to attract fresh investment into blockchain gaming.
In summary, while February 2025 witnessed remarkable growth in gaming activity on certain L2 blockchains, the overall decrease in dUAWs and the cyclical nature of investments highlight the evolving dynamics within the blockchain gaming industry.
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