📝 Editor’s Note: Setting the Scene

Welcome to OurNetwork's second issue focused exclusively on SKALE, an EVM compatible Layer 1 network. SKALE is composed of four fundamental chains, called “Hub Chains,” paired with use case-specific App Chains.

This report comes at a chaotic time for crypto. On the one hand, the “casino” charges on — memecoins have taken the spotlight as tokens rise to nine-figure market caps and fall to close to nothing within days. 

On the other hand, there’s a degree of fatigue around memecoins and other aspects of the hyper-volatile aspects of crypto like low-float high FDV (fully diluted value) tokens with major unlocks upcoming.

It’s in this environment that SKALE, launched in 2020, has continued its steady climb upward — in 2024 the chain attracted 46.7M active wallets and facilitated 615.2M transactions. Those are over 400% and 200% changes respectively.

Two sectors, AI and gaming, each with breakout apps and burgeoning ecosystems covered below, have driven the growth.

Let’s get into it.

– ON Editorial Team

• SKALE is a network of on-demand, EVM-compatible, Layer 1 blockchains with zero gas fees, high-throughput, and instant transactional finality. The SKALE network demonstrated exceptional growth throughout 2024, achieving record-breaking milestones in user adoption and transaction activity. UAW on the year surged to 46.7M+ representing a 466.92% increase year-over-year, while transaction volume climbed to 615.2M marking a 206.49% increase from the previous year.

• As a gasless blockchain, SKALE saved its users $7.5B+ in gas fees in 2024. This represents a 204.31% increase in savings compared to 2023, highlighting the network’s ability to reduce barriers for Web3 adoption at scale. SKALE has saved users more on gas fees than any other blockchain.

• Staking on SKALE delivered significant rewards to participants in 2024, with network stakers earning $17.8M in rewards—a 53.6% year-over-year increase. Chain payment fees, the mechanism that allows for zero gas fees, emerged as an additional revenue stream for the network.

• SKALE’s ecosystem experienced substantial growth in 2024, with 207 projects beginning development on the network and over 60 full-time developers actively contributing. Developers are drawn to SKALE’s zero gas fees, instant finality, and modular architecture, which enable rapid deployment and cost-efficient scaling. Additionally, SKALE’s full EVM compatibility and robust tooling make it an ideal choice for developers familiar with Ethereum’s ecosystem.

• The network’s technical momentum is further underscored by its GitHub activity. With more than 1.2M total commits in 2024, SKALE ranked second in weekly commits to only to Ethereum, solidifying its position as one of the most active blockchain ecosystems in the industry.

• The Pacifica V3 upgrade, launched in August, drove a massive increase in network performance. Following V3's implementation on SKALE mainnet, the average daily new blocks on the Nebula Hub chain surged by 158%, increasing from approximately 20,899 before the upgrade to 54,083 after it went live.

• The AI ecosystem on SKALE experienced impressive growth in 2024, with 12 AI dApps leveraging the network’s zero gas fees and instant finality to deliver cutting-edge solutions. SKALE’s unique architecture has proven to be an ideal environment for AI applications, enabling seamless scalability and high performance at low cost.

• AI applications now account for roughly 50% of all transactions on SKALE. Of this, 43% originate from Exorde, which operates its own dedicated AppChain on SKALE. Additionally, 7% comes from AI dApps on the Calypso HubChain, which collectively generate about half of Calypso’s total transactions.

• SKALE currently hosts 4 of the top 10 AI crypto projects as ranked by DappRadar in terms of unique active wallets. These projects include Dmail, XO, Exorde, and WORLD3, showcasing SKALE’s ability to attract and sustain some of the most innovative AI dApps in the industry.

• Exorde has emerged as one of the most active AI applications on SKALE, with average daily transactions exceeding 800k at the end of 2024. Exorde leverages its own AppChain on SKALE to process the massive volume of data required for its AI algorithm, which collects and analyzes sentiment and trends from global social networks. By operating on SKALE, Exorde benefits from limitless scalability, zero gas fees, and instant finality, critical for handling its data-intensive operations efficiently.

• Exorde’s gas-free AppChain on SKALE allows it to operate at a scale that would be financially unsustainable on other blockchains. By leveraging SKALE, Exorde saved over $456M in gas fees over other EVM blockchains in 2024.

• The performance of Exorde's AppChain further underscores SKALE’s reliability. With an average block time of 1.57 seconds and 99% uptime, Exorde has the robust infrastructure needed to support its high transaction volume and complex AI workloads.

• Dmail, an AI-powered decentralized email network, has shown impressive growth over the past 90 days, with UAW peaking near 350,000. On-chain activity surged, with transaction volume climbing steadily and financial activity exceeding $120K. This highlights strong adoption of Dmail's features like NFT domains and staking. Sustained momentum during key periods cements Dmail as a top-performing dApp on SKALE, driven by strategic user acquisition and retention efforts.

• Dmail Network ranks top 15 among all dApps for UAWs over 7 days, with 866k active wallets and only 15 of 35 contracts deployed on DappRadar. SKALE leads as a top-performing contract, showcasing Dmail’s growing adoption and influence despite partial deployment.

• Dmail Network ranks as the #1 AI dApp on SKALE, and #4 dApp overall for the past 30 days, achieving over 374k UAW with a 25.13% growth. Positioned alongside other top projects, Dmail's consistent performance highlights its strong adoption and increasing relevance in the SKALE ecosystem.

• Nebula, the gaming hub chain on SKALE, showed remarkable growth throughout 2024, firmly establishing itself as a key player in blockchain gaming. According to CMC Research, Nebula averaged 458,000 daily active users, showcasing its ability to attract and retain a robust gaming community. The Nebula Hub chain is home to dozens of games on SKALE that take advantage of the network's gas-free, invisible blockchain experience.

• Gaming on SKALE is not a one hit wonder - there are 11 games built on SKALE surpassing 10,000 unique active wallets monthly. This reflects the growing adoption of SKALE’s gasless architecture and instant finality, which provides developers with the tools to create seamless, scalable games.

• Seven SKALE-powered games are now on the Epic Games Store, a major step for blockchain gaming. Platforms like Epic are essential for bridging Web3 with mainstream audiences, offering access to millions of players and driving adoption while elevating blockchain gaming to new heights.

• World of Dypians is a groundbreaking MMORPG that seamlessly merges DeFi, NFTs, and gaming into an interconnected virtual universe. Over the past month, the platform has recorded almost 400K unique active wallets (+19.55%) and facilitated over 13.3M transactions (+10.49%), showcasing its exponential growth and user engagement. These metrics highlight the dynamic and immersive ecosystem driving the future of blockchain gaming.

• World of Dypians continues to attract new users, amassing an impressive 318k UAW in a 24 hour timespan. As a revolutionary gaming ecosystem combining NFTs, DeFi, and immersive gameplay, World of Dypians setting new standards in blockchain gaming, powered by SKALE's gasless blocklchain.

• Pixudi has achieved over 1.6M active users, with a 70% growth in the past 3 months. Ranked #9 among blockchain games and #19 across all dapps on DappRadar, it boasts a 35% paying user base. The platform has processed over 4.61M transactions per month, demonstrating its strong market presence. Thanks to SKALE's gasless architecutre, Pixudi has been able to onboard users seamlessly without any scaling issues.

• At present, Pixudi captures nearly 7% of the entire Web3 gaming market, showcasing exponential growth since its launch. In fact, it hasn’t just grown 5-6 times—it’s achieved a staggering 1000x increase, solidifying its position as a leader in the space.

• Currently, Pixudi ranks among the top 3 most actively used apps daily, highlighting strong user engagement. With over 300,000 players logging in each day, the game continues to demonstrate its widespread appeal and consistent popularity.