Connect with us

Crypto

Cryptocurrency: Top 3 Layer 2 Coins By Development Activity To Buy Now

Published

2 years ago

on

Cryptocurrency: Top 3 Layer 2 Coins By Development Activity To Buy Now

Cryptocurrency investors are increasingly focusing on projects with strong fundamentals and active development. Layer 2 solutions, which aim to improve the scalability and efficiency of blockchain networks, have garnered significant attention in recent months.

According to a recent tweet by Santiment, a leading cryptocurrency analytics platform, three Layer 2 coins stand out in terms of development activity: Optimism (OP), Starknet (STRK), and Arbitrum (ARB).

Also read: Shiba Inu: Machine Learning AI Predicts SHIB Price for May 5

Optimism (OP)

Optimism Network Transactions Skyrocket by 67% after Bedrock Upgrade, Reports Nansen
Source: Crypto News

Optimism, a Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum, has claimed the top spot on Santiment’s list of Layer 2 cryptocurrencies by development activity. In addition, the project has made significant strides in improving the Ethereum network’s scalability and user experience, attracting both developers and users.

According to Santiment’s data, Optimism has an impressive 146% more daily development activity than the next closest project.

This high level of activity suggests that the Optimism team is actively working on improving the protocol and expanding its ecosystem. Currently trading at $2.74, OP has experienced an 8.13% increase in the past 24 hours.

Advertisement

Also read: Shiba Inu: Here’s How to Be a Millionaire When SHIB Hits $0.001

Starknet (STRK)

Starknet cryptocurrencyStarknet cryptocurrency
Source: Kraken

Starknet, a Layer 2 scaling solution that utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to enable fast and secure transactions, has secured the second spot on Santiment’s list.

Additionally, the project has been gaining traction among developers and investors for its innovative approach to scaling and its potential to unlock new use cases for blockchain technology. Currently trading at $1.28, STRK has experienced a 6.45% increase in the past 24 hours.

Also read: Cardano Transactions Exceeding $100k Explodes: Can ADA Hit $0.5 In May?

Arbitrum (ARB) 

Arbitrum cryptocurrency
Source: Coingape

Arbitrum, another Layer 2 scaling solution for Ethereum that utilizes optimistic rollups, has claimed the third spot on Santiment’s list. The project has made significant progress in improving the Ethereum network’s scalability and user experience, attracting developers and users who want faster and cheaper transactions.

With a strong focus on development activity and a growing ecosystem, Arbitrum is well-positioned to continue its growth and adoption in the coming months. Currently trading at $1.02, ARB has experienced a 1.35% increase in the past 24 hours.

Layer 2 solutions like Optimism, Starknet, and Arbitrum are poised for significant growth and adoption. In addition, these projects, which have demonstrated high levels of development activity and strong fundamentals, present attractive investment opportunities for those looking to capitalize on the future of blockchain technology.

Advertisement

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Crypto

XRP Positions as Institutional Rail While RLUSD Enters Real-World Finance

Published

9 hours ago

on

January 28, 2026

By

XRP Positions as Institutional Rail While RLUSD Enters Real-World Finance
XRP is cementing its role in live institutional payment infrastructure as Ripple’s RLUSD anchors regulated stablecoin settlement, signaling blockchain rails are now trusted, production-grade systems for global liquidity, cross-border payments, and high-value financial flows.
Continue Reading

Crypto

Crypto Crime Wave Fueled by Chinese-Language Money Laundering | PYMNTS.com

Published

21 hours ago

on

January 27, 2026

By

Crypto Crime Wave Fueled by Chinese-Language Money Laundering | PYMNTS.com

Cryptocurrency laundering was an $82 billion problem last year, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday (Jan. 27), citing data from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.

Chinese-language money laundering networks made up $16.1 billion of that total as they play an increasing role in crypto crime, the report said.

“These are groups that are growing exponentially,” Andrew Fierman, head of national security intelligence at Chainalysis, told Bloomberg, per the report. “We’re talking about growth of over 7,300 times faster than other illicit flows.”

Although China has outlawed crypto transactions, illegal activity continues as the government chiefly focuses on behavior that threatens capital controls or financial stability, according to the report.

The networks “have really embraced cryptocurrencies,” said Kathryn Westmore, a senior associate fellow at the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI, per the report, adding that crypto provides “a way to launder the proceeds of cash-generating criminal activities, like drugs or fraud.”

Advertisement

The news followed a warning from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in August, which said Chinese money laundering networks are now among the most significant threats to the American financial system, helping fuel the operations of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels.

Advertisement: Scroll to Continue

“The networks have become effective partners because they can move cash quickly, absorb losses and leverage demand from Chinese nationals seeking to bypass Beijing’s strict currency controls,” PYMNTS reported Aug. 29. “By pairing cartel dollars with Chinese demand for U.S. currency, these networks have created what FinCEN called a ‘mutualistic relationship’ that strengthens both sides.”

Meanwhile, Eric Jardine, head of research at Chainalysis, discussed last year’s record-setting levels of crypto crime with PYMNTS in an interview published Monday (Jan. 26). Around $154 billion flowed to illicit addresses, the most ever recorded, and there was a 160% increase in illicit volumes.

“But treating that number as evidence of runaway criminal adoption may miss the more consequential story,” PYMNTS wrote. “What changed in 2025 was not merely volume, but the identity of the actors, the scale at which they operated, and the implications this has for banks, regulators, and the future architecture of financial blockchain compliance.”

Advertisement

The true inflection came from “a shift in who’s doing what,” Jardine said, adding that in 2025, nation states, most notably Russia, began taking part “in earnest in the crypto ecosystem,” chiefly through sanctions evasion.

Unlike earlier state-linked activity, like North Korea’s hacking campaigns, this was not marginal behavior at the edges of the system, but “industrial-scale financial activity conducted in plain sight,” PYMNTS wrote.

Continue Reading

Crypto

Fixing BTC’s Quantum Issue Tops All Bitcoin Development Priorities, Says Willy Woo

Published

1 day ago

on

January 27, 2026

By

Fixing BTC’s Quantum Issue Tops All Bitcoin Development Priorities, Says Willy Woo
Quantum risk is emerging as a decisive hurdle for bitcoin’s institutional future as sovereign investors weigh long-term resilience, pushing gold and BTC into sharper focus amid debt cycles, macro uncertainty, and geopolitical realignment, according to on-chain analyst Willy Woo.
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending