Data reveals a 24% decline in the count of blockchain developers in 2023
In a comprehensive research report published by crypto venture firm Electric Capital, it has been revealed that the number of active crypto developers decreased by 24% in 2023. The report, which spans 180 pages, shows that the total count of monthly active crypto developers dropped from 29,611 in December 2022 to 22,411 in December 2023.
Despite this overall decrease, there has been a consistent growth in the number of blockchain developers who have been actively contributing to the industry for more than one year. This specific group has seen a significant increase from less than 2,500 individuals in January 2018 to over 10,000 in 2024.
However, the same cannot be said for newcomers, defined as developers with less than 12 months of experience. The total count of newcomers experienced a sharp decline of 52% in 2023 compared to the previous year. The data suggests that newcomers tend to enter the crypto industry during periods of significant price rallies. In 2022, over 90,000 programmers joined the community following Bitcoin’s surge to nearly $70,000.
When examining specific ecosystems, Ethereum remains the leading platform, attracting over 16,000 newcomers who actively wrote code in 2023. Other platforms such as Polygon also garnered developer interest. Surprisingly, Bitcoin ranked 13th on the list, alongside platforms like Internet Computer, Optimism, and BNB Chain.
Among these ecosystems, Stellar emerged as the least preferred option for newcomers, with only 248 developers contributing code to the ecosystem in 2023.
Despite the global nature of the crypto industry, the United States experienced a decline in its developer share, with the number of blockchain developers located outside the country surpassing 70% in 2023. According to Electric Capital’s analysis, the U.S. has seen a 14% decrease in developer share since 2018, now accounting for only 26% of blockchain developers. On the other hand, regions such as South Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Africa, and Southern Europe collectively witnessed a 20% growth in developer share since 2018.
